PROCESSES EVOLUTION

PROCESSES EVOLUTION

   11:11 AM       Rizkooblogsite

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How do information systems processes evolve? Developing an Information Systems organization to become a world-class organization is an evolution. A culture of continuous improvement must be instilled in the organization. This change, or evolution, does not happen overnight; it takes work, education, and commitment to excellence. For a change to occur, the reward must be greater than the sum of the current pain plus the pain of the change. That is, the organization must truly want to change to begin the process evolution.

There are five basic stages an organization goes through to evolve into a world-class organization. The stages described in Figure 1.6 are similar to the five levels of maturity that were developed in 1991 with the U.S. Department of Defense by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. That model, the Capability Maturity Model for improving the software development process, as well as the model discussed here, maps an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature, disciplined, and efficient processes. Looking at process improvement as a continuum allows companies to take steps toward an improved environment rather than attempt to get there in one move. This breaks the complexity of the process improvement into manageable stages, maps the opportunities for improvement, and recognizes the value of evolution. The stages of process evolution are described in more detail below. Firefighting An organization in this stage may be in the firefighting, reactive, or chaotic mode. Each crisis or issue is handled independently, depending upon the skill set of the individual handling the crisis. Success depends on heroes. For example, when one user calls the Help Desk person with an issue, it may get handled totally differently than when another user calls another Help Desk individual with the exact same issue. There are no processes or procedures documented and formalized. There is no commonality across information systems. Projects and support are handled inconsistently. There are few metrics measured and reported. Schedules and cost targets are rarely met, or are met with very unpredictable results. Commitments are made without any process or detail to ensure they can be met. Furthermore, projects are not managed to meet the commitments. In this environment, some individuals may even feel that defined processes stifle creativity and, therefore, process definition is resisted. Another common comment by staff is that they do not have time to implement a more structured approach. Most often this is true, because they are continually in crisis mode. In 1998, the META Group estimated 50 percent of organizations to be in this mode of operation.

Desire 

An organization in this stage wants to implement procedures and processes to obtain a more structured approach. Although they are still skills-based, some metrics and procedures may begin to be developed. Some of the individual and heroic efforts may be organized so that they can be repeated. Initial process training may have been conducted, but the concepts are not used extensively. Individuals have heard process concepts and engineering techniques enough to say, “Sure, we do that.” Although some project management concepts may be followed, in a crisis, the individuals revert to the firefighting mode of operation. A systems development methodology may have been selected but not fully or consistently implemented. Processes that may receive focus in this stage are those that establish basic information systems controls, such as: 

• Schedule Management
• Security Management
• Financial Management
• Vendor Management
• Facilities Management

An estimated 35 percent of Information Systems organizations are in this stage of evolution (META, 1998).

Beginning

In this phase, standard processes are defined, documented, and followed. The organization understands the process, how it works, and what its individual role is in the process. A process management group is established to manage improvements. Process training and communication occurs regularly. This organization may be both process- and skills-based in different areas of the Information Systems organization. Although some areas of the Information Systems organization may have fully implemented process methodology and have documented procedures that are consistently followed, not all areas of the organization may be integrated into the processes. There may be pockets or islands of automation for various steps of a process. There may be many metrics that are measured and reported on a regular basis. Successful processes are repeatable. Reasonable commitments are planned. Schedules, cost, and functionality targets are met on a regular basis. Processes that may receive attention in this phase are those that address both system and organization issues as the organization establishes an infrastructure. These are processes that institutionalize effective practices and management of processes across the function, such as:

• Backup and Disaster Recovery Management
• Problem Management
• Understand Requirements
• Design Solutions
• Construct and Integrate Solutions
• Test Solutions
• Customer Acceptance

An estimated 10 percent of Information Systems organizations is in this stage (META, 1998).

Proactive:

In this stage, processes are the natural way. Metrics are collected and used to identify and handle process variation in all areas of the Information Systems organization. Quality targets are established. Targets for cost and time are predictable and reliable. Procedures and processes are well documented and followed with rigor, even in a crunch, in all areas of the Information Systems organization. All individuals in the Information Systems organization have an understanding of all the processes. Processes are integrated across various Information Systems organizations (such as technical support and desktop and business applications). Issues are handled consistently and predictably each time they occur. Automation has been implemented and integrated across all the processes and areas of the organization. Process improvement is a regular part of everyone’s job and is reflected as part of job descriptions and performance appraisals. Processes that may receive attention during this phase are those that focus on establishing a quantitative understanding of both the systems and the activities being performed, such as:

• Performance and Availability Management
• Capacity and Storage Management
• Change Management
• Installation and Configuration Management
• Inventory and Asset Management
• Software Distribution Management

Fewer than 5 percent of Information Systems organizations are estimated to be in this stage of development (META, 1998).

World Class:

All customer needs are met with quality systems and solutions on a consistent basis. Benchmarking is done regularly to continually improve processes and metrics. The organization is fully process-based, with all procedures and processes well documented and understood. Processes are designed for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. A balanced scorecard may have been developed, with metrics posted regularly and all members striving for improvement. Processes are fully integrated and fully automated. Users understand and participate eagerly in the processes. Causes of poor performance are eliminated. New technology and process improvements are prototyped, piloted, and added to the process on a regular basis. Processes that may receive attention in this phase are those that cover the issues related to continual, measurable process improvement, such as:

• Service Level Management
• Information Systems Strategic Planning
• Market Information Systems Offerings
• Customer Satisfaction Management
• Human Resource Management

Fewer than 1 percent of Information Systems organizations are estimated to be in this stage (META, 1998).