Management Information |
Provisioning/User Management System Upgrades: Part II - Building Awareness And Building Approval
Somewhere in the world is a person who wants to see their provisioning/user management systems get a sorely needed upgrade. But they seem to be getting nowhere. The technical requirements are unarticulated. Key decisionmakers in the company are not aware this is needed. And the "project" is funded and without resources. How can someone who has the responsibility but not the authority get this upgrade to the next level? This article will provide practical guidelines on how to build awareness and get funding for a provisioning/user management upgrade. Upgrade is meant to include new hardware and software and also the supporting environment of business processes, roles, organizations, business rules, etc. This discussion will include techniques for overcoming the approval and implementation obstacles detailed in the previous article. 1. Know What You Are In For Congratulations, you just signed up to become a change agent. They are easy to recognize because they have the arrows in their back! Usually they find their own rewards - pride of having improving their company's infrastructure against all odds, making new acquaintances along the way, and satisfaction of a job well done. Note it may take longer that you expected. There will be times of great progress and others of utter despair. Just keep at it and you will achieve your goal. And don't forget to have fun while you are doing it. 2. Document the "AS-IS" Environment This should include not only the environment but also current metrics for id creation, deletion, changes across business units, and special cases. Great care should be taken in identifying gaps and risks in the current environment. 3. Document the "TO-BE" Environment Create your own network identity roadmap if one does not exist. Base it on a combination of your own and colleague's ideas, existing company policies and procedures, best practices, consulting think tank recommendations, and whatever else makes sense. Revise it as organizational and vendor realities change. By "setting a line in the sand" with your network identity vision, you will force other to either agree with you or identify their own assumptions, risks, and implementation next steps. 4. Communicate Often You can never communicate enough about IT infrastructure needs! Use a variety of mechanisms to tell the story such as electronic/printed newsletters, bulletin boards (physical and electronic), web site, blogs, face to face, speaking at department meetings, in-house seminars etc. There are many things you can communicate - stories about the unsung heroes and heroines of provisioning and user management, current metrics, appropriate external meetings, webinars, and seminars, the "AS-IS" and "TO-BE" environments, successes at other companies, the unsung heroes and heroines of provisioning and user management, and of course stories illustrating user pain thresholds. Keep the information interesting, educational, and continuous. 5. Leverage Off of Other Company Success Stories This may some work. Continuously scan the trade magazines and the web for other company success stories. Get the technical and management contact names if possible. Try to get hold of them. See if both types of contacts are willing to share their key documents with you and how they measured success. Even better, see if you can get them to speak to the corresponding folks at your company (Especially the management contact talking with your management.) 6. Use Vendors and Outside Consultants Use them to educate your management and technical decisionmakers through webinars, seminars, and on-site meetings. Webinars are appealing because they are usually free, relatively short (typically one hour), can be done from your desktop, provide an opportunity for asking questions and also saving a copy of the presentation. Outside consultants may be helpful by coming on-site and reinforcing your efforts. This may include a talk on the state of network identity, evaluating your current provisioning/user management strategy, discussing current and future vendor releases etc. 7. Know Your Company's Resources Once you underway with your effort, you will see people fit into these categories:
Conclusion You can succeed at getting a provisioning/user management upgrade at your company. It will take a combination of great timing, targeted communications, both "hard" and "soft" skills, and the right people backing you up. Good luck and please write to me about your progress along the way. For Further Information Abridean "15 Rules for a Successful User Management and Provisioning Project"
German, Hallett "Project Management for Small/Medium Businesses" (3 articles)
Heiman, Stephen, Sanchez, Diane, and Tad Tuleja The New Strategic Selling 1998 Warner Book Microsoft "The Provisioning Challenge" http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/mps/challenge.asp About The Author Hallett German (hallett.german@alessea.com) is president of Alessea Consulting (www.alessea.com) specializing in Identity Management, Project Management, and Business Development. Copyright 2004 Alessea Consulting All Rights Reserved
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Partnering for Performance "The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says, 'Go!' - a leader says, 'Let's go!'" -E. M. What is Data Visualization? Data Visualization is InteractiveHave you ever booked your flight plans online and noticed that you can now not only view seat availability but also choose your own seat? Maybe you have notice that when you want to look up information online on another country, you may find a website where all you have to do to get political, economical, geographical, and other information is drag your mouse over the area of the country in which you are interested.Maybe you have put together a business presentation consisting of multiple levels of complex marketing and budget information in a simple display which allows you to review all aspects of your report by simply clicking on one area of a map, chart, or graph. Treat Employees Fairly, Car Wash Entrepreneur sets Industry Standards I believe that whether corporations expense their stock options is besides the point, especially when the stock is worthless. We have studied over the years the rift between employees and employers and we have discovered many great brand names are eventually destroyed from internal strife and friction within the company itself. Keep Your Good Workers by Building Good Leaders A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on the Workforce asked healthcare workers key questions about the performance of their front line managers. The study concluded that an employee's decision to stay with or leave an organization is primarily based on his or her relationship with an immediate supervisor. Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing creativity and innovation into their day-to-day work processes and people. Leaders may want to capture the benefits of creativity and innovation, yet there may be relevant and almost contradictory issues that they have to deal with, including:a) It may be that a conservative culture is desirable (may result in a greater fit with the client base, for example). 4 Tips on How to Avoid Communication Lines Breakdown For example, in a small, two-person company, there is often the greatest opportunity for direct conversation and discussion throughout the day. There are only two possibilities for verbal communication and it's usually quick, easy and descriptive. How to Get the Best from Outsourcing There's a great little article ('Business Lifeforms') on the back pages of the UK's leading management magazine, Management Today each month. It's a spoof (at least I think it is!) about some fictitious key player in a fictitious organisation. Tap Employee Passion For Business Success Meriwether Lewis set the stage for the Corps of Discovery's success before one single "employee" had been hired. From the outset Lewis and Clark engendered a communications culture that brought in the right prospects, then kept morale high and increased the productivity of those eventually hired. Preparing a Budget Ok, you say, I know I need a budget, but how do I prepare one? The most common budget period is one year, but this can vary depending on whether or not your business has seasonal or cyclical fluctuations. For example if you run a Christmas decorations shop, or a costume shop your business is going to peak during certain times of the year. A Tricky Supervision Challenge Many managers believe that treating their team members as responsible adults will assure excellent results. The truth is that while this usually is effective, some people need much firmer limits than others to perform their jobs. Turnover is Not a Problem "Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like that, they obviously haven't worked in the real world and certainly have never had to run a company. Looking through the Glass Ceiling - Women in Management Women have made tremendous contributions to society at every level; consider Joan of Arc, Golda Meier, Indira Gandi, Condalezza Rice.In writing this article my attention is to open the eyes of small business and no way patronise female mangement or give offence. Policy & Procedure Manuals - Tools For Greater Productivity and Efficiency In today's tough retail environment the retailer needs all the tools he can get to help improve efficiency, productivity, and the bottom line. Two of these tools are the company's Policy Manual and Procedure Manual. Lets Make Training More Interesting! Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to participate in external training programs, they have fulfilled their responsibilities. This is not the best situation. Passion for Profits Business owners and managers are busier than ever. As their businesses grow and become more complex, they find that they don't have the time to be all things to all people. Performance Appraisals: Nightmares or Sweet Dreams Some managers think of performance appraisal meetings and recollections of torn Achilles' heels or root canals immediately surface. They're sort of "been there, don't want to go again" situations. Three Professional Services Resolutions for 2005 With client expectations higher than ever before, and the gradual industry recovery ahead, consulting firms will need to focus more than ever on carefully identifying and serving the right clients.Based on a recent interview with Brad Smith, VP of Research at Kennedy Information Inc. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: A New Managers Tale This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency evaluates an employee's feelings regarding their direct manager or supervisor. Making Your Workers Your Partners There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of companies. The former want, for instance, to minimize costs - the latter to draw huge salaries as long as they are in power (who knows what will transpire tomorrow). Relationship Building - 5 Tips and 5 Questions And is isn't hard - it's more about focusing on people, who they are and what interests them. And that's just where you spend your time. |
home | site map | contact us |