- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
This article is a case study of an IT infrastructure assessment that a colleague and I conducted in the Fall of 2005 for a major distribution company. The executive sponsors of the assessment were the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Director of Computer Operations. They wanted us to determine if their infrastructure processes in general, and four specific processes in particular, were at high levels of quality. They stressed that they were not necessarily interested in learning whether or not their processes were following widely accepted best practices. Their feeling was that what may be considered as a best practice for one company may not necessarily be the best practice fro their particular company. Instead, they were interested in knowing what level of effectiveness and efficiency their infrastructure processes were for serving the needs of their organization.
The four specific processes included in this assessment were:
- production monitoring
- tape and disk storage
- backups and recovery
- print processes
Adding to the complexity of this assessment was the fact that this particular organization employed four separate platform environments:
- IBM mainframes
- Microsoft Windows NT
- HP Unix
- IBM AS/400
Methods Used to Conduct the Assessments
We used a combination of methods to conduct the assessments. These included interviews with managers, interviews with non-supervisory technical staff, onsite observations across all tree shifts of operations, and the compilation of results from a customized survey. The survey was intended to determine various pieces of information such as how familiar respondents were with generally accepted best practices for these processes, the degree to which their processes were following best practices, and what roles, if any, they played in owning or improving the processes.
Each person with whom we interviewed first completed a survey which we then used as part of the discussion. We designed the survey such that each question would be responded to on a 1 to 10 scale. This not only made the questionnaire easy to fill out by the respondents, but enabled us to mathematically compare responses from various groups such as managers, non-managers, technical support and operations. The results were interesting in both the differences and similarities.
We also devoted a portion of the survey to their understanding of the key customers and key suppliers associated with each process and what metrics, if any, were being used to measure the effectiveness (service metrics) and efficiency (process metrics) of their processes. We soon learned that these were concepts that required some clarification. As a result, the survey was accompanied with a set of definitions to explain each of these key terms. The survey questions and accompanying definitions are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
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1. To what degree are you familiar with each process? |
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2. To what degree are you responsible for each process? |
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3. To what degree do you think improvement is needed? |
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4. To what degree are you familiar with industry best practices for each process? |
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5. To what degree do you feel each process closely follows industry best practices? |
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6. To what degree do you feel Operations documentation is adequate for each process? |
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7. To what degree do you feel Applications documentation is adequate for each process? |
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8. To what degree do you feel training is adequate for each process? |
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9. To what degree can you identify the key customers (see def.) of each process? |
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10. To what degree can you identify the key suppliers (see def.) of each process? |
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11. To what degree are service metrics (see def.) in place for each process? |
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12. To what degree are process metrics (see def.) in place for each process? |
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13. To what degree do you feel current software adequately supports each process? |
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14. To what degree do you feel current hardware adequately supports each process? |
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15. To what degree do you feel the loss of key individuals is a threat to each process? |
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16. To what degree do you feel unreasonable demands from the business hinder the effectiveness of each process? |
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17. To what degree do you feel lack of application support hinders the effectiveness of each process? |
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18. To what degree do you feel lack of vendor support hinders the effectiveness of each process? |
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19. To the best of your ability, please list the names of the key customers for each process: |
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20. To the best of your ability, please list the names of the key suppliers for each process. |
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21. To the best of your ability, please list the key service metrics for each process. |
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22. To the best of your ability, please list the key process metrics for each process. |
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23. In your opinion, what other processes within Computer Operations could be improved in terms of quality, efficiency or effectiveness? |
Figure 1 Survey Questions
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Key Customers – Individuals who are the primary recipients of the output of a process. For example, individuals who rely on the correct and timely distribution of reports are key customers of a print process. Those who use restored data are key customers of a backup/recovery process. Key Suppliers – Individuals who provide input to a process. These may be internal (eg, computer operators) or external (eg, hardware vendors) Service Metrics – Measures of the quality of the output of a process as perceived by key customers. For the print process, service metrics may include how often reports are delivered on time in the proper form to the correct recipients. For backup/recovery, it may be how quickly data can be restored. Process Metrics – Measures the quality of a process as perceived by the process owner. For a print process, a process metric may be how many times a report had to be re-printed prior to be delivered. For backup/recovery, it may be how long it takes to backup al of the data. |
Figure 2 Definition of Key Terms
Results of the Assessments
The results of the assessments brought to light several characteristics about the management and technical staff of this organization. We proposed dozens of recommendations to improve their infrastructure environment. While it would not be practical to list all of them here, I can summarize the essence of them into the following three areas.
- Perspective is of Prime Importance. The both the interviews and the surveys
revealed that different groups of individuals viewed the current quality of the
infrastructure processes in different ways.
- Managers perceived the efficiency of the processes as being lower than what non-mangers perceived them, due to part to the inability to reduce headcount.
- Operators perceived their ability to perform more technically challenging tasks as much higher than what technical support felt the operators could handle.
- Unix, NT and mainframe systems engineers all saw their roles as unique with little possibility for cross training; each group protected and inflated the importance of their turfs.
The take-away here is to be aware that various groups may evaluate the same processes in different ways depending on their perspective and that this needs to be taken into account when evaluating the overall state of a process.
- The Grass is Always Greener.
- Managers and technical staff suspected that the key infrastructure processes we were asked to evaluate were inefficient and nowhere close to best practices. In reality, we found the processes to be very efficient with few flaws in design and virtually no flaws in execution.
- Two areas in which we did recommend improvements were in documentation – the retirement of veteran staff and their knowledge could leave the shop exposed – and in the use of service and process metrics.
The take-away here is that shops sometimes believe their processes need to be re-designed or automated to make them world-class, when all they may need are some finishing touches such as metrics and documentation to make them as robust as possible.
- Rotation Program Payoffs. The cross-training of personnel was the one area we felt needed most attention, and it applied to several groups. Systems administrators for the NT, Unix, AS/400 and mainframe areas had virtually no working knowledge of areas outside their own specialties and this was hurting them. Cross-training between NT and Unix, and mainframe and AS/400s proved to be of some benefit. More worthwhile was rotating operators with high aptitudes with systems engineers to give both a chance to experience each other's environments. This was especially valuable for the career paths for operators.