• + Information Security Management
• + Information Technology Management
• + Services, Education & Support

Information Technology Management

Workload and Datacenter Automation Services

Automating tasks, events, services, and jobs can be the difference in a profitable business and one that is not. There are plenty of product and service providers that focus on the technology or the deployment only. We focus on the business requirements first and build automation that supports and enhances the business. Many times, the technology investments companies made years are just fine and have the needed features to meet a company’s automation needs.

When evaluating automation we recommend a five step process.

• Step One: Define the business processes and how IT maps to the business. This may sound overwhelming but it is not if the stakeholders are included in this process from the beginning. Executive buy in is critical. Start with an inventory of the critical business applications and how they are related and how they impact one another. Answer the questions such as: How does IT support those applications from help desk to operations? Where can automation be inserted to reduce mistakes that cause down time? Once the business and IT are mapped then the gaps can be identified. Document the gaps that if bridged will be valuable to the overall business goals and how that bridging process will take place and how much can be saved or how much new revenue can be generated if these gaps are filled. Once those gaps are documented then it is time to define roles and responsibilities.
• Step Two: Define roles and responsibilities. The question that needs to be answered is who is going to be directly involved in the process and the support after the project? Those are the individuals who need to build the roles and responsibilities of the organization. The roles are defined as job descriptions and the responsibilities are the tasks associated with the job description. That needs to be in place to build out the architecture and deployment. In the majority of organizations, there are people who know the environment so well that they can inventory the environment and then build the new architecture that will leverage existing investments. Define the tools these individuals will need to do their job and develop an inventory list of existing tools that can be used and a list of tools that need to be purchased.
• Step Three: Evaluate tools. Most of the time, existing technologies can be used with a few additional products and services. Tools that have been in place for years may have been upgraded by the vendor with new features and functions that clients may not even know are available. When evaluating solutions consider if the vendor is a cultural fit with your company and research the vendor’s track record. Try to leverage existing vendor relationships and consider vendor consolidation. Consolidation can fund the project if managed correctly.
• Step Four: Cost Analysis: The ROI is documented and presented to the executive team for approval. Find ways to fund this project through savings generated from vendor consolidation or renegotiations.
• Step Five: Project deployment: Project management is a critical factor. At this point, each stakeholder knows their role and responsibility and is accountable for delivery. Keep the executive sponsor involved with reports and in person meetings. Keep the overall business goals in front of all involved for the times of challenge. After the project is complete, continue to educate the executives of the value the investment is bringing to the business.

Automation will ensure exceptional service to clients. Users expect IT to know about issues before the client is impacted. The only way IT can be informed is if there is a process and monitoring plan in place that will provide notification when an event completes or is in trouble. Good automation can be the difference between satisfactory or “meets expectations” support to improving the bottom-line advantage or “exceeds expectations” support.