|
|
101.0 The Value of
SupportStep |
|
The value of support is usually
fairly obvious. If you have
projects that deliver business
applications, you have a
software entity that is running
in production when the project
is done. The project team
usually then gets disbanded and
goes away, while the business
application transitions from
development to support. Normally
this implies that the
application has also been
transferred from a project team
to a support team. However, even
if the project team is still in
place, the business application
still transitions from project
to support. The support team is
then responsible for ensuring
that the application continues
to run as it is supposed to. The
support team fixes problems,
answers questions, and generally
does whatever is required to
maintain the application’s
reliability and performance.
They ensure that ongoing value
is received through the life of
the application.
|
Even though most
organizations perform an
application support
function, there are a
myriad of ways that the
groups are structured
and the work is
performed. In many
cases, the work is done
efficiently and
effectively. In other
cases, the work is
organized and managed
very ineffectively. The
purpose of the
SupportStep Application
Support Framework™ is to
showcase a common set of
processes, best
practices, and templates
that can be used to run
the support function
consistently throughout
the company. The value
of SupportStep is
delivered to the company
in the following areas.
SupportStep: |
 |
-
Provides an overall
structure that all groups
that are performing support
can follow.
-
Sets an overall direction
and destination that all
support groups can strive to
achieve.
-
Establishes a common set of
terms and a framework for
thinking that can be used
consistently throughout the
company. This helps
facilitate communication and
reduces the chances of
confusion.
-
Provides a set of management
practices that can be used
consistently to proactively
manage resources and to
align the work to ensure it
supports business
initiatives.
-
Creates a common and
consistent set of
measurements for internal
process improvements and for
external reporting to the
clients.
-
Facilitates training and
cross-training, since the
knowledge and skills of how
you do support work are
consistent from one area to
another.
-
Encourages organizational
horizontal planning across
multiple groups since each
group is using common terms
and a common support
framework.
|
|
