Skip to main content
Trust Center · Service Commitments

Clear service commitments for accountable data consulting delivery.

We set practical expectations for scope, communication, governance, milestones, change control, support, escalation, acceptance, and continuous improvement—then document engagement-specific commitments in the applicable agreement.

This page describes our general approach. Contractual commitments, service targets, support windows, remedies, and responsibilities are engagement-specific.

Executive summary

A practical framework for transparent delivery

Data and AI work often depends on changing business priorities, complex systems, data readiness, stakeholder decisions, security review, and third-party platforms. Our service-commitment approach makes these conditions visible so buyers and delivery teams can understand what is expected, who owns each action, and how material changes are handled.

  • Commitments are connected to an agreed scope, not assumed from general marketing language.
  • Governance and reporting are proportionate to service complexity, risk, and stakeholder needs.
  • Changes, dependencies, acceptance, and escalation are treated as shared delivery responsibilities.
Core commitments

How we structure service expectations

Each area below is translated into engagement-specific language where relevant to the service, operating model, risk profile, and client requirements.

Scope and statement-of-work alignment

We document objectives, included activities, deliverables, assumptions, dependencies, exclusions, commercial terms, and acceptance expectations before substantive delivery begins.

Communication standards

We agree practical communication routes, named contacts, meeting expectations, decision records, reporting formats, and the handling of urgent or sensitive topics.

Project governance and reporting

Governance is proportionate to engagement size and may include working meetings, status reports, risk logs, decision logs, steering reviews, and escalation paths.

Delivery and milestone management

Plans connect activities, dependencies, review points, expected inputs, milestones, and delivery dates so that changes and risks can be discussed early.

Controlled change requests

Requested changes are assessed for impact on scope, cost, schedule, resources, data access, architecture, security, and downstream deliverables before approval.

Issue escalation

Engagement-specific escalation routes help the right operational, technical, commercial, or executive stakeholders address material blockers and decisions.

Delivery lifecycle

Commitments are managed throughout the engagement

Service expectations are not a one-time document exercise. They guide planning, delivery, review, acceptance, and improvement.

01

Define

Confirm business outcomes, scope, stakeholders, assumptions, dependencies, and constraints.

02

Plan

Set milestones, responsibilities, review points, communication routes, and delivery conditions.

03

Deliver

Perform agreed work, communicate progress, manage risks, and document material decisions.

04

Review

Present outputs, address agreed review comments, and confirm acceptance evidence.

05

Improve

Review service performance and agree practical improvements for ongoing or future work.

Support and escalation

Support channels, windows, response targets, and issue handling

These arrangements depend on the purchased service and must be documented rather than inferred.

Support channels and windows

Engagement documents may define approved channels, time zones, business days, holiday handling, named contacts, ticketing tools, scheduled meetings, after-hours procedures, and any on-call arrangement. Continuous coverage applies only where expressly agreed.

Response and resolution targets

Targets may vary by severity, service type, dependency, environment, required access, and support model. A response target is not necessarily a resolution guarantee. Workarounds, restoration, permanent correction, client validation, and third-party action may follow different timelines.

Customisable contract schedule

Sample service-commitment table

This example illustrates fields that may be tailored for a project, managed service, dedicated team, or support arrangement. It is not a published SLA.

Illustrative fields for engagement-specific service commitments
Commitment areaCustomisable fieldExample of what is documentedEvidence or record
ScopeIncluded services and exclusionsData engineering activities, dashboards, models, documentation, environments, and excluded tasksStatement of work, backlog, architecture note
CommunicationChannels and cadenceWorking meetings, reporting format, named contacts, decision route, and urgent communication pathStatus report, meeting record, decision log
MilestonesDates and dependenciesPlanned outputs, review points, client inputs, third-party actions, and schedule assumptionsDelivery plan, milestone tracker
SupportWindow and coverageBusiness days, time zone, approved channels, coverage exclusions, and after-hours arrangements where purchasedSupport schedule, ticket record
Service targetsSeverity and target definitionsInitial response, status update, workaround, restoration, resolution, or review target as applicableService report, ticket history
EscalationLevels and contactsOperational, technical, commercial, and executive escalation route with trigger conditionsEscalation matrix, issue log
AcceptanceCriteria and review periodTesting, reconciliation, demonstration, documentation, agreed corrections, and sign-off routeAcceptance record, approval email
Service reviewCadence and participantsPerformance, quality, risks, incidents, capacity, stakeholder feedback, and improvement actionsReview minutes, action tracker

Editorial note: before publication, confirm that every example field aligns with approved contracting and delivery practices.

Shared responsibility

Client dependencies and responsibilities

Delivery commitments depend on timely cooperation, authorised access, accurate information, and decisions from all relevant parties. The engagement documents should identify material client and third-party dependencies.

  • Provide timely access to authorised stakeholders, systems, environments, data, documentation, and subject-matter expertise.
  • Confirm that shared data and instructions may be used for the agreed purpose and are handled under applicable contractual terms.
  • Review deliverables and raise consolidated feedback within the review period stated in the agreement.
  • Communicate priority changes, business constraints, policy requirements, or third-party dependencies as early as practical.
  • Make or facilitate decisions that are required to maintain the agreed delivery plan.
  • Use delivered outputs in line with documented assumptions, limitations, operating guidance, and applicable laws or policies.
Acceptance and improvement

From deliverable review to continuous improvement

Clear review and sign-off practices help distinguish completed scope, agreed corrections, new requirements, operational handover, and future enhancement opportunities.

Acceptance and sign-off

Acceptance criteria may include demonstration, functional checks, data reconciliation, documentation review, model evaluation, security or operational review, and confirmation that agreed corrections have been addressed. Exact criteria and review periods are contract-specific.

Service reviews and continuous improvement

For suitable engagements, service reviews may examine quality, delivery progress, stakeholder feedback, incidents, recurring issues, capacity, risks, decisions, and improvement actions. Review cadence and participants are agreed according to the engagement.

Important considerations

Scope and limitations

This page is informational and does not create a warranty, service level, certification, audit result, uptime promise, response guarantee, remedy, or legal obligation. Binding terms are contained in executed engagement documents.

Engagement-specific evidence

What should be verified

Before relying on a commitment, confirm the current contract, service schedule, support plan, scope, change record, responsibility matrix, acceptance criteria, and approved contact or escalation details.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about data consulting service commitments

These answers help procurement, legal, security, technical, and operational stakeholders understand how general practices relate to engagement-specific terms.

Are these service commitments the same for every engagement?

No. This page explains our general approach. Binding commitments, deliverables, responsibilities, support arrangements, review periods, service targets, and remedies are defined in the applicable proposal, statement of work, order form, master agreement, or other agreed contract documents.

Do you publish standard response or resolution times?

We do not invent or present universal service-level values on this page. Response, restoration, workaround, resolution, reporting, and escalation targets are agreed according to service scope, operating model, severity definitions, support window, client needs, and commercial terms.

How is project scope confirmed?

Scope is normally confirmed through written engagement documents that identify objectives, included activities, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, dependencies, responsibilities, review cycles, commercial terms, and acceptance conditions.

What happens when requirements change?

A proposed change is reviewed for delivery, schedule, resource, architecture, data, security, compliance, and cost impact. Material changes are documented and approved through the contract-specific change-control process before they are treated as committed scope.

How are project risks communicated?

Risk communication depends on engagement governance. It may include status reports, risk and issue logs, working sessions, steering meetings, decision records, and direct escalation where a risk could materially affect agreed outcomes.

Which support channels are available?

Available channels are defined for each engagement and may include email, scheduled meetings, approved collaboration platforms, service-management tools, or agreed emergency contacts. Sensitive information should only be shared through approved channels.

Do you provide 24/7 support?

Continuous support is not implied. Support windows, time zones, holiday coverage, on-call arrangements, and after-hours procedures apply only where they are expressly included in the relevant agreement.

How are incidents or critical issues escalated?

The engagement may define severity criteria, initial contacts, escalation levels, communication expectations, decision owners, and business-continuity actions. Exact processes depend on the service and contract.

What client inputs can affect the schedule?

Common dependencies include data access, system access, stakeholder availability, approvals, technical decisions, third-party actions, environment readiness, security review, procurement steps, and consolidated feedback. Delays or changes in these inputs may affect delivery dates.

How does acceptance and sign-off work?

Acceptance is based on the criteria and review process stated in the engagement documents. Depending on scope, evidence may include demonstrations, test results, reconciliation, documentation, review comments, agreed corrections, or formal written approval.

Can acceptance criteria change during delivery?

They can change only through an agreed process. A change may require updated scope, effort, schedule, commercial terms, dependencies, or testing arrangements.

How do you manage work involving AI or machine learning?

AI and machine-learning engagements are scoped around the intended use, available data, evaluation approach, human oversight, limitations, deployment context, and client responsibilities. Model performance and suitability depend on engagement-specific evidence and should not be assumed from general descriptions.

How are service reviews used for continuous improvement?

For suitable engagements, reviews may consider delivery progress, quality, communication, incidents, recurring issues, risks, decisions, stakeholder feedback, capacity, and improvement actions. The cadence and participants are agreed according to the engagement.

Does this page create a contractual guarantee?

No. This page is informational and does not replace signed agreements. Where this page and an executed agreement differ, the executed agreement governs the relevant engagement.

Next step

Request a Service Commitment Discussion

Share the service scope, operating model, stakeholder needs, support expectations, risk considerations, and procurement requirements. We can discuss which commitments should be documented for the proposed engagement.

Contact the Trust Team

This page does not provide legal advice and does not replace an executed agreement.