Best practice for SAM Ian Preskett MIET C.Eng. MBCS CITP
Best practice What is best practice?
Best practice what is it? Wikipedia definition of Best Practice. Is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means and that is used as a benchmark. Can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered Used to maintain quality as an alternative to mandatory legislated standards May have pre-made 'templates' to standardize business process documentation. Is the process of developing and following a standard way of doing things that multiple organizations can use May not be applicable for all organization's, so balance unique qualities of an organization with common practices. Do we do this for SAM?
What is best practice for SAM? ISO 19770-1 is a standard and currently our only SAM guidance It is a Standard and must remain relevant despite the industry evolving It shows processes but not workflow It avoids talking about technology It does not consider efficiency It does not evolve Best Practice Makes use of proven latest techniques. Adapts over time May support a standard
Best practice for ISO 20000 service management is IT infrastructure library (ITIL) Consider KNOWN ERROR DATABASE All IT departments made lists of Known errors, but ITIL took the best practice and defined: What to record Verification and release of data RACI Access data Actions to take Have we done this for SAM? Do we need to do this for SAM?
Exercise List possible best practices.
Best Practice for SAM If Best practice supports a standard we need to look at the ISO 19770-1 standard
ISO 19770-1 processes Organisational processes - Planning & Implementation Lifecycle - Lifecycle process interfaces Development In-use Planning Acquisition Release Deploy Incident Retire Implementation Change Problem Monitor and Review Continual improvement Core SAM processes - Operations management Core SAM processes - Inventory management Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) SW asset control Organisational processes Control environment Corporate Governance Roles and responsibilities Competence Processes and policies Financial Relationship and contract Security Service level SW Bought SW asset inventory SW Ent. HW Bought HW Disc SW Disc. Core SAM processes - Verification and compliance Asset record verification License compliance Compliance verification Conformance verification
ISO 19770-1 Core and Lifecycle processes Acquisition Release Deploy Change In-use Incident Problem Retire Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) SW asset control Financial Relationship and contract SW Bought SW asset inventory SW Ent. HW Bought HW Disc SW Disc. Asset record verification Lifecycle Core processes = Day to day = scheduled tasks License compliance Compliance verification Where is the strategy?
ISO 19770-1 processes Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay STRATEGY Update catalogue Financial (contracts) Change Relationship and contract SW Bought Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) SW asset control SW asset inventory SW Ent. HW Bought HW Disc SW Disc. Asset record verification License compliance Compliance verification
What is strategy Sets the rules for each SKU Product strategy Defines the owner Manages the product introduction and lifecycle Start of life, EOL, Profiling, Sets in-life status B/S/H Manages product introduction Requested, being evaluated, rejected, approved. Monitors lifecycle Contract trigger point Resolves issues Manages Audits Defines maintenance schemes Makes harvesting/procurement decisions
Possible Best practices Rules based engines - connectors Process efficiency Y Y Data accuracy (correct at input) Y Y Catalogue - SKU Data available to all Y Simplicity Y Y Use skills efficiently Y Y Redeployment of staff Y Y Use technology efficiently (automation) Y Y OWNERSHIP (RACI) Remove bottlenecks Contract based licensing /True up Do job once only Y Y Y Y SKU = Stock Keeping Unit unique to a product, and the way it was supplied
Considerations / restrictions Multiple departments Who owns procurement Centralised or unique processes Budgets Legacy processes and people Resistance to change Rules based engines Catalogue SKU
Best practice for the CORE SAM processes Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay STRATEGY Update catalogue Financial (contracts) Change Relationship and contract SW Bought Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) SW asset control SW asset inventory SW Ent. HW Bought HW Disc SW Disc. Asset record verification License compliance Compliance verification
Consider the ISO 19770-1 Core processes SAM rules based technology (recognition engines) Contains Recognition tables Schema s for vendor licenses Catalogues Uses connectors and rules Manages data input and manipulation Purchases into entitlements Applies Upgrades Normalises discovered data Is best practice your driver for new technology:
The CMS model (and SACM)
How connectors work for data input PC number Source data User Asset number Mfgr 1234 Fred 34765 MS inc. 579a Jane 2479a C.A. Machine number Normalised data owner Mfgr Asset 1234 Fred MS corp 34765 579a Jane CA 2479a Must be possible to specify and teach the Connector PC number = machine number Alpha numeric, up to 10 digits, check for duplicates, cannot be empty Match Duplicates and correct or flag User = user check against HR DB Flag errors Asset Number = Asset 5 numeric digits, check for duplicates Match duplicates Mfgr = Mfgr Correct MS inc. to MS corp Correct errors So are connectors a best practice way of getting data accurately?
Data and information Information integration Knowledge processing The CMS Presenation SW usage management Compliance reports License pools downgrade Integrated CMDB SW entitlements (with SKU) Normalised HW discovered Normalised SW discovered (with SKU) Apply rules and upgrades Integration and verification processes SW catalogue SKU list Rules ` engine data Recognition table Sw Contract db Procured SW Procured hardware HW discovered HW discovered HW discovered SW discovered Discovery tool Is best practice techniques to manage skills and resource?
Achieved so Far: Addresses the ISO 19770-1 CORE processes SW asset control SW asset identification Verification and Compliance Reduces and redeployed skill Data is verified at input not output Accuracy of data is limited only by data supplied (but even poor data is improved). All data is identified by SKU for accurate matching Compliance reports immediately available. Now lets consider Life cycle processes
Best Practice for lifecycle (and strategy) processes Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay STARTEGY Update catalogue Financial (contracts) Change Relationship and contract SW Bought Asset identification (catalogue/asset classes) SW asset control SW asset inventory SW Ent. HW Bought HW Disc SW Disc. Asset record verification License compliance Compliance verification
Bottlenecks - Approvals is it this easy? IT service IT technical Business owner reject
Bottlenecks - Approvals it needs control? User CI update Service desk Update user CI IT service approval required no IT technical approval req no Business owner approval required no approved yes yes yes IT service IT technical Business owner Approved approved Approved reject reject reject
Business Owner IT technical IT Service SAM or other Approvals Bottlenecks - Approvals Too Many bottlenecks IT service approval required no yes no IT technical approval req yes no Business owner approval required yes approved Send email Send email Send email reject Receive email and approve yes Approved? no yes Receive email and approve Approved? no yes Receive email and approve Approved? no
To remove bottlenecks Result Less work for each individual therefor faster throughput
Workflow, Catalogues and SKU SKU (stock keeping unit) Is the means of identifying the appropriate rules for a product Industry standard Catalogue stores the rules for each product (SKU) Workflow Workflow uses the rules to manage the movement between processes Can be manual or automated Can Reduce dependences on individuals and skills by eliminating or reassigning processes
The catalogue, rules and workflow: rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules STARTEGY Update catalogue From compliance rules Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract Controls the activity within a process Defines the next process required Pre-defined decisions Requires less skill Automated or manual Rules may be held in a catalogue and selected by the SKU Resource is required to manage the rules. May be rolled out to departments when suitable
The catalogue Request and authenticate rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay Provides data for self-service on-line ordering process or manual authentication rules Update catalogue rules SKU Reseller part no. STRATEGY From compliance Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract Software name Description Vendor reseller Price Quantity available Profiling people/countries Software status B/S/H Embedded software Manager software
The catalogue Stock check rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions parameters which decide if sufficient stock is available or whether software can installed before it is licensed. Financial (contracts) SKU STRATEGY Relationship and contract Stock levels Re order levels Unavailable assigned stock From compliance
The catalogue - Procurement rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions which need to approve the installation (not the Procurement) STRATEGY Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract SKU Reseller Last purchase price Contract number(s) From compliance
The catalogue Goods in rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions which need to approve the installation (not the Procurement) STRATEGY Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract SKU Location of license media Location of media/sw Location of binary code Location of purchase records From compliance
The catalogue - Release rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions which need to decide when to release STRATEGY Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract SKU Roll out date Dependencies From compliance
The catalogue - Packaging rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions which need to decide when to release and how to deploy STRATEGY Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract SKU Is it packaged? Package number Imbedded software/licenses From compliance
The catalogue Financial and contracts rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules Update catalogue rules Lists functions which need to decide when to release and how to deploy STRATEGY Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract SKU Contracts Tipping points From compliance
The catalogue - Strategy rules rules rules rules rules rules rules rules Acquisition In-use Request Authenti cate Approval Stock check Procure Goods in Release Deploy Incident Problem Retire Pay rules STRATEGY Update catalogue rules Financial (contracts) Relationship and contract Lists functions which need to decide when to release and how to deploy SKU Business value Strategic value Status evaluated/approved/rejected From compliance End-of-life date OWNER - budget OWNER business need
Achievements from Cataloguing and SKU Improvements in the lifecycle processes (not owned by SAM) Central management of current fragmented data Avoids errors Reduces delays Improves user satisfaction. Reduces duplication Data is managed at source Tactical and strategic processes are clarified Integrate with service support and business processes. Redistributed resource.
Summary It could be applied to all ISO 19770-1 processes It may be possible to apply to other activities. We already have some templates, but is that enough.
Q and A