Environment

The client’s business relies heavily upon technology to automate a majority of the core banking and investing functions.

The IT department consists of 1200+ technical staff developing and supporting thousands of applications across hundreds of varying server platforms deployed to thousands of desktops. Unplanned systems downtime has a significant impact on productivity and the capability to execute standard business functions.

Background

The IT Support and Infrastructure organization of the client has undergone significant change that began in July of 2001. Several key initiatives were launched within the technical divisions that spanned several operational areas:

• Remedy trouble ticketing tool deployed to all IT staff
• Consolidation of systems management tools into a single Network Operations Center
• Project Management Office creation and automation
• Code Migration process development and automation
• Enterprise Asset Management inventory and automation

Business Challenge

The challenge presented was how to implement tactical solutions leveraging existing tools and processes that would evolve into a strategic direction that represented ‘Best Practices’.

All of these changes had a significant impact on staff, budgets, existing tools, and processes. New processes meant updated automation, and new automation meant defining new processes. In addition, each of these initiatives integrated both functionally and technically with one another as well as other existing processes and tools.

Considerations posed by management included the following:

• What are the business goals for these initiatives?
• With multiple initiatives and limited resources, how should they be prioritized?
• How will these initiatives impact one another?
• What other operations areas will be affected by this work?
• What are the ‘best practices’ in each area?
• Will other processes impact the success of these initiatives?

The Business Solution

Approach

A pragmatic plan of implementing these initiatives was developed by leveraging established operations functions and continuously developing functions that integrate with them. This ‘operations leveling’ process ensures initiatives match the organization’s capacity for change and capabilities.

Research

• Identify current state of key operations processes
• Determine the scope, approach, and impact of existing ‘internal improvement’ projects
• Understand current systems and processes that would be impacted

Analysis

• Align current projects into a common operations framework
• Define gaps and develop prioritized initiatives
• Define what new processes and organizational changes would be needed
• Define end-state goals for each operations area
• Define integration points between initiatives and processes

Implementation

• Leverage or enhance existing tools where possible
• Implement new tools by replacing existing functionality prior to full automation
• Continuously identify integration gaps between initiatives and address solutions
• Maintain tactical and strategic goals throughout the implementations