Client-Focused IT Production

Client-Focused IT Production

In our experience, many of the conflicts facing IT Production originate from a proper desire to deliver the immediate end-user requirements (i.e. Short-term resolution of Issues and Support for Applications).

Unfortunately, short-term resolution of issues can lead to long-term lack of client focus.

Strategically, IT Production needs to become a client-focused team in order to survive in the modern work. In order to achieve this, IT Production should be able to:

• Generate metrics to identify the "problem applications " that take a disproportionate percentage of support effort. This enables the Business as a whole to understand the true lifecycle costs of all Applications.
• Predict Cost growth (such as headcount), and Infrastructure costs (such as CPU, memory, disk storage etc.), so that resources and infrastructure can be purchased in good time, with appropriate cost savings.
• Define Clear Infrastructure Standards and Service Levels. So that IT Development can understand what technologies can be supported by IT Production, and at what costs.
• Smooth deployment of Projects, as a result of clear handover procedures to IT Production, and IT Production's involvement with Projects at Initiation side, to ensure that Support is viable.
• Justify the IT Production Budgets, against clearly agreed Performance Metrics.
• Engage with the Business sponsors, and successfully argue the case for increasing IT Infrastructure Investment, rather than fighting up-hill budget reduction policies that don't take into account Infrastructure needs.
• Function as a "managed team", rather than just event-driven "bodge and fix ".

Using a Strategic Approach, IT Production Managers can make their teams more Pro-Active, more Client-focused, and be in a better position to justify IT Infrastructure Investment.