Make the Network Invisible by Developing a World Class Network Management Function
If you have to report availability, you’ve already failed.
- As organizations expand, so too must the network. Generally, these network expansions have been completed without preparation, implementing new infrastructure as requirements demand.
- These ad-hoc upgrades have led to poorly designed network architectures that make managing the network difficult, result in traffic bottlenecks, and cause outages on a regular basis.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- In order to combat outages and bottlenecks, organizations must evaluate and reassess their processes, technology, and people to optimize the network in a cost effective and non-disruptive manner.
- Software Defined Networking (SDN) is changing the networking environment. Organizations looking to adopt SDN will need to adopt better network practices, train staff in new skills, and adopt new technology to prepare for the changes SDN will bring.
- The changes this project brings will not be small, one-off changes. Organizations looking to succeed will need to employ proper project management practices in order to overcome obstacles.
Impact and Result
- Maximize your success by defining business goals and aligning network monitoring needs to those goals.
- Create an executable plan by assessing challenges, identifying gaps, and building an implementation road map.
- Prepare for continuous improvement by establishing a baseline for network metrics.
Workshop: Make the Network Invisible by Developing a World Class Network Management Function
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Make the Case for Network Management
The Purpose
- Understand how the optimization of people, proceses, and technology help to create a more robust network.
- Understand the benefits of operating a world class network.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Strong business case that details why organizations need to revisit network management practices.
- Clearly defines network management mission, vision, and responsibilities.
Activities
Outputs
Discuss the importance of network management.
- Table of network management goals for executives, IT, and other departments.
Discuss network management goals.
Build the business case.
Module 2: Assess the Current State
The Purpose
- A comprehensive understanding of your current network management practices.
- Understand the major challenges your organization is facing with respect to people, processes, and technology.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Be able to clearly present your current challenges
- Understand whether your current capability is sufficient to be considered world class network management practices.
Activities
Outputs
Assess current state of people, processes, and technology as they relate to network management practices.
- Detailed list of current practices for people, processes, and technology.
Module 3: Desired Future State
The Purpose
- Understand the keys to a successfully managing a network.
- Outline low level goals of network management for people, processes, and technology.
- Outline supporting technologies for a better network management function.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A better understanding of how people, processes, and technology interact to optimize the way the network is managed.
Activities
Outputs
Outline the goals for the future state of people, processes, and technology.
- Detailed list of goals that outline the organization’s future state of people, processes, and technology.
Module 4: Gap Analysis
The Purpose
- Outline the differences between the current and desired state.
- Detail the steps to remediation for people, processes, and technology.
- Outline the steps to refreshing technology.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Detailed comparison of how network staff, processes, and technology match up against the future networking practices desired for the organization.
Activities
Outputs
Discuss the steps required to meet the future networking state.
- Gap Analysis Report.
Create a network innovation calendar.
- Network innovation calendar.
Module 5: Plan the Transformation
The Purpose
- Outline how to successfully plan the project through creating an action plan and tracking the project.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A detailed guide through the network management improvement project.
Activities
Outputs
Assign project roles.
- List of filled roles to complete the project.
Build an action plan.
- Action plan document.
Detail milestones for the project timeline.
- Project timeline.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 2 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
- Call 1: Optimize processes for an agile network
Remove extraneous steps. Discuss which steps are redundant in your SOPs, which processes need tweaking, and how automation can increase productivity.
- Call 2: Build a business case
Improve network visibility. Discuss the landscape of network management systems, discuss current architecture, discover which solutions are most appropriate for your organization.
Contributors
- VMware
- National Federation of Independent Businesses
- Western University
- Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP
- One organization contributed information to assist with the development of this solution set. Due to the sensitivity of the information, the contributor requested anonymity.
Modernize the Network
Build or Refresh the Wireless LAN
M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations
Enterprise Network Design Considerations
Passwordless Authentication
Network Segmentation
Initiate Your Edge Computing Journey
Evaluate and Select Alternative Network Solutions