1. Overview and Support Scope Northwind Studio provides structured software maintenance, production monitoring, and engineering retainers to ensure client applications operate reliably following launch.#
This policy outlines our support channels, incident classification tiers, response expectations, and the distinction between standard operational support and custom enterprise Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
2. Support Channels and Operating Windows - **Primary Support Channel:** Technical support inquiries, bug reports, and maintenance requests are submitted directly to [support@northwindstudio.tech](mailto:support@northwindstudio.tech) or through dedicated shared client Slack/Teams channels for contracted retainers. - **Standard Operating Hours:** Standard maintenance support operates Monday through Friday across scheduled business hours aligned with your contractual timezone overlap. - **Emergency On-Call:** 24/7 emergency escalation is provided for enterprise clients with executed critical infrastructure retainers.#
3. Incident Severity Levels and Target Response Windows Incoming technical incidents are triaged into four standard severity levels:#
| Severity Level | Definition & Operational Impact | Initial Target Response | Status Update Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severity 1 (Critical) | Core production system offline; critical data loss risk; zero transaction processing. | 2–4 hours | Every 2 hours until stabilized |
| Severity 2 (Major) | Core feature significantly degraded; performance bottleneck; workaround available. | 8 business hours | Daily status report |
| Severity 3 (Minor) | Non-blocking defect; minor visual glitch; secondary workflow impaired. | 24–48 business hours | Bi-weekly sprint review |
| Severity 4 (Inquiry) | Feature enhancement suggestion; documentation question; general scoping request. | 3–5 business days | As scheduled |
*Note:* Response times represent initial triage, engineer assignment, and incident acknowledgment by an engineering lead. Full resolution time depends on bug complexity, third-party dependency availability, and required deployment testing.
4. Scheduled Maintenance and Downtime - **Proactive Notification:** Scheduled infrastructure maintenance requiring service disruption is communicated to client stakeholders at least 48 hours in advance. - **Maintenance Windows:** Maintenance is scheduled during low-traffic windows (typically weekends or off-peak nighttime hours) with automated rollback plans in place.#
5. Enterprise Custom SLAs High-volume SaaS, fintech, and enterprise operations requiring contractual uptime guarantees (such as 99.9% availability), financial service credits for downtime, or 30-minute critical response SLAs can execute a customized Service Level Agreement as an addendum to their Master Services Agreement.#
6. Support Escalations For technical support assistance or to inquire about post-launch maintenance retainers, email our engineering support team at [support@northwindstudio.tech](mailto:support@northwindstudio.tech).#
Questions or Inquiries?
Direct inquiries regarding this policy are handled by our governance team.
If you require clarification on any term, wish to exercise a data subject right, or need custom contractual addenda, please contact:
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