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Executive Summary
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Planning:
Planning plays the critical role in the implementation of technology.
Weeks, if not months, are spent in the planning stages of a deployment.
Existing infrastructure is discussed. Architectures for the new
technologies are considered and compared against each other. Return on
investment and total cost of ownership must be determined. Integration
across multiple hardware and software platforms must be analyzed. The net
effect on the end user, and how to minimize this effect is considered.
Back-out plans in case of catastrophic failure must be designed. Data
backup and application integrity are particular concerns during a
deployment, and must be addressed. It is also necessary to determine what
kind of support the new technology will need, and whether this support is
available in house, or will we need consultants to bring us up to speed.
Possible problems and cost overruns must be allocated funds and time. The
actual process of implementation must be planned as well.
Organizing:
Organizing plays an important role in any organization, but its importance
is perhaps best exemplified in the technology industry. Since most
technology deployments traverse multiple platforms and business units, it
is imperative to set up a team that is aligned with the structure of the
corporation and that can react quickly and efficiently to any issues or
problems that may arise. This is particularly true in environments are
that considered mission critical, where loss of connectivity or downtime
can result in losses of millions of dollars an hour. It becomes
imperative that the teams involved with the deployment are organized in
the most efficient way possible, and are structured so that they are
aligned with critical business processes in order to be able to
immediately respond to problems. This indicates that the organization of
the team must span many business units, from communication with senior
management to the end user interface, and the chain of command that exists
between them.
Leadership:
Leadership is the adhesive that binds the different processes and groups
of a deployment together. Leadership is a critical factor in the success
of any technology deployment. A technology deployment is a difficult
beast; the cost, time to implement, and support factors must be controlled
very carefully. The mangers involved play critical roles during the
deployment process. They server as technical problem advocates, making
sure that issues that arise are addressed by all of the teams that need to
be involved. They keep channels of communication open between the
different units involved in the deployment, as any given deployment tends
to span multiple platforms and business units. Everyone must be kept
aware of where everyone else is during the deployment in order to make
sure everything matches the timeline and budget. Managers also conflict
resolution among employees in order to maintain a harmonious workplace,
and offer incentives and praise to help motivate employees. They must be
able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of team members, and allocate
those resources across the deployment effectively to make certain that al
the groups have enough technical prowess to complete the deployment
effectively. Leadership must also be evident among each individual
participating with the deployment. Problem resolution and problem
ownership are fundamental leadership traits that must be present in each
individual in order to insure a seamless and on-time deployment.
Controlling:
The process of controlling takes on a new meaning in technology. Controls
must be adopted not only for the individuals, but also for the technology
itself. Metrics must be defined and established in order to guarantee the
speed and redundancy of the technology deployed. Benchmarks must be
developed over time in order to have an understanding of the limitations
of the technology. These technical requirements set the standard for
service in a technical environment. However, it is vital not to overlook
the human factor when trying to determine if a given standard is
occurring. Individuals must be presented with resolution processes and
procedures to deal with technical issues. Auditing must occur to
determine the ability of an individual to efficiently and patiently
resolve an end user problem. Regular employee progress interviews must be
conducted in order to determine employee growth and conformation to
existing standards. It is also important to note that controlling cannot
be done by management alone; it is the responsibility of each employee to
show the initiative and leadership to point out flawed processes and
procedures. |