Enterprise System Support

or

How to make life easy when

we have clients
Bruce Callow
Associate Director ITS
Griffith University
 Today

• The Challenges
• The Demands
• Possible Support Models
• A Possible Model
What is the Future of the System?

• Stay at a steady state. Not apply any

upgrades, no consolidated development
work etc.
• More into a continual improvement mode
• A combination
What Systems?

• Business Systems

• Teaching & Learning Systems

 Life Cycle Stages
Go Live !!!
Acquisition Implementation Operation +
Extension
Business Gap Integration/
Case Analysis Interfacing Payback Review
Require- More
ments Data Design End-User Users
Definition and Migration Training
Upgrades
Selection Custom Modifications

Parameter Configuration Expand

Scope
Testing

Infrastructure Set-up

Project and Change Management

 Life Cycle Challenges

• Maintaining good system performance and availability

• Reacting quickly to new demands for system enhancements,
e.g. new operational reports
• Managing major upgrades, patch application and their costs
• Managing the ongoing expenditure on external consultancy
• Maintenance of business processes
 More Life Cycle Challenges
• Managing total Life Cycle costs for projects spanning
multiple business units
• Experienced Business & Technical people are in demand
everywhere
• Retaining your expert resources who know how your processes
work and how the systems have been configured to support them
• Moving to user independence
 Changing Support Demands
• Integration of systems
• Integration of Business Processes
• Multi-skilled technical & business staff
• Configuration Management
• Continual Improvement
• e-business focus
• e-access
• CRM
 SUPPORT MODELS

• In House
• Outsourced with on-site dedicated resources
• Outsourced with off-site dedicated resources
• Multi-client with single support site location
• Collaborative sourcing through joint
arrangement
• New support entity via joint venture
 In House Variations
Business User Application Application Application Infrastructure
Interface Functional Development Operations Support
Process
Support
Support Support Support Support

TRADITIONAL MODEL
BUSINESS
IS
UNIT

PARTNERSHIP MODEL
BUSINESS UNIT IS

COMPETENCY CENTRE MODEL

BUSINESS
IS APPLICATION COMPETENCY CENTRE IS
UNIT

Source: Gartner “Post-Implementation Package Support: Organization Models” - V. Mirchandani

 The Application CC Vision
An Application Competence Centre allows scarce
resources to be pooled and access shared across all
parts of the Business.
 Potential Functions of a CC

• Support Desk: 1st level support, single contact point for problem management
• Contract Administration: central license & contract management
• Development request co-ordination
• Knowledge Centre on the application
• Business support: owning all group standards for
processes, templates and master data
• Technical Support: optimising system administration
and application customisation
 Functions con’t
• Ongoing development: of the applications for new business
processes, interfaces, Internet, etc
• Internal training: for all users on processes and topics
• Testing of new patches and releases
• Project assistance for implementation & upgrade projects
• Access administration
• Workflow administration
• Administation of batch operations
 Potential Benefits from an Application CC

• Real system ownership from the business: by establishing the shared vision
of building long term business differentiation
• Increased retention of key project staff: by senior management
communicating this vision and making the CC a prestigious place to work
• Increased leverage of application knowledge: by sharing key knowledge
across the business
• Greater opportunity for business collaboration: from standardisation of
configurations, data and business processes
• Reduced dependence on (expensive) external Consultants: through greater
use of internal resources
• Ability to react faster to business change requests
 Application CC Positioning

Business Process Management

Business
Key User Support
Business Process
Reengineering
Process & Data Support

Management
Applicat Configuration/ Application Functional
Customisation 2nd
Tuning & Testing

Enhancements
Level
ion Customization
Support and
and Changes Application
Implem ABAP Support
ABAP
entation Development
Maintenance Help
Support
Vendor Desk
Level Services
1st
Infrastructure
Management

Technical Servers Desktops Level Operational

Projects Support
Networks

Data Centre Facilities

DEVELOP SUPPORT
 Organisational Issues
• Reporting line: to the Business or ITS ?
• Don’t create an ‘Ivory Tower’ …..
• One centre, or a virtual organisation ?
• Representation from all Business Units ?
• Number of resources depends on systems complexity and the range of
services needed
• What is the best funding mechanism ?
• Critical to have a dynamic leader, with strong skills in: people
management, internal ‘selling’, internal politics
 Shared Model
Business Business Business
Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3
Business:

IT
Business
Application CC
Organisation:
Support Develop-
ment

Infrastructure
I T:
 Roles within the Support Model
• Support Management
• Customer Service
• End User Support
• Training
• Applications Maintenance
• Application Development
• Operational Support
• Help Desk
 Clients / Users

Support
Model
Expert Network

Help Desk Support

Training and OLST Support

Business Process Support

Appl ication Development Support

Infrastructure and Desktop Support

Application Operational Support

Customer Service

Support Group
Management

ITS -
ITS - Technology ITS - Business
HelpDesk / Infrastructur Information Process
Desktop Spt e Support Group Systems Owners
 Team Model
Frontline Team

Teaching &
Fin Core HR/Pay Core Student Core
Learning
Team Team Team
Core Team

ESMG ESMG
Changeand Training Team Mngt Governance
Team Committee

OperationsTeam

Development Team

Project Teams

ESMG Model
 Management of Centre

• Objective is to achieve Business and IT

Involvement and Support Integration
 Application CC Efficiency Measures ?
Support Measures:
System SLA - Actual availability, outages, causes, …
Call resolution - Volumes, response rates, fix rates
Development Measures:
Reduction in (expensive) % ESP consulting: initial vs ongoing
Meeting management demands for operational reporting
• Audit-ability of business processes and documentation
Overall Effectiveness Measures:
CC operating expenses, Actual vs Target
• Staff retention: headcount attrition,
Cumulative person-years application experience retained
User satisfaction, Quality ethic