IT Service Strategy & Design - Assignment Example

IT Service Strategy & Design Name Course Lecturer Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 1.0 Service Strategy 3 1.2 Risk Management Plan 5 2.0 Demand Management Plan – Relevant PBAs to manage 6 2.1 Project Integration 6 2.2 Project Scope 7 2.3 Project Time 7 2.4 Project Quality 8 2.5 Project Human Resource 9 2.6 Project Communications 9 2.7 Project Procurement 10 2.8 Financial Management Plan 10 3.0 Service Design: 12 3.1 Five Design Aspects – 12 Business & Service Requirements; 12 Measurement Design; 12 Process Design; 12 Technology & Architecture Design; 13 Service Portfolio 13 3.2 Service Level Plan – SLA 13 3.3 Availability Plan – meet/exceed business requirements 14 3.4 Information Security Plan – CIAA 14 3.5 Supplier Plan – sourcing plan; OLAs 15 3.6 Capacity Plan – capacity must meet/exceed business requirements 15 3.7 Continuity Plan – continuity and recovery plans 16 Executive Summary Organizations are enthusiastic about the adoption of highly affordable and reliable central IT services which reduces activity redundancy and increase organizational innovation. There are particularly special interests in the service that are desired according to the organization functions. Universally, wireless, mobile and cross-platform supporting services are considered useful for a vast organization. These IT Services features are integrated for UAE mall to serve the customers and workers better. Through these services, the mall reputation will be enhanced. The new services are meant to increase the traffic for all the service users. Consequently, this will improve the mall profitability. Responding to both individual’s and the mall as whole needs is critical for a new services. This will enable the incorporation of roles in mall leadership, management, data storage, training and cost containment. IT reorganization and development is unavoidable need in the organization working and customer services. The mall IT development is promoted by both positive and negative lessons learnt in the past through the use of available IT services. Secondly, there are important features that currently excite both the workers and customers which need to be integrated to move forward. Thirdly, the developed fill the gap that exist by coming up with services that are prerequisite for the current unit. The development will address the holistic services to respond to help and user support, communication, data storage, cross-platform support, enhanced security and innovation. The mall IT services will then be client-focused, with transparent culture to supports collaboration and innovation. 1.0 Service Strategy 1.1 Market Identification The mall is an upscale mall, located in a large city and the clientele have very high expectations. The urban location brings in senior executives and this mall is popular and stopping choice for shoppers. The standard of the mall is comparable to only two other malls in the vicinity. The mall is prestigious and the customer lists includes well known personalities from entertainment, sports and administration. It operates near capacity during weekends, holidays and when major events are held in the city. The current IT service was introduced for the convenience of mall workers who manages the inventories, the customers wholesale buyers dispersed in other towns and daily shoppers. The IT provides the control issues, stock supply management and restocking. However, with increased demand for effective and efficient IT services in business operations, new IT service is a prerequisite for the mall. A cutting-edge networking IT system will significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness of help, support and services I the mall. This is by connecting the shelves with the central control unit at customer service bench, IT managers’ bench, directors of different stock and services managers. Linking the different locations of the mall will be improved by wireless technology. The IT service will particularly sense the items removed from the shelves and then relay the information through a meshed network to inventory directors. This will automatically be updated to different points dealing with both internal and external services. This will meet customers’ expectations through real time tracking and location of products, reduce the redundancy of stocking and directing activities and promote updates for wholesale buyers (Mathieu, 2001). According to Gebauer (2008), adoption of technologically driven IT services will meet with the current fashion and demand of customers. It will also improve the around the clock services for customers who require products, services and information at various times of the day. The programmed service will ensure immediate feedback to reduce wastage of time for both workers and customers. Internet connection will then be improved accordingly for customers access to goods while in or out of the mall. The potentials of the IT service arise from compelling capabilities and information. This will increase the competitive advantage as the mall directors will have real-time products purchased, identify expired products, identify purchase trends and set up text or emails alerts to staff and customers. It will also be possible to tailor delivery and programs for different bulk buyers and suppliers. The information provided will efficiently analyze the top selling products and also give discounts for bulk buyers. As Mathieu(2001) argues, the value of the IT service will target to minimize the revenue lost through the wasted products such as soft drinks and perishable food. This service will ensure a first in, first out system to reduce damages. The service promotes timely stocking from the inventory to avoid missed products which greatly reduces the sales. It will also minimize the inventory management costs through reduced number of workers who constantly updates and stocks various inventory. The suppliers will benefit from real time tracking of consumption of their particular goods and thus ensure transportation and delivery of the right quantities on timely manner. This will also reduce disagreement at delivery and storage points as the quantities will be supplied according to available spaces on the shelves. The mall workers will efficiently update consumers, bulk buyers, with improved help and support services. The managers and supervisors will use the service for communication, training and coordination of activities from within and outside the premises through the IT service. 1.2 Risk Management Plan As Gebauer (2008) argues, risk is a main factor which is to consider in developing such an IT service. However, risk management is promoted for the service to have a chance of being successful. The service development is an expensive undertaking which will cost 1.5 million Dhs. The technology adoption may fail to deliver some or wholly the requirements. The IT project will bring about changes and changes incurs risk. However, the change pertains moving ahead through new technology. It might also be too expensive to maintain if some stages are not well formulated and developed accordingly. There is a high degree of failure to deliver at the assigned duration which might be detrimental and affect the customers’ expectations leading to huge losses. However, various risks are managed through taking action to maintain the exposure at acceptable levels and in most cost-effective way. This will ensure that there is an up-to-date concerning the risks. To achieve this, the role of suppliers, contractor and subcontractors will be assessed and evaluated to measure up with the original documented plan of work. The project will also be broken into various stages to ensure every stage is related to its predecessor and guide to the next. At the same time, different cost needs will be met without denying the benefits of every unit. The decision making process for the mall IT team will be supported by framework of risk evaluation and analysis. It shall start at the conception stage, through planning, initiation, implementation and assessment stages. The role of decision guided processes is to reduce uncertainty and evaluate diverse inputs and their desired outputs. The facility will then take care of holistic needs of the organization by bringing different departments, functions and stakeholder needs into considerations. One probable option o mitigate risk this way will be by bringing the different managers who have experience in managing various unit of the mall ideas and incorporating them for application in the service system. This will make the IT service relevant to the user and paramount avoid losses brought about by undesirable functionalities. Through various processes which will constantly be put in place, it will be possible to monitor risks. This process will target the aspects of social, technological, economical, sustainability and operational needs to make it relevant in the current and future usage. There will be right balance in control put in place to deal with risks. The suppliers and partners with the mall will be involved to gain shared view of risks and the way to manage them. Risk responsibilities will be assigned the project board of directors, project manager and IT team. The IT team will notify the project manager about service exposure to external risk. The project manager and the Board of directors will make decisions and recommend the potential reactions to risks (Mathieu, 2001). The implementation will strike a balance between risk levels and the potential benefits to be achieved by the project. The corporate management team will be constantly notified of the risk. To promote risk management, the implications of time and resources will employ countermeasure to deliver the service on timely and the minimum cost possible. Effective communication to all staff in the mall will ensure the policies and benefits of risk management are promoted. It will also assume a consistent approach, revise the business objectives, get in-depth information about other similar programs and projects, identify each element in IT service and clear structure to manage it and finally any change in the process of implementation will be programmed to reduce risks. The change management is important feature of the new IT service and thus training for both staff and customers is critical. This deals with main difficulties of managing change. Every individual will be impacted particularly the staff who creates, control and receives records from various inventories. Communication through supported texts and emails will be critically be implemented. Users will need adjustment by shifting the way mall records are operated and classified. This will also change the functions and activities which can take more time to learn. The training is also designed for staff that experience difficulties adjusting the new processes to use technology (Gebauer, 2008). 2.0 Demand Management Plan – Relevant PBAs to manage 2.1 Project Integration The mall appointed Board of directors, IT Service Manager and IT team will prepare the project plan. The strategic planning will create consistent and coherent document to guide project execution and control. The document will comprise resource requirements, sequence of activities and explicit dates. The mall commitment to integrate knowledge across its organization will guide the IT service and promote the way in which resources will be shared and streamline information resources. This will support the changing mall business goals. Information management system will integrate data from access databases and provide data technology infrastructure which support mall functional requirements. Electronic document management will capture mall electronic transactions. The execution stage will carry out activities such as system assemblage; insert electronic features, installation of hardware and software, train staff, suppliers and bulk buyers. Precisely, through historical information the IT service derives policies, input through stakeholders’ skills and information system to derive value (Spring & Araujo, 2009). 2.2 Project Scope The mall objective is creation of tools for support of around the clock information for inventory management, sales and supply. The tools will assist the mall staff, suppliers and customers meet business needs. The broader community expectations and relevant standards will be met through investigating the broad environment in which the mall operates. Identify the mall internal requirements that add value. Work Breakdown Structure will allow the team capture and decompose project work. The defined work is planned, scheduled and estimated. The work is then authorized through a detailed management control plan. The process will select and develop electronic sensing and relaying technology which will be linked to inventory management system. Secondly, create service functions, and activities which can be merged. Implement the merged service and train staffs, and assist in procedures, policies and record management tools to support products and activities (Jun, Edgett, Merchant & Summers, 2011). 2.3 Project Time The implementation of the sensing technology, information databases, training of staff will take one year. Maintenance and update will then take the following two years. The project needs identification process, the policy guiding implementation and application of the system, the procedures and guidance for recordkeeping will be developed within 1 year period and update in the consequent 2 years for which the IT service is being resourced. Key stages will be broken-down in implementing the IT service system. Stage 1 will assess the existing system and its extent to meet the requirements. Stage 2 identifies and selects an information system to incorporate the strategies. Stage 3 will implement the recordkeeping system. The three stages will take the first year from conception to completion. The consequent two years will evaluate the performance of mall’s sensing and inventory management system. Milestones Commencement date: Cessation date: Time Task 1st month Compilation of management plan & the work plan 2nd month Stage 1: The preliminary Investigation 3rd month Checking of stage 1 by chosen national regulation 4th month Revision and compilation f stage 1 5th stage Stage 2 compilation, process drafting and consultation 6th Stage Stage 2 completion and Checking 7th Month Stage 3 identification, sensing technology requirements 8th month Compilation and initiating stage 3 9th month Revision of both stage 2 and 3, consultation and completion 10th month Installation of inventory software and websites 11th month Training the mall staff on use and coordination of IT service 12th Month Training for suppliers and bulk customers and close the implementation process Year II: Updates of the IT service Year III Final upgrades and updates 2.4 Project Quality The elements of the IT service will follow the context of International Organization for Standards (ISO) so as to satisfy both the stated and implied requirements. The quality which the customers and supplier expect will be achieved. This will be facilitated by project quality plan. The element identified and quantified includes the accuracy, reliability, and cost, flexibility, compatibility, practicability and implementation date. The IT team is mandated to build the IT service from the scratch while relying on information from external suppliers. Various contributions will be integrated from many external organizations. This will ensure that the existing IT service is modified in order to meet the mall’s new needs by bringing an off-the-shelf product. Immensely, the project quality plan covers the aspects of testing each product against the quality criteria by defined process of how, when, by whom and defining the manner in which acceptance is to be notified (Spring & Araujo, 2009). 2.5 Project Human Resource According to Jun, Edgett, Merchant & Summers (2011), the HR management spans the processes to make an effective use of people involved in the IT service project. All the project stakeholders including the sponsors, partners, customers, individual contributions are included in the process. First, an organizational planning identifies, document and assigns project roles, reporting relationship and responsibilities. Second, with defined responsibilities, staff acquisition will embark by getting human resources for working on project. Thirdly, team development will articulate and promote group competencies to promote performance. A project coordinator will be identified t conduct the IT service project on full time basis. Core assistance will come from information and inventory staff. The assistance will be on regular basis primarily from those with experience with mall functions and activities, record management practices, and the current tools as they exist in the IT service. Plan will be developed on involvement of every group or individuals. An effective organizational structure is crucial for success of the IT service. The people will provide direction, management, communication and control functions. A broadened base of skills is needed for comparatively short period. The project cross functional and partnership features, demand wide personnel. The manager assuming the direct control will have direct staff to report. Different priorities and interests will be united to the common aims of the service. The management level will make decisions. 2.6 Project Communications The project coordinator will report to the project manager on a fortnightly basis concerning the service progress. Informal reports will also be expected between project coordinator and the IT team. The team will examine additional implementation issues and report to the reference group. Regular reports will be given to inventory management committee and it will then be published by record management section. The designed process will ensure timely, collection, appropriate generation, storage and dissemination of project information. This will critically link the ideas, people and information necessary for IT service success. The people will receive and send communications through an understanding how the communication affect success. The major process as per the service is communication planning, information distribution, performance reporting and administrative closure. The generated, gathered and disseminated information will formalize the phases to project completion (Heagney, 2011). 2.7 Project Procurement The plan includes all the process which will promote acquisition of goods and services. The products will entail the major processes including procurement planning to determine the product to be procured and the time to do so. Solicitation plan will document product requirements and identify their potential sources. The solicitation process obtains quotations, offers, bids and proposals as appropriate. The products source will be selected and chosen from potential sellers. Particularly, the contract administrator will manage the relationship with suppliers and sellers to assure the specifications delivery. The group identified for delivery of sensing hardware and software is the key stakeholder who is involved in directing both installation and upgrading process. The plan will stipulate the contracts to be used with various contractors. The team will prepare independent estimates before commencement of every stage. Project management team will act as a procurement department, manage multiple providers and coordinate all the aspects including scheduling, performance and reporting. The procurement plan will assume both formal and informal based on IT service needs. The standard forms including standards contracts, descriptions and versions of products parts will guide the suppliers in designs, sizes and measurements of all products according the mall premise (Jun, Edgett, Merchant & Summers, 2011). 2.8 Financial Management Plan This encompasses the service budget and the ways to pay for products, activities and services. Cost management estimates costs and budget of mall IT service. The cost spans all the activities and deliverables costs. Resources requirements for UAE mall IT project amount to 1.5 million Dhs. 1 million Dhs will facilitate initial deployment and is assigned for the sensing and relaying software purchase. All the travel costs and allowances, service training, functional classification workshops, and consultation from authority regarding the standards and applicability. Resources Requirement Estimated Cost (0.8 million Dhs): Reason: 1. ZigBee technology Mesh networking (Sensing technology) Purchase of hardware and software 2. Product Trays (wireless ambient trays) 3. PDAs and necessary software 4. Computers 5. HVAC system 6. Inventory Databases software & websites 7. WLAN access Other Resources (0.2 million Dhs) 1. Travel costs Functional Activities 2. Business/ department Classification Scheme workshops 3. IT service training 4. Consultation for training regarding the deployment and usage. Maintenance & Update First year- 250,000 Dhs Update program Second year- 250,000 Dhs The cost management includes those processes that ensure the IT service is completed with approved budget. There are processes which will intensify cost management such as resource planning to determine the people, materials and equipment and specific quantities to perform each activity. Cost estimation will develop approximation of resources and costs needed for completing project activities. Cost budgeting process will allocate cost estimates to work activities. Finally, cost control will include all the changes to line with project budget (Heagney, 2011). 3.0 Service Design: 3.1 Five Design Aspects – Business & Service Requirements; The focus of the IT service is on totality of mall business change. It does not focus on one element but takes into account all the impacts to personnel, changed procedures, training, relationships, accommodation changes to the public and more niches which will be updated in the last two years. The scope of the project has described the reasons for the service based on estimated costs, expected risks, its benefits and savings. Precisely, the service development is relevant to organization standards of services that exist and implied. Significant effort which is drawn from different stakeholders manifests the nature and the importance of the service. The benefits are described in specific measurable and quantifiable terms (Weske, 2012). Tangible benefits of the service will lead to happier staff where there will less turn over at late hours and less time dealing with stress related inventory activities. The customers’ happiness is significantly promoted through communicating the service deliveries to the stakeholders so as to provide feedback or raise issues concerning IT service. The structure of the service is based on customer and supplier environment. The both joint and independent customers will also specify the desired outcomes and ultimately provide skills to develop the service. The business requirements are fast and around the clock services reduced operational cost and loss of perishable products. Services requirements are team management, day-to-day management and corporate activities which are to be articulated in the service. Measurement Design; The progress of the service development is will be covered to determine the quality and management processes that went well, badly or were lacking. Any abnormal event leading to deviations will be described. The performance of tools and specialist methods will be noted. Useful measurements on required effort in creation of various products will be noted. The effective and ineffective reviews of quality, other tests and reasons for working well or bad will also be noted. Process Design; The IT service has defined the problem to focus on operation, management and communication. The process collects information from internal and external mall stakeholders to access a pool of information resources. The ideas will then depend on the role of the IT team brainstorming and analyzing them to converge and chose the strategic ones for the IT service benefits. The IT team will embark on developing solution by coming up with a diagrammatical test model. The model and ideas will be given to the other stakeholders for feedback. The diverse resolutions from the stakeholders will be integrated for improvement of the entire IT service. Technology & Architecture Design; The technology design will be facilitated by some important aspects. The IT service design will balance the way components of the system will be distributed. When designing the space, asymmetrical balance will be assumed where inventory managers, support and help staff will be on one side to aid visibility and coordination of the IT services. The aspect of emphasis will draw different focal points depending on the use of the service. Unity will feature in the design for the entire mall premise. Various equipments like product trays will enjoin the real purpose of performance. Proportionality in design will determine the use of the premise to reduce crowded functions. The aspects of design of the IT form will particularly influence the function. The consideration of IT service is for the design to work together as a unit. Service Portfolio As Madhavaram & Hunt (2008) argues, through strategic portfolio management the process will create, manage and evaluate initiatives to deliver lasting benefits and results. The portfolio analyzes the value the IT service initiative will bring to the mall. The mall capabilities in delivering initiative successfully are critical for delivery. In the context of interrelated services, the best time for delivery of the service will be determined. The service cart will contain a list of IT services offered online by the mall. This may be daily, weekly or monthly communication and updates to customers and suppliers, product searches from outside the mall and remaining or required products, quantities and the latest prices of the products. The users will request to use them, and then the managers will approve and report the status of each in buying or supplying functions. The other service portfolio will catalog information about performance and sales levels. This will be used to measure mall performance and specific product sales. Finally, the service portfolio will keep a track on mall finances through detailed cost models from each service, track products and services consumptions, register demand features and reporting from various departments. 3.2 Service Level Plan – SLA The service manager and the roles of service level management are articulated in the design. Service level objectives or agreements will be met with specifications and open for update and improvements. The actual performance will be determined against the service level agreements as the system can demonstrate the differences. The design planning process will focus to tackle the services to be offered to the customers. Customers needs for upgrading, appropriate level of service quality. The staffs to deliver the service and the manner to do it are incorporate in the design. The key indicators for the provided services and resources contribution for the provision of the service are taken into consideration in the design. IT financial services involving both the business and the customers are various areas of management. They include; service cost modeling, demand planning and service consumption. Service financial reporting and service pricing are also included in service portfolio. 3.3 Availability Plan – meet/exceed business requirements According to Bell (2008), the plan ensures improvement of the overall availability of the service and IT components to meet the existing and future mall availability requirements. The included features in the scope are critical IT services, planned and new services which will be developed. The plan will be update on regular monthly basis to align with financial and capacity plans. The IT products specified status will be defined as live in use, ready for the quality checking or archived. This will promote improvements and development efforts on specific versions. The end users of the service are specified from the initiation to assume the prime responsibilities for that service. The service relationship will promote how and when specific services will be accomplished to ensure coordination in stages. The websites and online platforms maintain up-to-date information containing the records. There is continued upgrade for control changes to the service where change will be made following appropriately named features. 3.4 Information Security Plan – CIAA The IT service is conscious about confidential personal and business information. Nonpublic personal information obtained from customers in various processes of offering communication and access service will be protected. The information included is credit card and bank account numbers, credit and income histories in electronic format. Other personal information which contains individual names, license number, government identification number and password or access code is taken care of in the service development. This will protect the staff, customers and suppliers security from internal or external unsolicited access (Weske, 2012). The risk potentially curbed in the service developed include unauthorized access, compromised system security, data interception on transmission, data integrity loss, physical data loss in disaster, introduction of error in a system, unauthorized access by staff, unauthorized request, access through hardcopy reports and files o transfer through third parties. The information security will therefore be coordinated by specified coordinators. There will be a design and implemented safeguard program through staff training and management, enhanced physical security and responding to system failures. Violators will be penalized through created policies and procedures and discontinue access, continue evaluation and adjustment (Bell, 2008). 3.5 Supplier Plan – sourcing plan; OLAs The project scope describes the boundaries providing information of products needs and strategies to follow for supply. The entire product will be described for technical issues and concerns to consider for product supply. The IT service performing organization will identify contracting groups to supply both resources and offer expertise to support activities. Resources will be compared and consider the products and services available in market, the company suppliers, their terms and conditions. Other planning outputs which are available are considered in the plan. The planning outputs identify the preliminary schedule and time estimates, cash flow projections, quality management plans, identified risks with products, work break down and planned staffing. The IT team will require the familiar UAE facilities codes available from local sellers. Specialized installation techniques will secure knowledge from the latest automated assembly techniques. The knowledge will be obtained from hired consultant, designer or including a person from manufacturing team in the implementation. Computerized tools like software and statistical tools will include the widely used processes to simply use of IT service tools (Madhavaram & Hunt, 2008). 3.6 Capacity Plan – capacity must meet/exceed business requirements The service design ought to discover the methodology of planning its capacity. This can be done by first categorizing the work to settle on the best service level. Secondly, the analysis of the current capacity will be carried out in order to know how the customers are getting along with it. Finally, the future planning will be carried out and implementations made to suit even in the future changes. Utilization of available resources is also a coherent determining factor of the amount of work done. Some factors may affect the capacity for instance the number of workers. The higher the number of workers, the higher the output made. The ability of the staff and the number of machinery has a great effect on the workload. As Spring & Araujo (2009), a design may require a lot of labor hence a large number of workers is needed and they are required to do a lot of work. The service necessary ought to be fast n accommodating a lot of products at the same time. Another factor is the government regulations which have a great effect on the capacity of workload. A government may set up regularities that may cause decrease or increase of output in the business operation and hence cause great effects on the over role workload. Trusted suppliers will increase the capacity since they will be a major source of resources and raw materials. The supplier should be efficient and equipped. A proper management is required since it is the core factor for a flowing project and business. IT service will also be advanced in order to enhance productivity and efficiency. Schedules and shifts can be established to save on time and avoid overloading some workers. Part-time workers may be set aside and employing casual workers. 3.7 Continuity Plan – continuity and recovery plans The plan features all the activities to carry out to add a feature that may have effect on the IT service; mostly beneficial. Change, whether major or minor can bring about long-term implications. The IT service and roles are in change applicable environment. This will encompass the continuity process through legislative change, corporate direction, new customers, suppliers, unexpected change to its management team; competitor actions program management or corporate reorganization. Any problem which was not identified which may occur; unavoidable risk error or problem that may occur will be dealt with in the upgrade period of two years. Continuity will manage some issues through capturing and formally identification of issues. The issue will be assessed, decide the type and action required. The actions will be continuously investigated to match the goals and benefits. The various actions will be documented, initiated and confirmed to their completion. The IT services and issue will be reviewed on regular basis in order to monitor the progress of an outstanding issue. Any request for change for whatever reason will be determined and pass through the IT team acceptance criteria (Madhavaram & Hunt, 2008). References Bell, M. (2008). Service-Oriented Modeling (SOA): Service Analysis, Design, and Architecture. Wiley. Gebauer, H. (2008). Identifying service strategies in product manufacturing companies by exploring environment–strategy configurations. Industrial Marketing Management, 37(3), 278-291. Heagney, J. (2011). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom Books. Jun, Y., Edgett, J., Merchant, I., & Summers, D. (2011). Software Project Management Plan. Evolution. Madhavaram, S., & Hunt, S. D. (2008). The service-dominant logic and a hierarchy of operant resources: developing masterful operant resources and implications for marketing strategy. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 67-82. Mathieu, V. (2001). Service strategies within the manufacturing sector: benefits, costs and partnership. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12(5), 451-475. Spring, M., & Araujo, L. (2009). Service, services and products: rethinking operations strategy. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 29(5), 444-467. Weske, M. (2012). Business Process Management Architectures. Business Process Management, 333-371. Read More