How process primers can help IT managers

Most managers would like their process improvement systems to define repeatable processes that could solve any problem and also enhance productivity. Mistakes and errors are unpredictable, so while there may be some managers who see this as a challenge and work towards solving the problems, these mistakes can prove costly and can affect the profitability of the enterprise. While having the right people can solve various issues but many a time such capable employees maybe short in supply, thus what a manager needs is a system that can make use of the best employees and lead the team to success by ensuring that the right things are done at the right time and in the right way. Managers should follow the best practices in process improvement to define workflow solutions that are both reliable and adaptable in order to meet and surpass the challenges that occur in today’s dynamic business environment.

Managers need to start with requirements traceability , they should realize that defect tracking systems are not just about problem issues, the right design, training, and usage, rather defect tracking systems can actually hold the history and steps included in triaging the problem. Additionally it can also help in the resolution of different problems that impact your organization. Therefore, managers should start maximizing their defect tracking system as a knowledge base. Information like Unique incident number, Incident category, Priority, Urgency, Name of the person reporting the incident, Date/Time incident reported, Description of incident, Status of incident, Resource Assigned, Problems/Incidents linked to this incident, Tasks to investigate and resolve incident, Resolution type, Resolution date and time and Confirmation that incident has been resolved (e.g. name, date and time) can be easily involved.

A web based technology that can ably define agile methodology and be implemented in a matter of hours, can be of enormous help to different managers. Such a system can also allow for interactive design and implementation of a process that has been defined by an expert. Although every enterprise has Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who help in defining tasks, roles and responsibilities as well as tests needed to solve the problems that confront their enterprise, but very often it is cumbersome to convince your SMEs team to write a document that can help define tasks, etc; therefore managers find it much simpler to just record the steps to analyze and resolve problems in a well designed defecting tracking system. Most managers know that capturing required tasks, roles and responsibilities and a set of tests to confirm compliance are the vital building blocks for defining repeatable processes. Efficient managers vouch for a checklist that specifies exactly who is responsible for each required step. At a minimum the initial definition of a process in a checklist should include Tasks, Roles and responsibilities,  Task flow (e.g. required order of execution), Decision points, Approvals (and rejections), Milestones and tests to confirm compliance and finally, Reports and notifications to provide visibility.

By capturing the execution of the process provides managers visibility that their team needs to make the right decisions and confirms that processes, once established, are then followed on a reliable and repeatable basis.  Such workflow history logs and reports provide senior management the visibility needed in order to make important decisions and support solid IT Governance.

Also read about ALM Solutions here.

Overcoming the challenges of project management

Tracking and managing deliverables from various technology vendors is a big challenge in project management that almost every organization faces. The core anxiety that project managers face, is the hurdle of tracking the status of deliverables, responding to vendors claims on time, executing and following processes, inadequate alerting systems etc., and Good project management facilitates to integrate with third-party or vendor neutral solutions by applying the some practices. To overcome these challenges project managers ought to implement an efficient and sophisticated solution and here are some tips that provide some ways and means to such these challenges.

• Automated Software for all Process-

The organization needs to opt for software that can provide automated and customized views, reports and filters, instead of procuring a COTS or a customer off the shelf solution. A solution that doesn’t need any coding, scripting or IT involvement will be best suited for all project management processes.

• Multi-Process Solution –

A solution like an application lifecycle management, enables multiple processes to be followed for various entities. They allow the automation of diverse functions such as action items, change requests, configured items, deliverable transmittals, issues tracking, etc.

• Easy Implementation of Applications-

The solution needs to primarily be user friendly and its configurations should allow users to implement business applications effortlessly. For instance, implementing an application with diverse inter-dependent processes that requires custom fields, views, filters and reports via a simple drag and drop browser based interface that doesn’t require a database schema changes or coding.

• Increase in productivity-

Adequate solutions can help reduce an enterprise’s overall organizational uncertainty level and increases productivity can prove beneficial for any enterprise. Such solutions ensure that deliverables need not be tracked manually and it encourages a proactive rather than a reactive mode of tracking deliverables.

• Elimination of issues-

There should be zero issues falling through the cracks, therefore the solution you finally opt for should take care of all the housekeeping and overhead tasks and improve the predictability of the deliverables.

• Provides  detailed audit trails-

The solution should provide enterprises with a detailed audit trail of every change in the processes, therefore a transparent and open system where every person knows where and why a particular process is held up and what can be done to move it.

• Enhances  efficiency-

The solution should improve the efficiency and productivity in processing the deliverables considerably, both in terms of cycle time and the manpower effort for the enterprise.

• Minimal Workflow Errors-

An optimized solution can bring about overall reduction in errors and omissions due to the workflow tasks were at least 10%. It workflow process automation solution should reduce time required to monitor and supervise other users for enterprises.

Project management facilitates the development groups with the freedom of choosing their own project hierarchy. Applications like ALM Solutions, work to provide exceptional benefits to an organization to implement ALM in the most favorable approach.


Also read about IT Service Management.

FDA Compliance Made Simpler

Any regulated organization needs to be responsible for all the electronic information that needs to be maintained and submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Code of Federal Regulations states that all records in the electronic form, can be modified, maintained, archived, retrieved or transmitted under any records requirements set in the FDA. The final regulation provided the criteria for acceptance by the FDA that electronic records were trust worthy reliable and equivalent to paper records and handwritten signatures executed on paper. It is of high importance to have a system in place that facilitates access and that can be controlled for the content of electronic records.

These types of systems operate on the premise that the organization that creates and maintains the System information is also responsible for configuring, operating and maintaining the actual system. For any successful deployment, expert support is vital.  As the FDA has various regulations, adopting a global lifecycle will make the regulations easy to adhere to.  A global lifecycle product support helps to increase developer productivity and maximize the benefits and automates the monitoring of policies in addition to providing other benefits  

Electronic Records-

• In providing a web-based and report based interface to obtain records for inspection, review and copying. The system also generates electronics form for the records through file based export of the data.
• Allows users to a ready retrieval of data through the application interface.
• Limits each authorized user’s access of data and functionality.
• Helps to maintain a rich audit trail for all the systems employed in the system.
• Allows the organization to create an enforceable process that will help determine the sequence of steps and events.
• Accepts data from validated process components installed within the system.
• Enables users to perform the assigned tasks within the system.

Electronic Signatures

Electronic signatures executed to electronic records are linked to the respective electronic records to ensure that the signatures cannot be copied or transferred to falsify an electronic record.

• Each electronic record has a unique system, thereby ensuring that there is no duplication of the same username.
• Ensures a user authentication in the system.
• Electronic signature can be executed by the genuine owner.

Compliance can be made much simpler when there are adequate solutions.  Information can be reviewed and reported to management to provide transparency to all of the mandatory regulations set by the FDA. An opposite application lifecycle management,  is a huge advantage to any organization, as it provides an effective workflow based global platform to retrieve and transmit electronic data that is deemed necessary in the organization.

Also get more information on IT Service Management.

Integrated ALM and how it can benefit your enterprise

Enterprises end up spending a lot of their investment on a huge amount of siloed point function tools that includes requirement management, architecture, coding, build testing, tracking and a whole lot more. The dilemma with these tools is that often they end up as being way too traditional and terribly isolated. Furthermore they rely on really old manual procedures to facilitate synchronization of data betweens diverse tools. This is perhaps another reason why enterprises should look at integrating diverse lifecycle tools to make possible effective application development possible. Here are some reasons that can demonstrate how your company can benefit from an integrated ALM:

• Application development becomes more visible: Integrated Application Lifecycle Management can easily connect and also allow teams, individuals and organization to gain better insight into the application development process. So now solutions to queries of reviews, findings, requirement of corrective actions, application retesting, test cases failures, etc can be found easily.  
• Facilitates Global Distributed Development: ALM has gone global, simply because enterprises that work in disparate and different work culture zones can have scenarios of duplication of work that can create havoc with their productivity levels, these enterprises therefore require integrated ALM that can integrate tools behind firewalls and across multiple networks. Such an integrated ALM can easily conquer structural impediments that may prop up owing to remote locations. When backed by such an integrated ALM, enterprises can rest assured of having on time delivery of projects within the predetermined cost limits.
• Improves productivity across the enterprise: Integration of ALM means enhanced implementation and improved enforcement of processes that means greater productivity. Repeated tasks will be automated thereby reducing any kind of dreary alterations. Stakeholders will also be kept up to date with all information hence there is bound to a dramatic reduction in the number of meetings required which will also reduce costs involved in travelling etc.
• Keeps your customer happy: Integrated ALM adopts best practice processes which permits that all developmental activities should be aligned as per customer requirements. This ensures that the customer will always get what he/she ask for. With added benefits of getting real-time updates on the progress and development of the ALM solutions lifecycle coupled with greater levels of transparency, your customers will definitely be more satisfied since they can easily trace lifecycle artifacts across the development stages.

Make your development processes for your enterprises more effective with an integrated ALM solution that offers you enhanced synchronization between IT and your business.

Read more about enterprise service bus here

Integration Can Enhance Project Management

Project Management is nothing but the application of knowledge and skills to project activities to meet the stakeholder’s needs and expectations from a project. To overcome the hurdles in managing, almost every industry has instilled the practice of project management. Adopting proficient solutions can help meet the goals of an enterprise. Integration can help augment good project management by,

• Allocating the right task to the right resource-

As on organization expands, it becomes essential to obtain a tool for managing tasks. It is undoubtedly easy to manage and follow with tasks with limited resources. Adopting an effective tool will help in assigning the right task to the apposite resource in the appropriate time.

• Managing resources –

Every project is planned with an expected start and end time. The resources participating in the project get involved in accomplishing tasks when a project starts. It is therefore essential to have an estimate of the time spent resources while accomplishing tasks. With the help of a timesheet, the actual efforts spent on resources can be tracked.

• Analyze the efforts-

As the authentic breakdown of time is traced, the project manager is able to get the information of the effort spent on the project, facilitating him to create analysis reports for the management. This enables the management to evaluate the different ways and efforts of the various resources involved in the project.

• Optimizing  Allocation –

Planning with resources is a huge task for project managers as they have to consider the estimated budget and duration of a project. As projects have numerous requirements, the deployments only happen through several releases. Only by planned involvement of resources and optimized allocation usually can a project become successful.

• Determining Key Requirements-

The project manager determines the key requirements that need to be implemented. In the case of a large number of requirements, manual distribution becomes a mammoth task. A suitable application can perform these requirements through several releases. Based on the constraints defined and the rank assigned to each of the requirements, there is an automatic distribution that simplifies resource management on the whole.

• Implementing Solutions-

Adopting a tool like the dashboard enables users to take quick decisions on the performance of various departments. As this is usually done from a centralized location, it facilitates in generating reports that influence decision making. Decision makers or the management are laden with ideas as to how to go about implementing potential improvements and solutions

Integration in project management helps to give development groups the freedom of choosing their own project hierarchy. Applications like application lifecycle management, work to provide unprecedented advantages to a development organization to implement ALM in the most optimal manner. An Integrated enterprise service bus allows for a unique process automation of each of these applications thus allowing the users to implement any development methodology including a proprietary one.

Read more about product support and maintenance.

Managing Internal and External Projects Effectively

As is the current trend, most countries in the US use offshore or onshore models for project implementation. This consequently results in an incessant interaction between the deployment centers and the project offices.  A secure and easy access is crucial to all users regardless of the geographical barriers, and difference in the physical location. In order to automate task generation, it is exceedingly essential to have an enforceable workflow management. It is also imperative to have a top quality application that complies with all internal and external requirements.

How to overcome the challenges?

The challenges can be overcome by adopting a solution that is ideal from the point of view of reliability, security and backup. A single tool can not only cut down maintenance costs and deployment, but can be advantageous by  

Facilitating customers to know relevant information in real time-
Requirement changes are a reality in any project. A well defined and consistent process is the best way to review a change. Adopting a Global lifecycle change management will help in addressing issues during the implementation of projects. Internal regression and integration testing and enhancements requests can be captured in a single location. It enables the planning access to customers that can be controlled. As requests can be changed directly into the system, issues can be prioritized, and the success of a project can be closely monitored.

Effectively managing and mapping requirements-
As project deliverables are shared by various team members across the globe, it is essential to have a global lifecycle requirements management solution that can help in the implementation of requirements gathering, intelligent reporting, methodology etc., thereby enabling the project teams to efficiently manage and map requirements. This in turn, enhances the collaboration with service partners and control of offshore projects.

Simplify task management-
As most management tools do not come with a built in process engine, it is best to adopt a solution, like Global Lifecycle Process management,  that has the capability of simplifying task management across time zones. The solution has the ability to provide seamless collaboration thus eliminating emails and phone calls and coordination of tasks across different time zones, and ultimately increasing productivity.

A complete and comprehensive, product support and maintenance can assist in managing the development for internal and external projects.  A sound requirements management tool provides a rich and configurable, global platform for capturing a set of requirements. It ensures that all users are working from the same playbook, irrespective of where they are located. Implementation of these tools facilitates easy reporting of projects, and enhances the productivity.

Read more about IT service management here.

Top ways to achieve true IT governance and compliance

IT Governance and compliance have assumed grave importance for senior managers across enterprises since it involves the overall control and health of a large corporation. And every enterprise is aware that IT governance and compliance are abilities that can determine the enterprise’s stature in the global technology-centric environment. Public companies are mandated by Federal laws - including section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - to establish effective practices such as reporting and operational controls such as Change Management. Generally the management implements these procedures with a number of standards and frameworks that include IEEE 12207 lifecycle processes, ISACA Cobit 4.1, SEI CMMI and the itSMF ITIL v 3. But sometimes managers face certain framework problems wherein more information on what needs to be done and also how one should implement certain procedures is required, but not provided within these frameworks. In this article, we focus on ways and means to achieve true IT governance and compliance.

• An IT service management solution that can provide tools and processes to remove ambiguity and bring about enhanced productivity through the proper implementation of the Cobit 4.1 framework can definitely help an enterprise in achieving the objectives of IT governance and compliance.
• IT SM solutions that can help define and communicate change procedures including emergency changes, assess, prioritize and authorize changes as well as ensure total tracking status and reporting on changes can be an asset for any enterprise that aims to achieve IT Governance and compliance.
• Enterprises in their goal to accomplish true IT Governance should choose such an IT service solution that can develop, document and promulgate a change management framework that can specify policies and processes effectively. It should establish and maintain version control over all changes. Such a solution would also be able to implement roles and responsibilities that involve business process owners and appropriate technical IT functions. Additionally it can ensure appropriate segregation of duties.
• An IT service solution that can establish appropriate record management practices and audit trails to record key steps in the change management process is an added bonus for any enterprise. It can ably provide timely closure of changes and assist in elevating and reporting changes to the management when they are not closed in a timely fashion

Implementing IT Governance and compliance is all about confirming that all the elements have been accomplished in the right manner in the right time and through the right way. It’s also about traceability and providing visibility to all of the stakeholders involved. A robust automated process workflow solution that can help any organization successfully implement IT Governance and compliance best practices, we hope the afore-mentioned tips can be useful in your quest towards achieving true IT governance and compliance.
 

Also read about enterprise service bus (ESB) at Wikipedia.