SLA Policy Configuration in Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on December 26, 2025
Support managers tracking response times in spreadsheets create accountability gaps: VIP customers wait 48 hours for responses because nobody knows "high priority" means 2-hour target, SLA breaches discovered only when customer escalates to CEO, agents cherry-pick easy tickets leaving urgent cases unaddressed, and quarterly reports reveal 40% SLA compliance because there's no automated deadline tracking—just post-mortem analysis when damage done.
Odoo 18's SLA Policies automate service level commitments with configurable response/resolution deadlines per priority, visual status tracking (On Time/At Risk/Failed), automatic deadline calculation excluding non-working hours, criteria-based policy matching by customer/tag/priority, and real-time compliance reporting. Define that Critical tickets require 1-hour first response and 4-hour resolution, then Odoo monitors every ticket automatically—alerting teams before SLAs breach.
SLA Policy Features:
- Priority-based deadlines (1-3 stars)
- Customer/tag-specific policies
- Target stage configuration
- Working hours calculation
- Visual status indicators
- Stage exclusions (pause timer)
- Real-time compliance tracking
SLA Policy Configuration
Step 1: Enable SLA Policies
- Open Helpdesk module
- Select team (e.g., "VIP Support")
- Click ⋮ (three dots) → Settings
- Verify "SLA Policies" enabled
- Set Working Hours (defines business hours for calculations)
Step 2: Create SLA Policy
- Navigate to
Configuration→SLA Policies - Click
New - Configure policy fields (detailed below)
SLA Policy Fields
Core Configuration:
Title
Policy name (e.g., "VIP Critical Response - 1 Hour")
Description
Internal notes explaining policy purpose
Criteria Section
Define which tickets this SLA applies to:
| Field | Options | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | 1 star (low), 2 stars (medium), 3 stars (high) | 3 stars = Critical |
| Tags | Multiple tags (e.g., "Security", "Billing") | "VIP" tag triggers policy |
| Customers | Specific customer or company | Enterprise Corp gets faster SLA |
| Services | Linked to sales order lines (requires Timesheet app) | Premium support contract |
Target Settings
Critical SLA Configuration:
Reach Stage
Target stage ticket must reach (e.g., "In Progress" for first response, "Solved" for resolution)
Within
Number of working hours to reach target (e.g., 1, 4, 24)
Excluding Stage
Stages that pause SLA timer (e.g., "Awaiting Customer Response")
Example Policy: VIP Critical Tickets
- Criteria: Priority = 3 stars + Customer = "Enterprise Corp"
- Target: Reach "In Progress" within 1 working hour
- Excluding: "Awaiting Customer" stage (pauses timer)
Applying SLA to Tickets
Automatic Application
- Create new ticket (
Tickets→New) - Fill:
- Ticket Title
- Assign To: Responsible agent
- Customer: Select customer
- Priority: Set stars matching SLA criteria
- SLA auto-applies if criteria match
- View SLA status on ticket
Important: If you change customer after SLA applied, policy may not re-evaluate. Set customer BEFORE setting priority to ensure correct SLA application.
Monitoring SLA Status
Status Indicators
On Time
Deadline not yet reached, ticket progressing normally
At Risk
Approaching deadline (e.g., <50% time remaining), needs attention
Failed
Deadline passed without reaching target stage
Viewing Tickets by SLA Status
- From team dashboard, click "Tickets"
- Filter by status:
- Tickets Open: Active tickets
- In Progress: Being worked on
- Solved: Completed
- SLA Failed: Breached deadlines
Best Practices
Tiered SLA Structure
Create separate policies per priority: Critical (1hr), High (4hr), Medium (24hr), Low (72hr). Don't one-size-fits-all.
Use Excluding Stages Wisely
"Awaiting Customer" should pause SLA—you can't control customer response time. Don't penalize team for external delays.
Monitor Compliance Weekly
Review SLA failure reports every week. If >20% fail, either SLAs unrealistic or team under-resourced—adjust accordingly.
Set Realistic Targets
1-hour response SLA sounds great but if team in 3 timezones with off-hours, 4-hour more realistic. Better to meet realistic SLA than fail aggressive one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Odoo 18's SLA Policies transform vague "respond quickly" expectations into measurable commitments with automated deadline tracking, visual compliance indicators, and working-hours-adjusted calculations. Configure priority-based targets, exclude customer-wait stages from timer, and monitor real-time status to ensure consistent service quality that builds customer trust.
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