Accepting service providers' standard service descriptions risky
Stikeman Elliott Partner Wesley Ng's column in Slaw this month considers the perils of relying on service providers' standard service descriptions when engaging in outsourcing activities. According to Mr. Ng,
Ultimately, the customer needs to dedicate sufficient resources to ensure a full appreciation of the services that are being contracted (including service levels and the consequences of any service level failure). Generally, this is a two-step process involving:
- understanding the organization’s needs without reference to the service providers’ services; and
- understanding any discrepancy between the organization’s needs and what the service provider is willing and able to provide.
