Performing IT Implementation, a new tool or service on a network is never an easy endeavor. I often meet with clients concerned with how implementing a Single Sign-On solution is going to be different than the tech install nightmares of the past. I also often hear the complaint that switching past platforms has always caused grief, so why will this time be any different?
My response is always the same, I completely agree. Whether your goal is to install a free VPN, free FTS server or remote access capabilities, there are steps that all IT departments can make for a smoother IT implementation.
Tip 1—Employ Knowledge Management
Arguably, one of the greatest common challenges facing most IT departments is institutional knowledge. In many ways, people are the IT process and knowledge base. The necessary information about the organization’s IT systems, processes and functions too often resides in the experience and tenure of a person’s career, and knowledge transfer rarely occurs.
Automation and integration is a key to effective knowledge transfer, especially with implementations. IT consulting firms make fortunes banking on the fact that organizations will pay them $150 to $300 an hour to help installations go smoothly because they have recruited and transferred all the knowledge of potential pitfalls and corresponding solutions.
IT organizations must separate the processes from the people who implement solutions so that people become interchangeable. This includes encouraging tech staff to transfer their detailed knowledge about configuration items and known business processes into a configuration management database (CMDB). The idea is to create standardized processes and procedures to keep the CMDB up to date, and then periodically audit the CMDB for accuracy.
Step 2—Leverage Six Sigma
A common fact of tech installs is that new processes seldom perform optimally out-of-the-box. Organizations can proactively improve process quality and speed cycle times by employing a Lean Six Sigma strategy. Lean Six Sigma improves the quality of process outputs by enabling organizations to identify and remove the waste – in this case, the causes of defects (errors) and minimization of the variability in business processes. Specifically, Lean Six Sigma provides IT with a way to baseline service quality through studying cycle times to identify process variations and anomalies. Then this helpful practice can teach organizations to prioritize which anomalies have the greatest impact on the business and customers, while providing ways to quantify the improvements.
Step 3— Don’t Bite off Too Much
I call it the “boiling the ocean” phenomena. It’s an IT install that leaves you thinking, ‘where do I start?’ It’s easy to get to this point, especially with IT projects focused around modernizing processes or tools. The trick is breaking the install down into digestible pieces. Whether these pieces are as simple as building a charter or mission statement, or mapping the current state of your environment, the most important piece of advice is to stay on track and employ effective project management principles.
Putting It All Together
At Hypersocket, we look at password management with the goal to achieve excellent outcomes as opposed to showcasing a lot of the features of a tool. The Hypersocket Single Sign-On solution was created to simplify the management of users and applications throughout the organization. The Hypersocket password manager is a unique on-premise solution which puts security first alongside ease-of-use. Hypersocket password manager installs on your chosen operating system or comes as an ISO for deployment to your virtual infrastructure, making the install even easier.
This Blog was brought to you by Hypersocket and its CEO, Lee David Painter. With over 20 years of industry experience as a pioneer in IT Security, Lee developed the world’s first OpenSource browser-based SSL VPN (SSL-Explorer). Today Lee runs Hypersocket, a leader in virtual private network technology.
