High-Performance IT - Process and Intranet
Process
If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist
The Best Practice IT Standard is the use of a document management system, the use of a standard document template for process, how-to guidelines, and other documentation and making all work - process-driven. The standard document template is particularly important, it needs to adhere to documentation management principles to aid learning and usability. Finally, all documentation types are stored on an Intranet so that documentation can be baselined and then act as a single source of truth.
IT lends itself perfectly to the use of process due to the repetitive and recurring nature of IT work. Process brings consistency, increased quality, cost-effectiveness, reduced number of tasks, and reduced project timeframes along with fewer errors. It also locks down the operational environment and reduces the number of operational resources needed by reducing the incidence of rework. It provides repeatable, consistent outcomes, and reduces the incidence of failures which in turn reduces cost. Process is necessary because it describes how things are done and then provides the focus and foundation for making them better.
Usual Process Problems
1. Multiple and informal document templates in use.
2. Process that is difficult to understand.
3. Broken or incomplete processes in use.
4. Poor staff process training.
5. No document management system.
6. Work compliance requirements not being met.
7. Increased risk.
8. Low staff satisfaction levels.
9. Inconsistent work quality.
10. Decreased productivity.
11. High levels of rework.
12. Increased costs.
The High-Performance IT process review is the largest review in terms of effort and time. It requires one or two dedicated resources to complete with assistance from all IT teams. It usually takes two steps to achieve the Best practice, IT Standard. The benefits to the whole of the IT department are nothing short of significant with quality, performance and productivity is substantially increased and costs across the board, being reduced.
Step 1. Baselined documents.
Three rules are introduced to govern the use and control of all documentation.
1. Rule 1, If it is not baselined then it does not exist. All process, how-to guidelines and other documentation must be formally documented and baselined (tested, signed off, finalised, ready for use.)
2. Rule 2, The use of baselined process, how-to guidelines and other documentation is mandatory – there are no exceptions.
3. Rule 3, Only baselined documents are held on the Intranet – to act as the single source of truth.
Step 2. CMM Level 2.
This step accepts that existing documentation templates may vary. This Step adds a single, standard documentation template based on the Capability Maturity Model Level 2, (CMM Level 2). This is a process and documentation methodology applied to software development, infrastructure projects and business project planning. The model describes a five-level evolutionary path of increasingly organized and systematically more mature processes.
1. Initial level: - processes are disorganized, even chaotic. Success is likely to depend on individual efforts and is not considered to be repeatable, because processes would not be sufficiently defined and documented to allow them to be replicated.
2. Repeatable level: - basic process techniques are established, successes can be repeated, because the requisite processes have been established, defined, and documented.
3. Defined level: - the organization has developed its own standard process through greater attention to documentation, standardization, and integration.
4. Managed level: - the organization monitors and controls its own processes through data collection and analysis.
5. Optimizing level: - processes are constantly being improved through monitoring feedback from current processes and introducing innovative processes to better serve the organization's needs.
One of the most significant benefits of using CMM level 2 is that a standard template is used for all process, how-to guidelines, and other documentation. The template has a common look and feel, includes completion instructions for the user and complies with documentation management principles making it is easy to create and use. Accordingly, all staff and especially new staff quickly learn how to use processes and other documentation in the most optimum fashion. It brings a consistent approach, improves project quality, service delivery, production support and maintenance. It reduces costs by reducing the need for rework, improves estimates, scheduling and business outcomes.
Intranet
The single source of truth
It is not possible to have a High-Performance IT department without a fully functioning and managed Intranet. It is an essential requirement that acts as the IT single source of truth. Most Intranets fall into disrepair, they become full of outdated processes and other working documents and often have a complex user interface making it hard to locate current documentation. For example, for process to work well it must be quick and easy to find, be baselined and be the only version available.
Usual Intranet Problems
1. Complex user interface.
2. Multiple sources of documentation.
3. Multiple versions of the documentation.
4. Lack of a full-time Intranet owner.
5. Lack of a document management system.
6. Redundant process, how-to guidelines, and other documentation available for use.
The Best Practice IT Standard is that all IT documentation are sourced only from a production Intranet that acts as the repository of IT work practices and IT memory. IT team-based repositories are not allowed as they introduce the risk of duplication, lack of version control and non-adherence to process and documentation rules.
For reasonably sized IT departments (min 100 staff), a dedicated Intranet Administrator trained in document management and preferably CMM level 2 is required. Having a library with documentation examples and a documentation history (such as past project plans) within the intranet is also required. Processes and other documentation under development need to be held under separate cover and not on the production Intranet. The Intranet needs to act just as a production environment acts and meet the test of being the ‘single source of truth.’