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"
IT Governance is the sure way to keep IT focused on the priorities
vital to your enterprise. Now with Innotas, you can have IT Governance up and running in a few weeks."
Source : Innotas
Lean IT Governance: The Most Realistic and Attainable Approach to IT Governance
IT Governance is also known as :
IT Governance Simplified,
IT Governance Explained,
IT Governance Done Right,
IT Governance Solution,
IT Governance Framework,
IT Governance Network,
IT Governance Definition,
IT Governance Topics,
IT Governance Principles,
IT Governance Practices,
IT Governance Institute,
IT Governance Demo,
IT Governance News,
IT Governance Approach,
IT Governance Benefits,
IT Governance Best,
IT Governance Best Practices,
IT Governance Consulting,
IT Governance Decisions,
IT Governance Document,
IT Governance Examples,
IT Governance Experience,
IT Governance Guide,
IT Governance Implementation,
IT Governance Issues,
IT Governance Management,
IT Governance Manager,
IT Governance Model,
IT Governance Objectives,
IT Governance Processes,
IT Governance Program,
IT Governance Resume,
IT Governance Rules,
IT Governance Software,
IT Governance Standard,
IT Governance Structures.
“DO YOU WANT JUST TO BE IN COMPLIANCE
WITH GOVERNANCE, OR DO YOU WANT TO RUN
A KICK-ASS ORGANIZATION?”
-DEMIAN ENTREKIN, CTO AND FOUNDER, INNOTAS
MAIN ARGUMENT
The most realistic and attainable approach to IT
Governance is a “lean” approach via Project Portfolio
Management (PPM). The lean approach requires a
light-footprint lifecycle, rapid implementation of proven
practices, and centralized data. The lean approach
is based on simplicity and achieve-ability, building on
what works while establishing headroom for continuous
improvement.
SUB-ARGUMENT 1
In addition to “keeping the lights on,” IT delivers
impact through projects; as a result, project performance
impacts IT performance.
SUB-ARGUMENT 2
The lean approach to IT Governance focuses on
simplicity and achieve-ability. The lean approach creates
the building blocks that drive high performance.
Governance and compliance are natural byproducts.
SUB-ARGUMENT 3
For IT to improve performance, IT managers must
establish a light footprint lifecycle for managing projects
and resources. This demand-to-deliver process
defines the lifecycle for capturing requests for new IT
work, selecting and planning the work, then executing
and closing out the work.
SUB-ARGUMENT 4
To be achieve-able, the initiative must incrementally
build on what works, and fill in the demand-to-deliver lifecycle where the impact will be greatest. This lean
approach will produce results quickly, limit the impact
on existing operations, and mitigate the extent of
change on the IT organization.
SUB-ARGUMENT 5
Project portfolio data should be centralized for visibility,
and automation should support business rules.
Without a centralized system for managing IT projects
and resources, IT teams will operate in a vacuum,
and managers will manage with data that is incomplete,
inaccurate and out of date.
INTRODUCTION
IT Governance is getting a lot of press now, because
it potentially creates “compliance” and “alignment
with the business.” IT Governance concepts promise
great efficiencies and increased returns on IT investments,
but they don’t provide useful tools to operational
managers with too much on their plates and not
enough resources to meet the constant demand. IT
managers don’t need more wall-sized process flows
and magic quadrants.
But let’s face it: IT needs to get better at producing
tangible results. To do that, IT managers need effective
management techniques that are easily implemented.
IT Governance is viewed by skeptics as bureaucratic
overhead and unnecessary oversight. The governance
models offered by advocates are detailed, but
they often neglect a critical factor: how to implement
the models while IT is already running at full speed.
To address the management challenges of IT, the
most realistic and attainable solution is “Lean IT Governance”
via Project Portfolio Management (PPM).
MAIN ARGUMENT
The most realistic and attainable approach to IT
Governance is a “lean” approach via Project Portfolio
Management (PPM). The lean approach requires a
light-footprint lifecycle, rapid implementation of proven
practices, and centralized data. The lean approach
is based on simplicity and achieve-ability, building on
what works while establishing headroom for continuous
improvement.
The five sections below address the critical elements
of this main argument.
SUB-ARGUMENT 1
In addition to “keeping the lights on,” IT delivers
impact through projects; as a result, project performance
impacts IT performance.
Some of IT’s work is operational, such as system
administration and help desk. But it is through projects
that IT enhances organizational performance. IT
projects such as implementing applications, integrating
systems and enhancing telecommunications can
dramatically lower costs, create competitive advantage
and increase customer satisfaction. For IT to be
considered a high performer, IT project performance
must be high.
Continuously improving IT project performance is
a two-fold effort. First, IT managers must prioritize
projects relative to anticipated outcomes, and relative
to IT’s capacity to execute the projects. Second, IT
projects must deliver on expectations through better
planning and execution.
SUB-ARGUMENT 2
The lean approach to IT Governance focuses on
simplicity and achieve-ability. The lean approach creates
the building blocks that drive high performance.
Governance and compliance are natural byproducts.
Abstract models of IT Governance are hard to implement.
For starters, it is difficult to impose a new
mode of operations on an existing operating model
– it’s like repairing an airplane engine in mid-air. In
addition, few governance models build on what works while identifying what needs improvement.
To be achieve-able in most IT organizations, improvements
in the management of IT projects and
resources must be fast, incremental, and impactful
while mitigating change on the staff. The next three
sections describe how the lean approach makes IT
governance achieve-able.
SUB-ARGUMENT 3
For IT to improve performance, IT managers must
establish a light footprint lifecycle for managing projects
and resources. This demand-to-deliver process
defines the lifecycle for capturing requests for new IT
work, selecting and planning the work, then executing
and closing out the work.
Most organizations have well-ingrained, standard
processes for important business functions, such as
the sales process or the procurement-to-payment process
in Finance. The lean approach to IT governance
calls for implementing a similar standard methodology
for managing the lifecycle of projects.
The key to making the lifecycle light-footprint lies in
the relative simplicity in the process. Many process
designers mistake detail for value. In the lean approach,
we define no more process detail than what is
needed to achieve the goal.
The demand-to-deliver process for managing projects
has 5 phases:
- Request/Define: creates a single entry point
for requests, such as requests for new projects,
changes and resources, and standardizes the
data required for each request type
- Analyze/Approve: establishes the workflows and
criteria for analyzing and approving requests
- Plan/Schedule: provides templates and standards
for planning work, and for identifying and
assigning resources
- Execute/Monitor: manages budgets and schedules;
resolves issues and risks; and identifies key metrics and reporting requirements
- Close/Feedback: identifies support requirements
and provides feedback for improving the effectiveness
of the Analyze/Approve phase
SUB-ARGUMENT 4
To be achieve-able, the initiative must incrementally
build on what works, and fill in the demand-to-deliver
lifecycle where the impact will be greatest. This lean
approach will produce results quickly, limit the impact
on existing operations, and mitigate the extent of
change on the IT organization.
Some elements of the project lifecycle may exist in organizations,
though usually they are highly dispersed,
inconsistent and incomplete. IT managers should
implement the lifecycle by following the guidelines
below.
Implement Incrementally: Implementing the entire
project lifecycle at one time can result in the same
pitfalls as implementing a complex IT governance
model. The project lifecycle offers the advantage of
providing performance improvements with only portions
of the lifecycle implemented.
Which portion of the lifecycle to implement first
should be determined by need. For example, in
organizations where IT is overwhelmed by demand
(i.e., where there are more projects than capacity),
the focus might begin with establishing a prioritization
framework in the Analyze/Approve phase, then
applying that framework to all projects proposed and
underway. Subsequent phases can be ordered as
warranted by need and impact.
Standardize: Wherever the focus, establishing standard
policies and procedures creates predictability
and controls for managing the process. For example,
creating standard forms by request type insures that
the data required for approval is consistent and complete
across all requests.
Create Linkages: From a process perspective,
transitions in the process are smoother when roles and responsibilities are identified for managing those
transitions. From a data perspective, providing information
from earlier phases improves performance
in later phases. For example, identifying the original
sponsor of a project, and linking the original request
to the project plan, focuses the project team on the
goal of the initiative.
Improve Continuously: An incremental implementation
enables organizations to achieve “small wins”
very quickly with relatively low cost, risk and change.
The incremental approach, and the lifecycle generally,
also enable continuous improvement. Keeping the
entire project lifecycle in mind enables organizations
to plan for and roll out the phases over time. Comparing
actual results with standard templates increases
the accuracy of schedules and budgets over time.
SUB-ARGUMENT 5
Project portfolio data should be centralized for visibility,
and automation should support business rules.
Without a centralized system for managing IT projects
and resources, IT teams will operate in a vacuum,
and managers will manage with data that is incomplete,
inaccurate and out of date.
The management of projects and resources is undergoing
a fundamental transformation. The current
problem is that people, processes and data are
spread throughout the organization, creating a silo-effect
for managing projects and resources. The results
include poor project prioritization, unpredictable performance,
unreliable reporting, and decision-making
based on who screams the loudest.
By centralizing data and automating business rules,
organizations will realize these benefits:
- Decision-making driven by business needs
- Ability to regulate demand and prioritize work
- Predictable approach to managing projects
- Accurate, timely reporting across programs and teams
- Ease of tuning the process for continuous improvement
This transformation is not new: a similar shift to
centralized data has occurred with finance information
in ERP systems, inventory data in supply chain
systems, and customer information in CRM systems.
Centralizing project information, similar to these other
transformations, will make that information a workable
asset for the organization.
ABOUT INNOTAS
Innotas provides an On-Demand Project Portfolio
Management solution so mid-sized organizations can:
- Select the right mix of projects
- Optimize projects, resources, and spend Manage their entire project portfolio in one place