What Is an SLA Breach?
A service-level agreement (SLA) is a contract or commitment that defines performance expectations, such as turnaround time or response time.
A breach occurs when the team misses those targets. In MCA and small business lending, SLAs typically outline the timeframe for acknowledging, processing, and returning submissions with a decision.
SLA breaches typically appear when backlogs grow or manual processes slow teams down. Operators use them to identify where workflows fail and to understand the cost of missing commitments.
How Does an SLA Breach Work?
SLA breaches are identified by comparing performance against agreed metrics.
- SLA definition: A team commits to processing submissions or delivering a decision within a certain timeframe.
- Performance tracking: Actual turnaround times are recorded and monitored.
- Comparison: Results are checked against SLA thresholds.
- Breach identification: Any item that exceeds the set timeframe is logged as a breach.
In Heron’s workflow, automation helps prevent SLA breaches by cutting delays.
- Fast intake: Submissions flow directly from email, portal, or API into Heron without manual handling.
- Automated scrubbing: Completeness, deduplication, and risk checks are run in seconds.
- CRM updates: Structured data is written back instantly so underwriters can act faster.
- Consistent throughput: Even during spikes, automation maintains processing speed to keep results inside SLA limits.
By removing bottlenecks, Heron reduces the chance of SLA breaches and makes sure partners experience consistent service.
Why Is an SLA Breach Important?
For brokers and funders, SLA breaches damage trust and slow down deal flow. Missed commitments can frustrate brokers, cause clients to abandon applications, and reduce competitiveness against faster providers.
Preventing breaches is both a customer service issue and an operational one. By reducing manual work, Heron helps teams meet their commitments consistently, even at high volumes.
Common Use Cases
SLA breaches are tracked and prevented across multiple workflows.
- Monitoring whether submissions are acknowledged within a promised timeframe.
- Preventing backlogs during peak days that cause SLA violations.
- Using automation to keep turnaround times inside agreed limits.
- Logging SLA breaches in reports to identify recurring process gaps.
- Providing funders with confidence that commitments will be met consistently.
FAQs About SLA Breach
How does Heron help reduce SLA breaches?
Heron automates intake and scrubbing so submissions move quickly into underwriting. By removing manual bottlenecks, the system keeps turnaround times within SLA thresholds.
Why are SLA breaches costly for brokers and funders?
Breaches can damage broker relationships, reduce client confidence, and lead to lost business. They also show inefficiencies that increase operational costs.
How can teams monitor SLA breaches effectively?
Teams can track turnaround times, queue times, and exception rates against SLA targets. With Heron, these metrics are updated automatically, giving real-time visibility into performance.