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The Standard Support Agreement identifies the base level support that is included for every Active Subscription of NorthScope.

Included

  1. Email submission of support requests

  2. Access to Support Staff during the Support Desk Hours

  3. Access to online Help documentation

  4. Unlimited Bug Support

  5. Six Support Incidents per year

Available for Additional Purchase

 Technical Support

Time spent by NLP, at the request of a customer, on issues that fall outside of Bug Support, Support Incidents, or NorthScope Upgrades. Technical support typically covers areas including, but not limited to new configuration, custom reports/feature development, new training, and any other support related to a NorthScope system that is not on a Current Software Version. Technical Support may require multiple contacts and offline research to achieve final resolution. The amount you'll be charged depends on the amount of time spent delivering the solution. Customers may, at their discretion, request a written estimate and/or a fixed-price quote prior to NLP spending any billable time.

 Custom Feature Support

Support related to a Custom Feature.

The annual support rate for each custom feature is unique to the feature and based on the complexity of the feature. The annual support rate for each Custom Feature will be agreed upon before the feature is added.

 After-Hours Support

Any request for NLP services required to be performed outside the Standard Support Hours (e.g., an emergency issue that cannot wait until the next business day). After-Hours Support may require multiple contacts and offline research to achieve final resolution. The amount you'll be charged depends on the amount of time spent solving and delivering the solution.

After-Hours Support is only available to customer with an Active NorthScope Subscription.

After-Hours Support is billed based on the terms of the current After-Hours Support rate.

The cost for After Hours Support is $250/hour. Each separate NLP time event is billed in 1-hour increments with a 1-hour minimum.

Support Ticket Response Times

Support Response Times are based on the severity of the request.

Severity

Target Response

NLP Action

Standard

Within 3 business days

These issues are prioritized based on several factors including, but not limited to age of the issue, effort required, staff availability, volume of higher severity tickets, etc.

 Criteria to determine Standard issues.

1. A software bug or performance issue that is hindering but not preventing use of the system.

2. A request for a new feature, report, or inquiry.

3. A request to Upgrade a Live or Test system.

4. A request for training, configuration changes, or data fixes

5. A request for additional User Licenses or general question seeking information on application capabilities, navigation, installation, etc.

This is the default level of Severity.

Urgent

Within 3 business hours

The primary objective is to solve the issue but in some cases the solution may be a workaround in order to allow the user to continue work as quickly as possible.

 Criteria to determine Urgent issues.

1. Major functionality is being impacted and/or significant performance degradation is being experienced.

2. The issue is persistent and affects many users and/or major functionality and no reasonable workaround is available.

A fix is required as soon as possible.

Emergency

ASAP

NLP prioritizes Emergency-level support above all else. The objective is to solve the issue, but the solution may be a workaround in order to allow the user to continue work as quickly as possible.

To ensure the faster response times, Emergency requests should be emailed and called in to NLP Support.

  1. Help@TheNLP.com (emails should have a subject beginning with “Emergency:" and include all related attachments, screenshots or information.)

  2. (425) 949-3313 x 505.

 Criteria to determine Emergency issues.

1. Critical issue affecting all users (e.g., access to the system, data integrity, or performance issues) where no workaround is available.

2. Critical financial related issue (e.g., issuing payments, shipping product, invoicing customers, etc.) where no workaround is available.

The severity requires maximum effort from support until an emergency fix or bypass is developed. 

Terms of Service

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  1. After-Hours Support is only available to customers with an Active Subscription for an Included Software Version and is contingent on staff availability, unless otherwise agreed upon. After-Hours Support is billed hourly, by incident.   

  2. Bug Support is only available to customers with an Active Subscription for an Included Software Version. Bug fixes can be deployed as part of a future NorthScope Upgrade, using a Support Incident to install an Update, or using Technical Support to install an Update. The method for deploying fixes is at the sole discretion of NLP. Support for custom reports, features, or integrations that are not covered under Custom Feature Support is not included under Bug Support but would fall under Technical Support and will be billed accordingly. Response times are based on the current Support SLAs.

  3. Upgrades are only available to customers with an Active Subscription and will consume one Support Incident. Upgrades must be scheduled a minimum of 7 days in advance and cannot be scheduled outside of the Support Desk Hours unless otherwise agreed upon by NLP. Customers that are not on an Included Software Version may be required to use Technical Support for upgrades at the sole discretion of NLP.

  4. All services may be withheld or require payment in advance, for customers that do not have an Active Subscription. These services are not subject to the current Support SLAs and are at the sole discretion of NLP.

  5. A Support Incident can only be used by a customer with an Active Subscription for an Included Software Version. Support Incidents can be used for Upgrades or Updates, but they cannot be used for After-Hours Support or Technical Support. Support Incidents that have not been used will expire at the end of the calendar year, they do not roll over into the next calendar year. Response times for Support Incidents are based on the current Support SLAs. 

  6. Technical Support is provided at the sole discretion of NLP and is not subject to guaranteed SLA response times unless otherwise specified in a separate agreement.

  7. Custom Feature Support is only guaranteed to customers with an Active Subscription on an Included Software Version and covers only the individual items listed under Custom Feature Support on your NorthScope Support Agreement. Fixes to custom items can be deployed as part of a future NorthScope Upgrade, using a Support Incident to install an Update, or using Technical Support to install an Update. The method for deploying fixes is at the sole discretion of NLP. All support relating to custom features not listed under Custom Feature Support falls under Technical Support and will be billed accordingly.

  8. Support Agreements auto renew on January 1st. Support Agreements that contained additional prepaid Support Incidents will renew with same number of Support Incidents from the previous year and the additional prepaid Support Incidents will be billed at that time, unless cancelled in writing or email at least 30 days prior.  

  9. Additional Support Incidents can be added anytime during a calendar year. However, unused Support Incidents are not subject to refunds or credits, nor can they be rolled over to a new year.

  10. NLP will make their best effort to resolve issues to the satisfaction level of the requestor. However, NLP does not guarantee all issues will be resolved to that level.

  11. Customers may request to close a Support Ticket before it is fully resolved; however, the billing status of the Support Ticket is at the discretion of NLP.

  12. Unless otherwise specified, all NLP work will be performed during our Support Desk Hours.

Definitions

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Term

Definition

Active Subscription

NorthScope Subscriptions that are current (payment has been received) or where payment is no more than 30 days past the Subscription Renewal Date for each NorthScope Live System.

After-Hours Support

Any request for NLP services required to be performed outside the Standard Support Hours (e.g., an emergency issue that cannot wait until the next business day). After-Hours Support may require multiple contacts and offline research to achieve final resolution. The amount you'll be charged depends on the amount of time spent solving and delivering the solution.

After-Hours Support is only available to customer with an Active NorthScope Subscription.

After-Hours Support is billed based on the terms of the current After-Hours Support rate.

Bug

An error, flaw, or fault in a “shipped” NorthScope feature that causes an incorrect or unexpected result or behaves in unintended ways.

Bug Support

Support related to a software Bug.

Custom Feature

A feature, report, screen modification, or integration that had been added or modified to behave differently from the base system.

Custom Feature Support

Support related to a Custom Feature.

Included Software Version

A NorthScope system with a software version (software release date) less than 12 months from the current published software version.

Live System

The NorthScope software system that is used as the system of record for day-to-day transactions and reports.

Online Documentation

All page help, user guides, FAQs, and release notes that are accessible from within the NorthScope Wiki site.

Standard Support Agreement

The Standard Support Agreement identifies the base level support that is included for every Active Subscription of NorthScope.

Subscription Renewal Date

The month and day that your NorthScope subscription renews each subsequent year.

Support Agreement Renewal Date

The date the NorthScope Support Agreement is automatically renewed. This is set to January 1st unless otherwise specified.

Support Incident

A single support request and the reasonable effort needed to resolve it. A support issue is a single problem that cannot be further broken down into subordinate issues. If a support request can be broken down into subordinate issues, each subordinate issue shall be considered a separate Support Incident. Support Incidents may require multiple contacts and offline research to achieve final resolution.

  • Support issues identified as a NorthScope Bug do not consume a Support Incident

  • Each General Support issue or Upgrade Request will consume a single Support Incident.

  • A Support Incident can be used for all other Support Request Types, for up to two hours of two-hours of NLP time, at the customer's request. Time spent in excess of two hours for each support issue will be billed as Technical Support or applied to any remaining Support Incidents.

Support Issue - Severity

The Severity identifies the urgency of the support request (Standard, Urgent, or Emergency). The severity is initially set based on the Subject Line of the initial support request but is reviewed and/or updated by NLP.

Note: if a support request is an urgent or emergency level issue, but the submitter did not prefix the Subject Line of the initial email accordingly, NLP will increase the severity to the appropriate level. Conversely, if a support request comes in with an Urgent or Emergency assigned on an issue that is not, NLP will decrease the severity to the appropriate level.

Support Issue - Request Type

The Request Type identifies the nature of the support request. Request Types include:

  • General Support: Used for general help, questions, or clarifications.

  • Upgrade Request: Requests to Upgrade a single instance of NorthScope.

  • Feature Request: Requests for new NorthScope feature or feature enhancement.

  • Report Request: Requests for a new report or inquiry.

  • Bug: Used to identify something that is not working as it should.

  • User License: Request to add a User License(s).

  • Other: Requests for a data fix, training, configuration, etc.

Support SLA

The Service Level Agreement that identifies how soon issues will be responded to, based on the both the request Type and Severity.

Support Ticket

A Ticket created in the NLP support system containing a unique ID. Tickets store all the details of a support request whether the request originated as a Standard or After-Hours Support Ticket.

Technical Support

Time spent by NLP, at the request of a customer, on issues that fall outside of Bug Support, Support Incidents, or NorthScope Upgrades. Technical support typically covers areas including, but not limited to new configuration, custom reports/feature development, new training, and any other support related to a NorthScope system that is not on a Current Software Version. Technical Support may require multiple contacts and offline research to achieve final resolution. The amount you'll be charged depends on the amount of time spent delivering the solution. Customers may, at their discretion, request a written estimate and/or a fixed-price quote prior to NLP spending any billable time.

Test System

A separate NorthScope system that is used as a testing, training, or practice system.

Update

The work required to install a NorthScope “Patch”. A patch is a modification, bug-fix, or addition that, when installed, brings the NorthScope system into material conformity with the current specifications of the software.

Upgrade

The work required to upgrade a NorthScope system to a newer released version of the software. Newer NorthScope releases may include improvements in performance or stability, bug fixes, new features/reports, and/or changes to the database.

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