- 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
Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
Collecting requirements is a necessary part of any major IT initiative. Regardless of whether it involves a development project, a new release of software, or upgrades of equipment, the gathering of requirements is a fundamental step in the process. But knowing how to identify and prioritize them effectively can be another matter altogether. The following article offers some useful techniques for performing these two critical tasks.
Effective Brainstorming for Identifying Requirements
The success of most any IT initiative requires several activities, including the gathering of requirements, that are best facilitated with brainstorming sessions. These sessions can prove to be invaluable in gathering optimal designs, consensus of opinion, and all-important buy-in from diverse groups. But they can also be time consuming, expensive, and lacking in results if not managed properly. Over the years I have accumulated a list of helpful ground rules to make brainstorming sessions efficient, worthwhile, and effective (see Figure 1).
One of the most important of these 16 ground rules is the last one that emphasizes treating them more as guidelines than rules, meaning they should be customized when appropriate. No two brainstorming are ever identical. The backgrounds, make-up and personalities of participants are all different and may warrant adjusting the guidelines to optimize the results. For example, a group of boisterous sales-oriented users may more orderly discipline to capture al the good ideas, while a group of more introverted analysts may relax the requirement of side conversations if this enables reluctant participants to contribute more to the discussion.
Figure 1. Helpful Ground Rules for Brainstorming
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Methods for Prioritizing Requirements
A common use of brainstorming is to identify the requirements for a particular discipline. Once members of a cross-functional team have identified a large list of requirements, they often struggle with ways to gain consensus on prioritizing them. Getting 10–15 members of a team to agree on the rankings of up to 50 items can be a laborious, frustrating, time-consuming challenge. There are several effective methods that teams can use to develop an agreed-upon list of requirements by order of importance.
Three administrative tasks need to occur before establishing priorities. The first is to display all requirements in plain view of all members of the cross-functional team. Flip charts, overhead transparencies, or laptop projection systems are ideal for this. Second, the team needs to closely scrutinize the list to merge any similar requirements and to reword requirements needing additional clarity. Revisions to the list must be done with the consent of the entire team. Finally, the new list of requirements should be renumbered.
The most straightforward team approach for prioritizing a list of requirements is to ask each team member to assign a high, medium, or low designation to each requirement. These designations can be converted to numerical values (for example, high = 3, medium = 2, low = 1) to develop a quantification matrix like the sample one shown in Table 1. The requirements can then be ranked according to their total values.
Table 1. Sample Quantification Matrix to Prioritize n-Requirements
|
|
Team Member # 1 |
Team Member # 2 |
Team Member # 3 |
Team Member # 4 |
Team Member # 5 |
Totals |
|
Requirement #1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
|
Requirement #2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
11 |
|
Requirement #3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
|
Requirement #4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
12 |
|
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
|
Requirement #n |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
In the example in the table, the cross-functional team consists of five members who are evaluating n requirements. One drawback of this approach, particularly for small teams, is that it limits the range of priority values. With five members voting, the maximum value a requirement could receive is 5 % 3 = 15, and the minimum is 5 % 1 = 5. This means only 11 unique values (5 through 15) could be assigned. If 30 or 40 requirements are being evaluated, many will have duplicate values assigned to them. One way to address this is to add two more designations for each requirement and to adjust the values accordingly. One designation would be a combination of high/medium and the other a combination of medium/low. The new values now become high = 5, high/medium = 4, medium = 3, medium/low = 2, and low = 1. The new range of values now becomes 5 through 25, resulting in 21 unique values. This obviously does not guarantee the elimination of requirements with identical priorities, but it does greatly reduce their likelihood.
Another method, and one that yields the greatest range of priorities, is to have each member of the team numerically rank all requirements from the most important to the least, with the most important given a value of 1, the second most important given a value of 2, and so on. The values of each requirement are then totaled. The requirement with the lowest total value is ranked first in the list of priorities (highest priority), the requirement with the next lowest total value is ranked second, and so on. This method is known as the nominal group technique (NGT) and is best used when precise delineations of priorities are needed. The drawback to it is the additional administrative work needed to generate and compile all of the necessary values.
A popular variation to the NGT is to limit the number of items ranked to only the top half or top quarter, depending on the number of requirements and team members. This works particularly well when there is a large number of requirements to prioritize and a relatively small group of individuals to rank them. For example, if there are 20 requirements to be ranked by a team of 10 members, then having each member ranking half or 10 of the items is a good approach. On the other hand, if there are 30 requirements to be prioritized by a team of 5 members, then asking each member to rank one-quarter, or 7, of the items is the approach to take.