Strategic Planning | Service Management | Solution Delivery
Smart Solutions
Strategic Planning
Infrassistance is committed to helping organisations deliver cost effective, infrastructure solutions and services that balance short and long-term business needs.
Technical Strategy and Architecture Development
An effective IT technical strategy must always be aligned with business objectives and goals. Infrassistance works with organisations to extract explicit and implicit business drivers to develop the IT strategy and architecture, and implementation roadmap. Infrassistance establishes governance structures to support the delivery of solutions, control expenditure, communication and mitigate business risks inherent in IT.
IT Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Corporate governance regulations such as The Combined Code, The Basle II Accord, and The Sarbanes-Oxley Act are increasingly focusing attention on IT systems as a source of business risk. Infrassistance helps organisations respond to this challenge by developing effective Business Continuity and IT Disaster Recovery strategies that support primary business objectives.
Infrassistance Infrastructure Maturity Model (I²M²)
Maturity models are an established method of measuring and improving IT service management. The Infrassistance Company’s “Infrassistance Infrastructure Maturity Model” (I²M²), is a tool which can assist organisations measure, analyse and improve their IT Infrastructure processes. It is a hybrid based around industry best practice and real world experience. It is a simple tool used to measure the current level of maturity of the Infrastructure environment and identifies key areas for improvement.
I²M² leverages the Reference Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (CobiT) and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), but is less formal (therefore less bureaucratic) and provides faster benefits delivery with less investment required. It also provides the basis for implementing a CobiT or ITIL code of practice at a later stage if a more formal maturity model is required for business reasons.
Infrassistance have developed I²M² as a best practice model, the core is based around the maturity of IT Infrastructure management processes. It identifies 5 stages of maturity and the underlying processes required to achieve that level of maturity. There are no absolutes, and each organisation needs to consider the appropriate maturity levels for them at any particular point in time. Size and complexity of an organisation are typical pointers to the need for mature Infrastructure processes, as are organisations that expose their IT directly to their clients. Such organisations need very high levels of consistent delivery, which can only be achieved by a mature IT organisation. Each organisation will have their own optimal level of maturity, based on factors such as organisation size, complexity and criticality of IT to their business model.
Overview of I²M² Levels:
| I²M² | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
| Area | Unmanaged | Reactive | Proactive | Actively Managed | Business Aligned |
| Governance | No effective steering group | Steering group meets on adhoc basis Best endeavours Basic monitoring & alerting Some reporting |
Steering group meets on regular basis Steering group contains senior business representatives Steering group agrees priorities |
Costs understood and actively managed Sub groups report to steering group |
Infrastructure adds commercial value Business and IT processes aligned |
| Organisation | Roles not defined | Clear roles and responsibilities | Efficient team working | Shape of organisation continuously reviewed | Organisation aligned to business needs |
| Processes | Few processes | Incomplete processes | Basic ITIL processes Simplistic Asset Management Change Management Capacity Monitoring |
ITIL fully implemented Configuration Management Capacity Planning |
Continuous improvement |
| Architecture | None | Made up as you go along Technology per application Limited reuse |
Infrastructure strategy documented Tools Automation Performance Monitoring |
Agreed & funded infrastructure strategy TCO fully understood Retirement strategy |
Infrastructure strategy is directly derived from business strategy Infrastructure capable of delivering any business initiative |
| Technology | Undocumented Few standards |
Approval to buy none standard kit required | Technology road-map Standard products and technologies documented Sign off by TDA |
Metrics measured Test environments available |
|
| Security | Unaware No security policy |
Security Policy documented but not actively enforced Security Officer role |
Security policy enforced Regular security audits Security designed into new projects |
Intrusion detection Penetration tests External Audits BS7799 or equivalent |
Risks understood and appropriate mitigations taken |
| Resources & Suppliers | Chaotic | Resources allocated based on urgency not business priority | Future resource requirements understood Basic supplier monitoring |
Effective supplier management | Supplier partnerships |
| Services | Inconsistent delivery | Repeat problems SLA Problem Management Effective Helpdesk service |
SLM & reporting | BSM of one or more key processes | Full BSM Services not products |
Case Studies are available for download here
Service Management
Many IT managers now spend more time in commercially oriented roles determining how to source their infrastructure and manage external and internal suppliers more effectively. We offer IT managers specialist support in:
Service Management Processes
Many IT service delivery issues can be traced to human factors. Infrassistance works with organisations to review key policies, processes and procedures to improve infrastructure and application service delivery.
Service Measurement
Traditionally, service performance has been tracked through Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which have major limitations in terms of encouraging correct behaviours in suppliers. Infrassistance helps organisations adopt a complementary, more rigorous measuring system based on the use of a company-specific IT-oriented Balanced Scorecard. This system operates alongside existing SLAs and provides a more sophisticated overview of the effectiveness of an organisation’s IT services and service providers.
Operational Support and Guidance
Organisations are increasingly appointing managers with skills and expertise from other areas of business to manage the IT function. Infrassistance provides a tailored support service for individuals or teams who are new to the technology environment, which includes interim management if required. This service enables managers to consolidate their talents and rapidly expand their IT knowledge base while ensuring that strategic decisions are aligned with business objectives, and tactical initiatives remain consistent with best practice.
Outsourcing Strategy and Approach
Infrassistance consultants work with IT managers to define their business and IT strategic drivers and relate them to the Infrastructure service needs and sourcing strategies – whether insourced or outsourced.
Outsourcing and Service Procurement
Infrassistance support IT managers by defining effective budgets, preparing specifications and tenders, evaluating suppliers and then selecting from the available sourcing options, negotiating contracts and managing transition to the new sourcing environment.
Service Transition
Introducing new services and systems into already complex environments demands careful planning and management. Infrassistance consultants have a wealth of experience in developing migration strategies that successfully manage the introduction of new or changing IT services, either as part of transformation and outsourcing exercise or as part of developing new services in an insourced environment.
Case Studies are available for download here
Solution Delivery
Infrassistance produces innovative, business aligned, and cost effective infrastructure designs, inline with agreed IT strategies where appropriate. Availability, performance and security are considered fundamental to our infrastructure designs. We ensure our clients fully understand and visualise the dimensions and capability of the final solution.
Infrastructure Design
Infrassistance helps businesses streamline their infrastructure by removal of unnecessary duplication of infrastructure and obsolete technology. By aligning an organisation’s infrastructure with business needs, companies can rapidly scale solutions and take advantage of cost savings, improved service, faster application delivery and future-proofed investments. Our accredited team has an impressive track record in successfully designing large-scale architecture solutions, encompassing everything from desk-top to server to mainframe and data centre technologies.
Technology Evaluation
Infrassistance carries out technology evaluation and proof of concept projects to build confidence in the recommended design and reduce risk prior to further commitment. Infrasisstance creates innovative solutions using both new and existing technologies.
Solution Implementation
Infrassistance offers the capability of delivering the full inception to implementation and operational transition. Infrassistance has a track record of consistently delivering working solutions to agreed timescales and budgets. Projects range from full datacentre implementation to wide area network deployment and desktop rollouts. Infrassistance carries out risk and vulnerability assessments to analyse potential non-availability of essential IT infrastructure and recommends an appropriate mitigation stragegy.
Project and Programme Management
The successful delivery of IT infrastructure projects is very much dependent on a structured and consistent approach to project management. Our accredited team has an impressive track record in successfully delivering large-scale and complex infrastructure projects.
Project and Programme Audit
Infrassistance carries out troubleshooting audits on infrastructure projects and programmes that are failing to deliver benefit. Our consultants get projects back on track rapidly by using proven best practice techniques.
Case Studies are available for download here