How to Measure SLA Met vs. Breached Tickets in BoldDesk
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) define response and resolution time commitments. BoldDesk provides dashboards and ticket-level insights to track whether tickets meet or breach SLA targets, with explicit reporting for SLA Achieved (Met) and SLA Breached outcomes.
This article explains how BoldDesk measures SLA compliance, what “Met” and “Breached” mean, and how to analyze these outcomes using dashboards and ticket insights.
Why Measuring SLA Met vs. Breached Matters
Reviewing SLA compliance helps support teams and organizations:
- Identify response and resolution bottlenecks
- Improve agent accountability and performance
- Optimize automation rules, ticket assignments, and ticket priorities
- Maintain consistent customer support delivery
- Reduce SLA breaches through proactive monitoring
How BoldDesk Defines SLA Compliance
In BoldDesk, an SLA is evaluated against configured time targets. A ticket’s SLA status depends on whether the configured targets are met or exceeded.
SLA Status Definitions
Below are the SLA status definitions:
| SLA Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| SLA Achieved (Met) | All configured SLA targets are completed within their defined time limits. |
| SLA Breached | One or more configured SLA targets exceed their allowed time limits. |
SLA Metrics Used by BoldDesk
BoldDesk evaluates SLA compliance using the following three predefined metrics:
| SLA Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| First Response Time | Time taken for the first agent response after ticket creation |
| Next Response Time | Time between subsequent customer and agent responses |
| Resolution Time | Total time taken to resolve or close the ticket |
Each metric can be configured with different targets based on ticket priority and operational hours.
Measure SLA Compliance Using the SLA Dashboard
The SLA Dashboard provides an overview of SLA performance across tickets, including counts and percentages for achieved vs. breached outcomes.
How to Access the SLA Dashboard
- Go to Reports
- Select SLA Dashboard
- Open the SLA Applied Ticket widget
Key SLA Metrics Available in the Dashboard
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| SLA Applied Tickets (Unique) | Number of unique tickets with an SLA applied |
| SLA Achieved | Tickets that met all SLA targets |
| SLA Breached | Tickets where one or more SLA targets were violated |
| SLA Breaches (Unique) | Unique tickets with at least one SLA breach |
| Response Breaches | Breaches related to First Response or Next Response |
| Resolution Breaches | Breaches related to Resolution Time |
| Breaches Count | Total number of SLA violations across all tickets |
This widget displays both counts and percentages of SLA‑achieved and SLA‑breached tickets.
How BoldDesk Classifies Tickets as SLA Achieved or SLA Breached
BoldDesk classifies a ticket as achieved or breached based on the configured SLA targets and the reporting context.
| SLA Classification | Description |
|---|---|
| SLA Achieved (Met) | A ticket is marked as achieved when all applicable SLA metrics are completed within their defined time limits during the reporting period. |
| SLA Breached | A ticket is marked as SLA Breached when any one of the SLA metrics exceeds its defined time limit. |
- A single ticket can have multiple SLA violations
- The ticket is counted once as a breached ticket
- Individual breach types are still tracked separately in breach counts
- In the SLA Dashboard, SLA Achieved and SLA Breached tickets count the number of unique tickets that met or breached at least one SLA target. Each ticket is counted only once. In contrast, Total Achieved and Total Breached represent the total number of SLA events across all tickets. Because a single ticket can meet or breach multiple SLA targets (such as First Response, Next Response, and Resolution), the Total Achieved or Total Breached count may be higher than the corresponding ticket count.
Troubleshooting (Dashboard Interpretation)
-
SLA Achieved and SLA Breached totals do not match total tickets created in the same period
The SLA Dashboard reports on tickets with an SLA applied and evaluates SLA compliance within the selected reporting period, regardless of ticket creation date. -
Breaches Count is higher than SLA Breaches (Unique)
A single ticket can breach multiple SLA metrics. Breaches Count totals all breach instances, while SLA Breaches (Unique) counts unique tickets with one or more breaches. -
Response Breaches and Resolution Breaches do not add up to SLA Breached
A ticket is counted once as SLA Breached, but the ticket can contribute to multiple breach-type counters.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
If a ticket breaches one SLA metric, is it considered breached overall?
Yes. If any SLA target is violated, BoldDesk classifies the ticket as SLA Breached. -
Can a ticket have multiple SLA breaches?
Yes. A ticket can breach multiple SLA metrics, but it is counted once as a breached ticket. Individual breach instances are still tracked in breach counts. -
Why doesn’t the SLA Dashboard total match the number of tickets created in the same period?
The SLA Dashboard reports on tickets with an SLA applied and evaluates compliance within the selected reporting period, regardless of ticket creation date. -
What is the difference between “SLA Breaches (Unique)” and “Breaches Count”?
SLA Breaches (Unique) counts unique tickets with at least one breach. Breaches Count totals the number of breach events across all tickets. -
What SLA metrics are included in BoldDesk SLA evaluation?
First Response Time, Next Response Time, and Resolution Time. -
Can SLA targets differ by ticket priority?
Yes. SLA targets can be configured by ticket priority and business/operational hours.
