Implementing an IT or Enterprise Service Management workflow platform is a significant undertaking.
I think we can all agree on that statement.
It takes the time, energy, expertise, knowledge and effort of a lot of people to gather all the data, compile the user stories for configuration, design the workflows, design the forms and required dashboards and reports, provision (or not) the infrastructure, set up the database(s), configure the licensing, undertake the configuration and customisation of the tool itself (n.b. please don’t think that Low Code and No Code means No Effort), then testing, data migration, user training, knowledge transfer and... phew (and breathe)! We could go on and on... lets just say, it is a very big deal!
So why then, do we see very little continual improvement and product ownership of these tools and platforms after the initial implementation?
We have a cake from the vendor, everyone moves on to the next big project, and bit by bit the cracks start to show, becoming wider and wider over time.
It’s almost as if there is a general consensus that these tools and platforms will somehow magically configure themselves and moreover, the platforms will automatically reconfigure themselves to reflect the demands created by the continual changes in the business landscape.
Is that ‘head in the sand’ approach really ever going to work? I think we can all agree that the answer is no!
So what do we do about this?
The answer is straight forward and if we look back at the good practices from which many of these tools originally took their guidance from (i.e. ITIL Service Management guidance), we will find Continual Improvement.
If we do not apply a continual improvement mindset (with the associated governance and practice) for the toolset and platform itself, then so much of the initial effort (and huge cost) to implement the tool is wasted and is going to cost you dearly in the long-run.
Think of this (rather basic) space mission analogy:
If the mission focused all its attention and resources on the launch as a single event, then the mission would be certain to fail. The launch would be the spectacular event that literally burns through massive resources but it is only the start of the mission. For the mission to be success there has to be attention and resources focused throughout its duration.
So it is the same for the IT or Enterprise Service Management workflow platform. In our experience, those organisations that invest their energy into the continual improvement and expansion of the platform, and those that assign a Product Manager (or at least an ongoing initiative to drive continual improvement), will inevitably avoid seeking to replace it and embarking upon another expensive re-launch in the not-too-distant future.
So next time you sign off on an IT or Enterprise Service Management toolset or platform initiative, double- check what provision has been allocated to its continual improvement and expansion, before you too find yourself having to re-launch again in 2-3 years time.
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