Speech data · Service level agreement
Milestones, acceptance, quality gates, reporting. The service level, written into the statement of work.
Delivery follows milestones with acceptance checkpoints, three quality gates run through production, changes go through a documented procedure, and reporting arrives on the agreed cadence with the audit artefacts.
Thresholds, timelines and cadence are fixed in the statement of work during scoping.
Acceptance checkpoint, after every milestone
The service level eight terms in the statement of work
Eight things the statement of work fixes. Read them before procurement review.
Milestone schedules, delivery timelines, volume commitments, acceptance thresholds, gate criteria and reporting cadence are fixed contractually in scoping.
- SLA terms
- Defined in the statement of work and finalised in scoping
- Milestones
- Established based on project scope and volume requirements
- Acceptance
- Criteria documented for each deliverable phase
- Quality gates
- Implemented throughout the production workflow
- Change control
- Procedures defined for scope modifications
- Reporting
- Cadence and audit artefacts agreed in the contract
- Remediation
- Procedures documented for non-conformance scenarios
- Escalation
- Communication protocols established for status and escalations
Delivery model milestones · format · tracking
Delivery runs on milestones. Each one carries its own acceptance checkpoint.
Data delivery follows a milestone-based approach structured around project phases and volume requirements.
- Milestone structure
- Delivery milestones are established during scoping based on total volume, complexity and timeline requirements. Each milestone includes defined deliverables and acceptance checkpoints.
- Delivery format
- Data is delivered according to the technical specifications agreed during scoping. Delivery methods and access mechanisms are documented in the statement of work.
- Progress tracking
- Production status is communicated on the agreed reporting cadence. Milestone completion is formally acknowledged through the acceptance process.
Acceptance five criteria
Acceptance is a checklist, written before the first delivery.
Acceptance criteria define what constitutes successful delivery for each milestone and final deliverable.
- Format compliance with agreed technical specifications
- Quality metrics validation against defined thresholds
- Documentation completeness (metadata, provenance, consent records)
- Sample validation by client team where applicable
- Delivery method and access checked
Acceptance process: Formal acceptance follows review of deliverables against documented criteria. Acceptance periods and procedures are specified in the statement of work.
Quality gates collection · processing · pre-delivery · remediation
Three gates stand in the production line. What fails a gate is flagged and remediated.
Quality gates are checkpoints implemented throughout the production workflow so that deliverables meet agreed standards.
-
Collection gate
Validation at the point of collection, including technical quality checks and a consent check.
-
Processing gate
Quality validation during processing, including format compliance and metadata completeness.
-
Pre-delivery gate
Full QA review against the agreed acceptance criteria before milestone delivery.
-
Remediation
Non-conforming items are flagged for remediation. Procedures and timelines are documented in the SLA terms.
Change control request · assess · approve · document
A scope change is a request, an assessment and an approval. Then it is an amendment.
Change control procedures govern modifications to scope, timeline or deliverables once the engagement has started.
-
Request
Scope changes are submitted through documented channels, with description, justification and requested timeline.
-
Assessment
Impact on timeline, resources, deliverables and agreed terms, documented and communicated.
-
Approval
Designated stakeholders approve before implementation, per the engagement agreement.
-
Amendment
Approved changes are documented as amendments to the statement of work. Change history is kept for audit.
Reporting and audit status · quality · artefacts
Reporting arrives on the agreed cadence. The audit artefacts travel with each delivery.
Reporting provides visibility into production status, quality metrics, and milestone progress throughout the engagement.
- Status reporting
- Production status reports on the agreed cadence, with progress against milestones, volume metrics, and any issues or blockers.
- Quality reporting
- Quality metrics at agreed intervals, with validation results, non-conformance tracking and remediation status.
- Audit documentation
- Audit artefacts are available for your compliance review.
Documentation includes
- Provenance records for delivered data
- Consent documentation and consent-check records
- Quality validation logs and gate passage records
- Change control documentation and approval history
- Delivery acknowledgment and acceptance records
Report content and audit access procedures are set in the same statement of work.
Procurement and operations
Milestones, acceptance and escalation
When are SLA terms finalised?
SLA terms are defined in the statement of work and finalised in scoping. YPAI works with your procurement and project teams to establish terms that align with your internal requirements.
How are delivery milestones structured?
Delivery milestones are established based on project scope, volume requirements, and complexity. A milestone schedule is provided during scoping and documented in the statement of work.
What constitutes acceptance for delivered data?
Acceptance criteria are documented for each deliverable phase. Criteria typically include format compliance, quality metrics validation, and documentation completeness. Specific thresholds are defined contractually during scoping.
What happens if quality does not meet agreed standards?
Remediation procedures are documented in the SLA for non-conformance scenarios. These include notification procedures, root cause analysis, and corrective action timelines. Specific remediation terms are defined during scoping.
How are scope changes handled?
Change control procedures are defined for scope modifications. Change requests are documented, impact assessed, and approved through agreed channels before implementation. Amendment procedures are specified in the engagement agreement.
What reporting is provided during production?
Reporting cadence and content are agreed upon contractually. Reports typically include production status, quality metrics, and milestone progress. Specific reporting requirements are defined during scoping.
Can we receive audit documentation?
Audit artefacts are available for your compliance review. Documentation scope and access procedures are defined in the engagement agreement. Specific audit requirements are addressed during scoping.
How are escalations handled?
Communication protocols for status updates and escalations are established during scoping. Escalation paths and response expectations are documented in the SLA terms.
Do you support enterprise procurement requirements?
Yes. YPAI works with procurement teams to address enterprise requirements including vendor assessment questionnaires and security documentation. Requirements are addressed during scoping.
Can SLA terms be customised for our organisation?
Yes. Milestones, acceptance criteria, quality gates, change control, reporting cadence and audit artefacts, remediation and escalation are set per engagement, agreed with your legal and procurement teams in scoping and written into the statement of work.
Bring the volume and the deadline. The milestone schedule comes back with the scoping brief.
Volume, languages, deadline and acceptance thresholds are enough to start. The statement of work, with its milestones and gates, follows from that.
Speech data overview DPA overview Engagement model Technical specifications