How do today’s IT leaders design and build an operating model which is flexible enough to cope with the demands of digital transformation and cloud adoption?
At some point in your career as an IT leader, you will be posed with the challenge of changing your organisation to meet the changing needs of your business, your customers, competitors or a combination of all of them.
However, it’s not easy to find those with the right skills and experience who can think strategically and without the constraints of the current organisation, its culture, processes and tools. With this mind, more organisations are turning to specialist organisations such as Syniad IT, to assist in this critical design and build activity.
As specialists in the development of IT Operating models, we are often engaged in the design and build of operating model components such as:
- Process models
- Tooling solutions
- Governance
- Metrics & Reporting
- Support models
Here, we explore each of these components, identifying the key elements and critical success factors of each.
Whilst you’re here, you can also download our Transformation Approach to see how we go about working with clients like you to bring about sustainable and transformational change.
Our design and build work is typically driven by one or more of the following factors:
- Business strategy
Take a look how we helped a global law firm refine their operating model to cope with a shift in the way their desktop computing services were delivered. - Business growth
Take a look how we helped a managed service provider design a future state operating model, to help their business continue to grow. - See how we helped this London-based Insurance company evolve their IT operating model to cater for the delivery of services into Lloyds of London
- Sourcing strategy
For example, multi-vendor models (e.g. Service Integration & Management (SIAM)). You can read how we helped a global logistics provider move to a SIAM model, to better understand our approach to designing a SIAM process model, as well as learn how we helped a global law firm move to a multi-vendor model, by designing a future state Service Management organisation.
Read Why it’s critical to get your SIAM contract requirements right. You can also read our Common SIAM challenges for our views on the common issues and stumbling blocks and the 8 things we learnt implementing SIAM operating models and Are you hitting challenges bringing about true change to your IT operating model?
- Cloud adoption
- Digital Transformation
Find out how to select the right management framework for your Digital Transformation programme
Read Why Digital Transformation is not a software lead change - Governance model changes
For example the VeriSM framework. You can read more about our views on VeriSM in our blog It’s time to stand up and take notice of VeriSM - Cost drivers
We help save money through the development of highly efficient operating models, which use a combination of sourcing strategy, process-driven approach and automation to deliver tangible and sustainable cost savings. Read how we helped a Software Development client create an IT support model for a new software product.
The need to change the Operating Model components is impacted by the business drivers, which in turn are derived by the business and IT strategy.
Here we explore each of the components in turn, looking at the key elements to each component and the critical success factors in getting them right.
Process models
Key elements
- Process flows, typically defined in the form of cross functional diagrams
- RACI charts to clearly define responsibilities. This method of defining responsibilities is often frowned upon as being over bureaucratic and time consuming, but there is real value in doing so. We invite you to Talk About RACI models further, to understand why we think they’re so valuable.
- Process interfaces clearly defined, typically through a combination of the process flow, RACI chart and other support process documentation.
Critical success factors
- Buy-in and commitment to adhering to defined processes, through an effective adoption and training programme
- Clearly defined scope, typically involving the common processes defined within IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), SIAM and the international standard in IT Service Management, ISO 2000.
- All stakeholders involved in their development and review, particularly in multi-vendor models (e.g. Service Integration and Management (SIAM)). Take a look at our blog published by www.ITSM.Tools which describes how to build an effective SIAM process model and read our hi-fi inspired blog, Tune your SIAM Graphic Equaliser, to learn why a process model for SIAM needs to tuned to your specific needs.
- Effective links between project delivery and business-as-usual support teams through the development of robust Transition Management processes. We explore this subject further in our blog, How Good is your Service Definition, Design and Transition?
- We also explore the impact of poor Service Design and Transition on your IT support teams in our blog, Are your IT Support teams busy?
- You can also read how we helped a government client improve their transition management processes
Tooling solutions
Key elements
- Clearly defined functional and non-functional requirements at the outset. Read how we helped a client define their tool requirements whilst transitioning to the SIAM model, for more information on our approach and the outcomes we achieved.
- A transparent and disciplined tool selection process
- An ongoing development process and approach to manage bugs and enhancements
- Control over changes to the tool to maintain performance and integrity
- An ongoing tooling roadmap to ensure the capabilities of the tool are exploited and the contractual impact understood
- Ensure you get the scope right. Don’t get fixated with the IT Service Management (ITSM) tools to manage Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), etc. Getting the CMDB right in a SIAM model is difficult, but you can read our 11 Tips to build a CMDB in a SIAM model for some sound advice.
- Think more broadly to incorporate the process areas and disciplines you want to automate. A good example of this is the Service Request Catalogue, and you can take a look at our 3 Steps to Building a Service Request Catalogue
- Don’t forget Knowledge Management, as this is critical part of any operating model, as it makes it easier to “Shift left” your support overhead. Take a look at our 6 Steps to Knowledge Management Success to understand how to deliver real value through an effective Knowledge Management process.
Critical success factors
- Choosing the right tool for your needs. Take a look at our 10 Tips for selecting the right ITSM tool to learn how to do this right first time.
- Follow a process for choosing the right ITSM tool or take a look at our Tips for a successful ServiceNow implementation
- Considering integration requirements, through the development of a robust data model. You can read more about the common data considerations for an effective ITSM tool implementation. Also take a look, how we helped a client develop a data integration model for their IT asset data
- Engagement with a tool configuration specialist to assist in the development of complex functionality
- The need to ensure the tooling supports the ideals and working practices in multi-vendor operating models (such as SIAM). You can learn Why You Really a SIAM Tooling Strategy here and learn to control your tooling in a SIAM environment here.
- An effective Knowledge Transfer process is vital to ensure support models are effective. You can read our 6 step Knowledge Transfer process to better understand how this should work.
- Consider whether an Out Of The Box Implementation approach is appropriate. Read our thoughts on whether an OOTB implementation for ITSM tools is possible
Governance
Key elements
- Operational governance
- Project governance
This is normally achieved through the use of project management methodologies which are supported by a Project Management Office (PMO). However, in SIAM operating models, there is a risk that each service provider will bring their own project governance and PMO structures. Take a look at Why your SIAM Operating Model needs a single PMO for more information on this. Also, take a look at our 11 Actions to Your SIAM Programme Successful our Key Questions for SIAM programme blogs to get you off on the right foot. Ensure your SIAM programme starts off on the right track and Get to Grips with SIAMin our blog which was originally written as an article for the IT Service Management Forum (ITSMF) in the UK. - Reporting can become a hugely time consuming process, particularly in a SIAM operating model. Take a look at our thoughts on Reporting in a Complex SIAM ecosystem
- Effective governance to manage ways of working, review effectiveness and deal with exceptions
- Underpinning reporting must be effective to enable effective decision support
- Overarching governance model based upon best practices (e.g. COBIT, VeriSM). It’s tempting to think of the various frameworks as mutually exclusive, but in fact, the opposite is true. Read our blog, Don’t Throw Away your IT Operating Model to learn more.
Critical success factors
- Senior management support and buy-in
- Governance model developed in concert with service providers and integrated with their governance cycles
- Striking the balance between Agility and Control, such that the IT service is stable but highly responsive to changing business needs
- Effective service targets, documented in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) or contracts. But, How Far Should you Take SLAs in SIAM world? Read the blog to understand how to develop an effective SLA structure in a multi-vendor operating model.
Metrics and Reporting
Key elements
- Regular reporting schedule
- Reporting automated where possible from trusted data sources (single version of the truth)
- Governance principles and policies
- Appropriate monitoring, review and exception management meetings
Critical success factors
- Senior management support and buy-in
- Governance model developed in concert with service providers and integrated with their governance cycles
Support models
Key elements
- Development of an over-arching support model which spans the entire organisation, including any 3rdparty service providers. This is particularly important in SIAM (Service Integration & Management operating models). Take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 of our CIO’s guide to Service Integration & Management for more information on SIAM.
- Don’t forget to look at the entire service lifecycle when building a SIAM operating model. There are opportunities to improve efficiency in every part of the organisation, even the project delivery area. Our download, Why does your SIAM Operating Model need a single PMO?, describes how you can create a streamlined project management office within a SIAM operating model.
- Creation of a Service Catalogue. The term Service Catalogue, can be confusing to many, as it means different things in different contexts. You can read our blog, What are all these Service Catalogues and Why do we need them? for enlightenment. Also, take a look how we helped a client develop a business case for service catalogue development
- Describes approach to 1st, 2nd, 3rd line support, DevOps approaches, and service provider responsibilities, see The need for process in a DevOps world
- Service Level Agreements, Operating Level Agreement and Underpinning Contracts
- Acts as the bedrock for new and changed services to develop service specific support models
- Detailed organisation structure mapped to individual and team capabilities
Critical success factors
- Ability to flex support model over time, as new services and delivery approaches are adopted
- Continual service improvement approach to bring new ideas and approaches in to the support model (e.g. VeriSM)
The Human factor
There is considerable complexity embedded into each of the items above, particularly when you factor in organisational, team and personal culture, as well as morale and relationships through the technology and business teams. These factors can add significant “drag” to the speed at which change can be brought about.
With this in mind, Syniad IT can often speed up the pace of change by not only bringing the expertise and experience, but also the independence, methods, approaches and tactics required to bring about lasting organisational change.
