Enterprise Consulting Services
Establish PMO

Step 1: Establish a Project Management Office, Framework and Brand

The first decision that must be made in conjunction with launching a VIA design effort is whether the organization change process will be conducted top down, collaboratively or using a hybrid structure. A collaborative team approach combining internal project leaders and subject matter experts under an independent, external Project Management Office (PMO) generates the best results. There are three key success factors that govern the speed, cost and results of a full VIA effort. First is the decision to bring in an outside firm to drive the process that reports directly to the CEO, CFO or a senior business executive sponsor outside of IT. Reporting to the CIO or VP of IT can be equally effective in conjunction with an active business executive steering committee.  This gives the PMO authority to cut through organizational layers and politics that derail change. Decisions by the Executive Sponsor or Steering Committee are timely and final.

The second factor is bringing in an established framework that is proven in the market - for IT transformation, the leading framework is ITIL. This eliminates a lot of second guessing regarding where the company is headed and provides credibility. The third decision is to brand the project internally to generate momentum, a sense of urgency and widespread communication, so that everyone is on board.  Structuring internal Project Leaders under the PMO who understand your organization and know where essential information can be obtained quickly, is ideal. To be effective, a VIA design effort must probe interdependencies across IT functions and business areas.  A PMO addresses these interdependencies and cuts through silos built up over years in an organization. To evaluate solution design best practices, external subject matter experts (SME's) may be required periodically during blue printing, to facilitate "getting it right" the first time, based on proven technical and industry experience.

There are many frameworks that have emerged over the years that provide governance structure for managing IT operations and services. These frameworks include COBIT, COSO, Six Sigma, ISO, PMI and the Capability Maturity Model or CMMI. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provides the most comprehensive guidelines for realigning IT as a managed service that supports the business.  

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The following service management activity overview is utilized by ECS to benchmark best practice guidelines during the engagement: 

Service Support Processes

Service Desk

  • Provides advice and guidance to customers & rapid restoration of normal service
  • operations
  • Meets incident and request expectations defined in SLAs
  • Communicates and promotes services via a Service Catalog
  • Produces and initiates management information

Configuration Management

  • Planning, design and management of a Configuration Management Database
  • (CMDB)
  • Configuration Items (CIs) to include hardware, software and related documentation
  • Identification of CIs for entry into CMDB and their relationships to each other
  • Regular verification of CMDB accuracy
  • Process enables detailed reporting of assets

Incident Management

  • Detection, classification, recording & initial support of incidents
  • Prioritization based upon "impact" and "urgency"
  • Ownership for incident resolution is clear

Problem Management

  • Problems identified and managed separate from incidents
  • Fully diagnosed and understood problems redefined as Know Errors
  • Requests For Changes (RFCs) generated to resolve Problems and Errors
  • Trend analysis of incidents to identify underlying Problems
  • Initiates management reports

Change Management

  • Formal process for accepting, recording, authorizing, planning, testing, implementing and reviewing Requests For Change (RFCs)
  • Provides reports of changes to the infrastructure
  • Drives updates to the CMDB

Release Management

  • Maintains Definitive Software Library (DSL) and Definitive Hardware Store (DHS)
  • Ensures quality and integrity is protected through strict version and release control
  • procedures
  • Distributes new CIs from DSL and DHS only on instruction from Change Management

IT Service Delivery Processes

Service Level Management

  • Documents default service levels in a Service Catalog; negotiates and implements SLAs
  • Reviews SLA targets and IT service performance, and reports variances and initiates discussions on changes to service levels, maintains regular communication with customers
  • Continually reviews SLM process and Service

Availability Management

  • Detailed understanding of relationship between service level requirements and infrastructure performance capabilities
  • Analyzes and reports on infrastructure performance
  • Provides feasibility data to SLM
  • Uses Availability Plan to initiate RFCs to improve infrastructure and reduce risk

Capacity Management

  • Detailed understanding of relationship between service level requirements and infrastructure capacity capabilities - now and in the future
  • Tracks infrastructure capacity performance, new technology opportunities and business requirements
  • Develops and works with ongoing Capacity Plans to initiate RFCs

Financial Management

  • IT budgets are controlled
  • Costs are categorized, known and under control
  • Charging for services may be done as an option
  • Reports on IT finances are produced and distributed to management

IT Service Continuity Management

  • Undertakes formal Risk Analysis and Risk Management activities
  • Assets are identified and threats, and their levels of vulnerabilities, are understood
  • Counter-measures to eliminate the threats or minimize the impact of a "crisis" are developed
  • A Continuity Plan is developed, maintained and tested regularly