Operations management

The challenge

• IT operations is a broad responsibility. Management requires that you set priorities and make roadmaps to optimize all functions.
• In operations, everything is a priority. It is just like a five-star service. Everything needs to be just right, or the harmony is gone, and you only get criticized. 
• You need to identify pain points and opportunities. That isn't easy. I believe a guided approach is the best way to go; it gives you a specific set of steps to follow.

Our advice

Insight

• Know where your goalposts are. That means: have service level agreements (SLA) in place. You cannot possibly meet your business's expectations if you do not know what those expectations are.
• If you do not have SLA's, draw them up with your business. If you have SLA's, see if any of them need updating. That means also looking at the client-facing SLA's to ensure that your service levels exceed what the client expects.
• The whole of operations is a vast area. It is easy to get distracted or to try to make "progress on all fronts." Choose those areas with the most client impact first, then the weakest areas, then the rest.
• Improving your operations is an ongoing effort. That is one of the reasons it is called "Run." Put in place a continuous improvement drive to ensure your team and you stay at the top of your game.

Impact and results 

• Perform an assessment to identify those areas where improvement has the most significant impact on clients. 
• Then get to the weakest areas that benefit from the largest improvements with the least effort or cost.
• Identify dependencies early on in the assessment.
• You can then work through our blueprints for each of these areas. Stay on target means keeping the focus on manageable chunks at a time.
• Review, assess, and enable continuous improvement.

The roadmap

Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:

Get up to speed

• Improve IT Operations Management – Executive Brief (ppt)

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• Improve IT Operations Management – Phases 1-3 (ppt)

Assess the current state of your IT Operations landscape

• Improve IT Operations Management – Phase 1: Assess the Current State of IT Operations (ppt)
• Improve IT Operations Management Current State Assessment (xls)

Define and validate the service level agreements (SLA) that your business needs

Close the gap between what exists today and what your clients need tomorrow.

• Redesign IT Governance to Drive Optimal Business Results – Phase 2: Assess the Current Governance Framework (ppt)
• Current State Assessment of IT Governance (ppt)

Redesign your framework 

Use the Future State Design template to bring your governance frame to the state you want it.

• Improve IT Operations Management – Phase 2: Define and Validate the Service Level Requirements (ppt)

Develop and implement your operations management roadmap 

Improve the functional areas of your operations, a focal point at a time.

• Improve IT Operations Management – Phase 3: Develop and Implement an Operations Management Roadmap (ppt)
• Improve IT Operations Management Project Plan (doc)