I had an interesting discussion with several colleagues, many followers on this blog in fact. IT Operations today is much different that in the past. The IT organization is in the process of transition, and it is more important today to follow a best practice framework - like ITSM more than ever. There are many drivers to this change, one big one is Cloud. I find many IT organizations going toward a consultant service based model. You have infrastructure teams in place that still deliver the core, but the application/project teams really becoming consultants to the business. The business doesn't have to shop technology internal anymore, there are many options for them to look at these days.
So with that in mind, the discussion really got spirited around ITSM components - like Problem Management, Change Management, Release, Configuration and Incident Management. The discussion was around if this ITSM framework overhead or benefit? Process to improve, deliver reliability, performance, agility and business value is always a benefit. So what about Root Cause Analysis - a key component to problem management - where does that fit in the big picture?
Some organizations have really developed and become efficient in Root Cause Analysis. The individuals in this friendly debate had many opinions, and suggestions on the value of this process. My opinion has always been to improve operations, you need to find the root cause of the failure to prevent a repeat. Right? The problem with Root Cause Analysis process in many organizations is that it does not go far enough. If you find the root cause, that process needs to recommend a solution, architecture needs to design the solution or approve the solution, and the operations team needs to implement. Many times the root cause process identifies the issue, impact, and potential solution, but never goes any further. That is the failure, so does the fact an organization has a Root Cause Analysis a false security blanket? Many in this little discuss felt so, and a few went so far as to say it is a waste of time and reflection on management. Interesting ......
I think it is a reflection on the maturity of the organization on some good process and practice. There has to be a champion of Operations Efficiency - or ITSM Leader. It is not going to happen overnight, but a steady growth down that path will deliver results and deliver a better IT experience to the business. Is your organization ready?
Keep it positive!
Scott Arnett
scott.arnett@charter.net
About Me
- Scott Arnett
- Scott Arnett is an Information Technology & Security Professional Executive with over 30 years experience in IT. Scott has worked in various industries such as health care, insurance, manufacturing, broadcast, printing, and consulting and in enterprises ranging in size from $50M to $20B in revenue. Scott’s experience encompasses the following areas of specialization: Leadership, Strategy, Architecture, Business Partnership & Acumen, Process Management, Infrastructure and Security. With his broad understanding of technology and his ability to communicate successfully with both Executives and Technical Specialists, Scott has been consistently recognized as someone who not only can "Connect the Dots", but who can also create a workable solution. Scott is equally comfortable playing technical, project management/leadership and organizational leadership roles through experience gained throughout his career. Scott has previously acted in the role of CIO, CTO, and VP of IT, successfully built 9 data centers across the country, and is expert in understanding ITIL, PCI Compliance, SOX, HIPAA, FERPA, FRCP and COBIT.
