Standard Operating Procedures

(Version 6.0 – Modified 4/28/2025)

Purpose

This document serves as an official guideline for Spindle Support operations. It details the critical components of the support process, including available support channels, procedures for incident reporting, standard response time expectations, and the escalation protocols to ensure timely and effective resolution of issues.

Support Channels

Spindle customers can access support through multiple channels, including the Spindle Support Center, the Spindle Resource Center (available via SpindleLIVE), or our Support Team directly at support@spindlelive.com. Support tickets can be submitted 24/7, 365 days a year, using the following links:

• Spindle Support Help Center
• Spindle Resource Center – Accessible at SpindleLIVE
• Email Support: support@spindlelive.com

While tickets can be submitted anytime, Spindle Support staff are only available from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. CST. If a ticket is entered outside these hours, it will be triaged upon the next business day. 

In cases where submitted tickets cannot be resolved through electronic communication, phone support will be made available. Additionally, customers have the option to schedule support sessions for open tickets at their convenience. Outbound telephone support is prioritized based on the severity of the issue, as outlined in the subsequent section.

Every effort will be made to contact the ticket submitter via the open ticket (email) and, when required, through phone communication—provided that accurate contact information has been supplied.

APAC Region

For customer locations in the APAC region experiencing a P1 (Urgent) issue (refer to the priority descriptions below), it is critical to generate a support ticket to ensure proper documentation and tracking of the support issue. This process allows for a thorough and efficient resolution of the problem.

Incident Reporting

To ensure efficient tracking and timely resolution, all support incidents must be submitted and managed through the Spindle Support Center Portal, as outlined in the "Support Channel" section above. When initiating a new support ticket, please provide the following essential information: contact name, contact number, and a detailed description of the issue. This information enables Spindle Support to accurately identify and diagnose the problem and, if necessary, contact the submitter to facilitate effective resolution.

Expected Support Response Times

Spindle Support is committed to promptly addressing all submitted incidents, typically on the day the ticket is submitted. In cases where a same-day response is not possible, issues will be prioritized based on their designated priority levels, as detailed below:

• P1 (Urgent)
  • Impact: Service Outage, security breach
    Support Response Time: Within 2 hours.

• P2 (High)
  • Impact: Major feature not working
    Support Response Time: Within 8 hours (depending on the issue).

• P3 (Normal)
  • Impact: Minor feature not working
    Support Response Time: Within 2 - 3 days business days.

• P4 (Low)
  • Impact: Feature request, data inquiry or order
    Support Response Time: Within 5 - 7 business days.

While Spindle Support endeavors to respond to all properly submitted incidents promptly, issues will be prioritized according to their assigned levels. In some cases, resolution may be delayed due to the need for additional information from the ticket requester. Spindle Support has established a process to notify the customer via daily email communication over four business days, requesting the required information.

If no response is received after the fourth business day, the support ticket will be closed without further communication. In such instances, customers will need to submit a new or follow-up support ticket to reopen the issue. Once the necessary details are provided, the Spindle Support team will resolve the issue according to the details provided.

From time to time, Spindle Support may escalate tickets to other internal teams or third-party vendors for resolution. Specific issues may require an in-depth investigation by the Spindle Product Development team to diagnose and address the root cause and determine the appropriate course of action. Updates on escalated tickets, including any available timelines for resolution, will be communicated via the ticketing system.

Please refer to the “Priority Examples” section for illustrative scenarios of various support cases. Note that this list is not exhaustive and may not cover all possible support issues or questions.

Enhancement Requests (Feedback Requests)

Enhancement requests involve changes to Spindle's existing software functionality and are not subject to the standard response times mentioned earlier. To submit a request, visit the Spindle Resource Center on SpindleLIVE, accessible via the red question mark in the lower right-hand corner, and select "Share Your Feedback." Submitted feedback is reviewed periodically and may be prioritized or put to a customer vote to determine if the feature will be included in a future software release.

Please note that not all enhancement (feedback) requests will be implemented or included in current or future releases. If you would like more information, please refer to the Spindle Customer Feedback Policy.

Escalations

The Spindle Support team will escalate critical, business-impacting issues to minimize operational downtime. When a qualified support ticket with all required details is received, the team will review the submission and route it to the appropriate Spindle team for resolution. Under the severity guidelines mentioned earlier, customers may request updates on a ticket at any time by replying to the most recent email or by visiting the Spindle Support Portal.

Priority Examples

The following priority examples are provided as a reference. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may only cover some potential issues that could arise at a customer location. The prioritization of support tickets will vary based on the specifics of each case.

• P1 (Urgent)
  • No data collection is taking place
  • The Spindle Server is down
  • ALL Spindle visual workplace monitors are not functioning
• P2 (High)
  
  • Equipment not collecting production data (Isolated to a single equipment or area)
  • Spindle Software functionality is not working as designed
  • Existing DataShare Connections
• P3 (Normal)
  • An isolated issue with a production display not displaying production data
  • Login station is not functioning (Isolated to a single login station or area)
  • Feature or function of the Spindle software is currently not functioning as designed.
• P4 (Low)
  • Spindle Administration changes
    • Classification changes & classification setup, standard changes
    • Equipment setup includes programming changes (request to set up and program new equipment should be allowed seven business days to be completed)
    • Adding new employees / removing employees
    • Display changes
  • Data discrepancy related to production counts on reports
  • New External DataShare Connections
  • Order requests

Examples of Standard Support

The annual license fee includes standard support, which covers a range of services. Below is a list of standard support items; however, this list may not encompass all services provided:

• Spindle
  • Network infrastructure support
  • Software Support
  • Software maintenance and updates
  • Software platform upgrades
  • Troubleshooting Spindle hardware issues
  • System monitoring
  • SpindleLIVE
• External DataShare Support
• Spindle validations

Examples of Billed Support

Billed support includes charges for modifications to the existing system setup. The following services are covered under billed support, though this list is not exhaustive:

• Spindle administration changes
• Classification setup, changes, and standard modifications
• Equipment setup, including programming changes
• Adding or removing employees in Spindle Admin
• Modifications to Spindle visual workplace displays or setting up new displays
• Requests to add Spindle dashboard shortcuts (phased-out functionality) or Spindle administration shortcuts on third-party computers (may require prior authorization from the company's IT department for remote shortcut installations)

Billed Support

Support fees will be assessed as appropriate per the corporation agreement. However, our support costs are billed at $200 an hour and partial hours are billable in 15-minute increments.