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Joined: Oct 17, 2007 Posts: 5 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:30 pm Post subject: Plan RFC`s
Hello people,
Im new here and i have a question about the planning of RFC`s.
The company im working has about 1000 employees and there are about 200 RFC`s at the moment. 60 of the the RFC`s are from us ( IT operations ) and 140 of them are from the customer.
The problem we are dealing with is that there is no time for the RFC`s from us ( IT opertions ), because the people here think that the RFC`s from the customer are more important than form IT operations.
We are using HP openview to register the RFC, Niku Clarity to manage the worked hours and a Reource planner to plan the RFC`s.
People here ( IT operations ), especially implementation managers complain about the following problems:
- Many registration work ( about 4 hours a day )
- They don`t know when somebody is finished with the job
- Small RFC`s from IT operations take lot of extra time ( example: install updates on servers)
I think we are using to many different tools.. What do you think, how do you plan your RFC`s?
From reading your post i'm seeing a few things and can lay out a couple of recommendations.
On your note about utilizing to many tool sets, its almost seeming like that is the case. I may be incorrect, but doesn't Openview offer a level of hours tracking as a feature? if it does it would make more sense to consolidate that aspect into Openview.
For the second application on RFC planning, not being familiar with the tool, what capacity are you utilizing this app to plan your RFC's? In Openview you can use work orders tied to your RFC's to plan the needed activities from Development to Implementation and even onto Post Implementation review. try and consolidate these ,multi tool activities into one where possible.
Now that being said, from what information you have provided, it sounds like a revisit is sorely needed to evaluate your process. From what you have listed around prioiritization, that seems to be some disparities between groups and assigning a proper priority to said changes. This would need to be done consistently across the board. This is the hard part within many organizations is balancing what IT can provide and of the services it is being requested to provide. There needs to be the ability for IT to state that requested item can not be completed at that time and needs to be pushed off for higher priority items. Additionally the intiial review and classification of your RFC's appears to need a bit of work as stated by problems your implementation managers are facing with RFC's taking longer than expected. If they are taking longer and require more work, it sounds as if they are not being classified proprerly. i.e. requested and moved through the process as a minor when its actually a significant etc. _________________ Adam
Practitioner - Release and Control
Blue Badge
"Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement requires a change"
Joined: Oct 17, 2007 Posts: 5 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject:
ARoll,
Thank you for the recommendations.
The RFC planning we use is an application made by the company.
We(only IT Operations, not Application Solutions) only plan the RFC`s from the customer in it. IT Operations has about 40 people.
We never used the work orders for RFC`s in HP, but it has been used for service calls.
HP openview offers also a project function, maybe we can use that function to register every change and only when there are critical changes add 5 days before an RFC to HP.
Joined: Oct 17, 2007 Posts: 5 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject:
The question is also: What is an RFC?
- Add een extra disk to a server for backup, rfc?
- Install an microsoft sp update, rfc?
- Replace a switch, rfc?
- Replace a CORE switch, rfc?
- Add virtual servers, rfc?
Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 411 Location: Coventry, England
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:58 pm Post subject:
Hi Thijs
My greatest concern is that you seem to be changing your process to fit the tool, rather than the other way round.
I have no experience with Openview so cannot comment on how it works.However, everyone who's advice I trust says you make the tool fit the process not the other way round
I completely agree with you Ed in that the process dictates how the tool should function and not visa versa. What i think is happening is that there is a misunderstanding from the organization on the functionality that openview can provide coupled with that process needs to be revistied.
So with that:
Quote:
The question is also: What is an RFC?
- Add een extra disk to a server for backup, rfc?
- Install an microsoft sp update, rfc?
- Replace a switch, rfc?
- Replace a CORE switch, rfc?
- Add virtual servers, rfc?
I'm thinking you meant to ask what requires an RFC. This is not a question that I can answer for you. This will be dependent on what your process states and also what level of detail your organization is at the point of handling. What level of detail of change tracking provides value to your organization? This is what typically varies between companies, example one company i'm familiar with tracks Hard Drives changes on servers(RFC for swapping a failed disk) but another company familiar with does not as in their current maturity level it is not providing value and is too much detail for them to handle at this point.
Quote:
HP openview offers also a project function, maybe we can use that function to register every change and only when there are critical changes add 5 days before an RFC to HP.
This again will depend on your process. In your process have you defined that a project will be broken up into multiple RFCs for phases, iterations or for changes to specific areas? Or by your process have you determined that an entire project will be in 1 RFC? Once you have answered this, that would tell you how to utilize that particular module of openview. ideally if you are utilizing the multiple rfc's for a project or coordinating releases that module is handy for that. Side note i'm not sure what you are meaning by the add 5 days part if you could explain on that a bit more. _________________ Adam
Practitioner - Release and Control
Blue Badge
"Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement requires a change"
Joined: Oct 17, 2007 Posts: 5 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject:
Ed and ARoll thank you for your replies.
The process that we are handling now does not fit well for IT Operations.
RFC`s for the customers are not the problem.
I am now trying to shorten the process and specialize it for IT Operations.
Some of the RFC`s are 2 years open, waiting on other RFC`s or just to be closed..
I want a quick pass through for the RFC`s from IT Operations, register them 5 days before implementation and close them at least 5 days after.
My idea is also to work with work orders, to specify tasks within a RFC`s.
We can rename an RFC from IT Operations in Standard Request or ITO RFC
My idea is also to work with work orders, to specify tasks within a RFC`s.
This is the route you will want to take and in my opinion is the reason that work orders within openview have the ability to be tied to a ticket for any other module (Problem, Incident etc). They are to be the tasks associated to that item.
So would i be correct in understanding that currently you have 2 different Change Mgmt processes, one for Business Customers and one for IT Operations? I'll leave an option if you would like to send me your as is processes and can provide some feedback. _________________ Adam
Practitioner - Release and Control
Blue Badge
"Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement requires a change"
Joined: Oct 17, 2007 Posts: 5 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject:
ARoll wrote:
Quote:
My idea is also to work with work orders, to specify tasks within a RFC`s.
This is the route you will want to take and in my opinion is the reason that work orders within openview have the ability to be tied to a ticket for any other module (Problem, Incident etc). They are to be the tasks associated to that item.
So would i be correct in understanding that currently you have 2 different Change Mgmt processes, one for Business Customers and one for IT Operations? I'll leave an option if you would like to send me your as is processes and can provide some feedback.
At the moment we have 1 proces for both changes.
I can send you the proceses, what is your email adres?
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