Purpose
This document defines the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Service Level Agreement (SLA) governing technical support services provided by Ascent for managed applications and cloud / IT infrastructure, including products purchased through Ascent Select. The objective is to establish a structured support process, define service expectations and ensure timely restoration and resolution of operational issues.
Scope of services
This SOP and SLA applies to systems actively managed by Ascent under a valid Support & Maintenance Agreement.
Managed applications
Including but not limited to:
- Bespoke ERP systems
- CRM systems
- Inventory management systems
- Document management systems
- Websites
- eCommerce platforms
- Portals
- Mobile applications
- APIs and integrations
- Workflow automation systems
- Other applications developed or maintained by Ascent
Cloud & IT infrastructure
Including but not limited to: cloud servers, virtual machines, web hosting, databases, email infrastructure, SSL certificates, domain-related technical support, infrastructure monitoring, backup monitoring and performance monitoring.
Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Business Hours | Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM IST, excluding notified public holidays. |
| Incident | An unplanned interruption or reduction in the quality of a supported service. |
| Service Request | A request for information, guidance, or routine operational assistance that does not arise from a system fault. |
| Workaround | A temporary solution that restores service until a permanent resolution is implemented. |
| Service Restoration | Restoration of normal business operations, either through a permanent fix or an approved workaround. |
| Change Request (CR) | Any request involving new functionality, enhancements, workflow modifications, or configuration changes outside the scope of standard support. |
| Business Day | Any day during which standard support services are available. |
Support channels
All support requests shall be logged through one of the following official channels:
- Support portal: support.ascentcts.com
- Email: tech@ascentcts.com
Each request automatically generates a unique ticket number which shall be quoted in all future correspondence. Support requests received through phone calls, WhatsApp or personal email addresses may be redirected to the official support system to ensure proper tracking and SLA compliance.
Business hours
| Day | Support hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM IST |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM IST |
| Sunday & public holidays | Closed |
Support requests may be submitted at any time. Tickets received outside business hours shall be acknowledged and attended during the next applicable business window unless covered under a separately agreed emergency support arrangement.
Support levels
| Level | Description | Typical activities |
|---|---|---|
| L1 - Service Desk | First point of contact | Ticket acknowledgement, issue logging, basic troubleshooting, user guidance, password resets, categorisation and escalation. |
| L2 - Technical Support | Functional & technical specialists | Configuration issues, application troubleshooting, integrations, database verification, server configuration and performance investigation. |
| L3 - Engineering | Product & infrastructure engineering | Software defects, code fixes, architecture issues, infrastructure recovery, database repair, security investigations and engineering changes. |
Priority classification & SLA
| Priority | Business impact | Initial response | Target service restoration | Escalation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 - Critical | Complete outage, business operations halted, production data corruption or major security incident. | Within 1 business hour | Continuous effort until service is restored | L1 → L2 → L3 |
| P2 - High | Major functionality unavailable, multiple users affected or critical integrations unavailable. | Within 4 business hours | Within 2 business days | L1 → L2 |
| P3 - Medium | Individual user issues, intermittent errors or non-critical functionality affected. | Within 8 business hours | Within 5 business days | L1 / L2 |
| P4 - Low | Information requests, cosmetic defects, configuration guidance or minor enhancements. | Within 1 business day | As mutually scheduled | L1 |
Response and restoration timelines apply only during business hours.
Ticket lifecycle
- Customer raises a support ticket.
- Ticket acknowledgement is generated automatically.
- L1 performs initial diagnosis.
- Issues beyond L1 capability are escalated to L2.
- Engineering issues are escalated to L3.
- Resolution or workaround is implemented.
- Customer is notified.
- Ticket is closed in accordance with the ticket closure policy.
Customer responsibilities
Customers are expected to:
- Raise support requests only through authorised channels.
- Provide a clear description of the issue.
- Attach screenshots, videos or error logs wherever available.
- Provide steps to reproduce the issue.
- Nominate authorised users for raising tickets.
- Provide timely remote access where required.
- Respond promptly to requests for additional information.
Delays in receiving the required information or access shall pause the applicable SLA timelines.
Scope of standard support
Included: incident management, technical troubleshooting, bug investigation, user assistance, configuration guidance, performance investigation, application monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, backup verification (where applicable), and SSL & hosting support (where managed by Ascent).
Excluded: new feature development, change requests, business process consulting, data migration, bulk data corrections, user training, third-party software defects, hardware maintenance, ISP or telecom issues, systems not managed by Ascent, unauthorised third-party modifications, and onsite support unless specifically agreed.
Planned maintenance
Planned maintenance may be scheduled periodically. Where reasonably practicable, advance notice shall be provided for maintenance activities that may impact service availability. Emergency maintenance may be undertaken without prior notice where necessary to preserve system stability, security or data integrity.
Remote access
Where necessary, customers shall provide secure remote access to facilitate investigation and resolution. Applicable SLA timelines shall remain suspended until such access is made available.
Ticket closure policy
A support ticket shall be considered closed when the reported issue has been resolved, a mutually accepted workaround has been implemented, the customer confirms closure, or no customer response is received within five (5) consecutive business days following notification of resolution or a request for additional information. Closed tickets may be reopened within a reasonable period if the same issue recurs.
Fair usage policy
Standard support is intended for operational incidents and maintenance of covered systems. Requests relating to consultancy, training, business process redesign, enhancements or software development may be scheduled separately and may attract additional commercial charges.
Service exclusions
Ascent shall not be responsible for delays arising from cloud provider outages, internet or telecom failures, power failures, customer infrastructure issues, third-party software failures, customer-initiated configuration changes, delayed customer responses, delayed approvals, delayed remote access, or force majeure events.
Limitation of liability
The timelines specified in this document are service targets and not guarantees. While Ascent shall make every reasonable effort to restore services within the stated timelines, certain incidents may depend upon third-party vendors, cloud providers or other external agencies beyond Ascent's reasonable control.
SLA applicability
This SOP and SLA applies only to systems covered under an active Support & Maintenance Agreement with Ascent. Support commitments commence only after execution of the applicable agreement and fulfilment of all commercial obligations.
Responsibility matrix (RACI)
| Activity | Customer | L1 | L2 | L3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise support ticket | R | |||
| Ticket acknowledgement | R | |||
| Initial diagnosis | R | |||
| Functional troubleshooting | C | R | ||
| Engineering investigation | C | R | ||
| Code fixes / product defects | R | |||
| Customer communication | C | R | C | C |
| Resolution deployment | C | R | R | |
| Ticket closure | C | R |
R = Responsible · A = Accountable (implicitly Ascent for service delivery) · C = Consulted · I = Informed
Revision & amendments
Ascent reserves the right to amend this SOP and SLA from time to time. The latest published version shall supersede all previous versions and shall become effective from the date of publication.
Contact
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us:
Email: hello@ascentcts.com
Phone: +91 91379 17820
Address: 150 / 4120 Parivartan, D wing, Vallabh Baug Lane, Ghatkopar East, Mumbai 400075
Operated by Ascent SmartWaves Pvt. Ltd. · Effective date: 03 December 2024