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Move to a Stable & Controlled IT Department

Extinguish the Firefighter status and gain control over the IT department.

More Details
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Your Challenge

  • Many IT departments are stuck in Firefighting mode and don’t have the time or resources to get out of this state.
  • Moving from Firefighter to a stable and controlled environment requires root cause analysis. When the root cause of IT issues stems from unstable applications and infrastructure, serious challenges arise. The resources needed to remedy such instability depend on the severity of the issues unveiled.
  • For IT to make the transition out of Firefighting mode, aspects of process, technology, and people must be adjusted.

Our Advice

Critical Insight
  • Firefighting mode is never a good place to be for IT. The ability to fight the occasional fire is valuable but consistent firefighting is inefficient and unsustainable.
  • Cleaning up process is the most important factor for a successful transition from Firefighter mode. This includes getting to the root cause of recurring issues, building policy and procedure around key IT functions, and implementing a triage system for the help desk.
  • Of the tactics to clean up process, finding the root cause of recurring issues is the most critical. Finding the root cause uncovers instability which must be remedied before the transition from Firefighter is complete. Building stable applications and infrastructure components on top of instability will only lead to more instability and fires in the future.
Impact and Result
  • Identify your IT department using the characteristics of a Firefighter to begin the transition to stability and control.
  • Find the root cause of application and infrastructure instability to strengthen the foundation for the future.
  • Prioritize process, technology, and people tactics to complete the transition from Firefighter.

Get to Action

  1. Identify firefighting characteristics of your IT department

    Begin the transition to stability and control.

  2. Understand the tactics for a successful transition

    Prioritize which tactics will propel your IT department to success.

Related Solution Sets

Get IT in Line with Organizational Needs

Determine the appropriate IT maturity level.

Decode the Real Corporate Strategy

Understand the best practices in business priority decryption.

Tags

control, transition, process, availability, reliability, people, housekeeper, chaos, Firefighter, stable, instability

Related Content

  1. Storyboard: Move to a Stable & Controlled IT Department
  2. Get IT in Line with Organizational Needs
  3. IT Maturity Level Diagnostic Tool, Needs Analysis, and Readiness Assessment
  4. Storyboard: Get IT in Line with Organizational Needs
  5. Firefighter to Housekeeper Prioritization Tool

Get the Complete Storyboard

See how all the steps you need to take come together, with tools and advice to help with each task on your list.

BONUS: Get access to up to 5 additional free downloads

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Extinguish the Firefighter status and gain control over the IT department.

Companies Who Helped

  • Shasta College
  • JDS Consulting
  • DirectClarity, LLC
  • City of London
  • Mississippi Department of Employment Security
  • Keller Foundations
  • Unitec Institute of Technology
  • Centurion Data Systems
  • Marshall University

Solution Road Map

Other Solution Sets in IT Strategy & Alignment
1. Improve Value & Mitigate Risk through IT Governance
Take the guesswork out of IT decision-making.
2. Establish an Effective IT Steering Committee
Make sure you have the right passengers on board.
3. Decode the Real Corporate Strategy
Understand the best practices in business priority decryption.
4. Get IT in Line with Organizational Needs
Determine the appropriate IT maturity level.
5. Move to a Stable & Controlled IT Department
Extinguish the Firefighter status and gain control over the IT department.
6. Build a Culture of IT Innovation
Enable IT innovation to achieve business goals.
7. Create a Software Strategy
Manage and guide the organization's software direction.
8. Make IT a Partner in a Successful Merger or Acquisition
Don't let an M&A sidetrack your career. Create a solid M&A plan to ease the transition.
View the full Solution Road Map