Manage business requirements in multiple database environments (II) (1)

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4. Impact of Business Management on IT

The challenges facing IT-driven business development must be addressed in four basic contradictions. Contradictions in these businesses require a set of process strategies to meet the needs of the entire company. The commercialization of software tools has a mixed effect.

These contradictions include:

◆ Optimize solutions and integrated solutions.
◆ In-depth and platform-related knowledge and in-depth and cross-platform job-related knowledge.
◆ Defense and cooperation issues ).
◆ Requirements for maximizing the value of senior employees and maintaining normal availability time and maintaining SLA.
◆ Due to the constant transformation of technology applications from internal departments to business end users-even paying customers, the characteristics of the technology itself will bring potential pressure to the entire company.

4.1. Optimization and integration suite

(1) Optimization
The optimization concept of technology management usually involves multiple solutions. Although each of these solutions may come from different vendors, it is better to execute a specific task than to provide a suite of tools from one vendor. The advantage of optimization is that the company can remedy special technical problems most effectively. However, the disadvantage is that completely different solutions mean taking risks during Integration, and the implementation and maintenance are often very time-consuming.

The optimization solution focuses on the end user experience, provides specific, targeted features, and best technical practices based on business processes. The CRM solution is a good example: functionality is designed for sales representatives rather than administrators. In this case, the business process is the sales process.

Many end users think that the optimization solution is to solve specific and daily business problems related to direct business needs. In a commercialized environment, it is increasingly difficult for these tools to continue to fulfill their business commitment to reduce TCO and to maximize the value of superior technology.
The optimization solution tends to have a higher TCO because of the wide range of integration and high upgrade costs throughout the lifecycle of the solution. However, with specific end-user-oriented features that support more effective business activities, you can usually get a generous ROI.

(2) integrated solution
One option is to implement the main integration suite that provides a series of reliable basic functions, but usually at the cost of a specific end user. This is the charm of commercialization. Solutions with sufficient functionality and low cost or free of charge make it easier for enterprises to standardize their technology. These large-scale kits can reduce risks and costs associated with integration implementation, but these solutions usually require work areas and changes to maximize value. However, at the enterprise level, integration solutions are becoming the first choice because they can meet different needs of multiple business units.

For themselves, these solutions may not take advantage of performance, functionality, or efficiency. However, it is an absolute advantage that a business can rely on a vendor to implement a comprehensive technical solution that can quickly meet various business needs. Although a large-scale integration suite may not provide the target features provided by optimization with the other Party, they can help enterprises avoid high costs and risks associated with optimization implementation. Integration kits often contain the impact of a single vendor and few integration problems, resulting in a lower total TCO.

Ideally, an integration suite also has the features of an optimization solution. The perfect solution is an integrated suite from a vendor, which is the best among the various categories of the suite and can demonstrate the value of commercialization to bring lower TCO to the customer.

4.2. In-depth and platform-related knowledge and in-depth job-related knowledge across multiple platforms

Apart from the conflict between optimization and integration suite solutions, the development of IT architecture requires fundamental changes, that is, skills must be distributed across IT organizations.

(1) in-depth and platform-related knowledge

Traditionally, technology in the IT field has been focused on vertical development. To address specific technical challenges in normal business operations, DBAs or developers have been encouraged to "go deeper" in a field such as IBM database skills ". This method is effective in N-layer environments because different components in the Organization are completely different, and these components can also be managed using some specialized skills.

As the differences between multiple layers become blurred, specialized IT staff cannot use a single technology to manage complex and correlated IT environments. Therefore, IT practitioners and managers cannot rely on vertical skills to think about problems.

Cross-training is not feasible. IT seems impossible to change DBA into IT talent. The main task is database, followed by network management. Alternatively, it is unrealistic to try to train application developers with database management technologies. Skill transfer is not easy.

(2) in-depth cross-platform job-related knowledge
One of the best options is to determine a stage where DBA or application developers hone their work-related skills relative to the platform, it also determines which skills can be converted at the vertical level of the same general technology. For example, using the appropriate tool suite, DBAs good at ORACLE space management can also apply their experience and skills to other RDBMS platforms, such as IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, or MySQL. This represents the expansion of specific skills, and the previous trend is to develop in depth.

4.3 isolated IT problem solutions and cross-function cooperation

Although IT organizations have begun to look for workflows that can meet broader technical specifications, such as DBA, Network Administrator, application developers, and other IT professionals, they must develop and encourage cooperation. Through collaboration, IT professionals can develop from "not my problem" to solving problems together. The key lies in the adoption of the process to the goal that is conducive to the business. For example, to solve Application Problems, DBA must communicate with application developers and system administrators to understand the interaction between databases and other architecture components. Best practices start to require organizations to adopt tools that can engage in such conversations. This tool can accurately describe the problem and provide a solution to prevent "War Room" scenarios.

Without cross-functional collaboration, DBAs often solve problems in an isolated way, such:

1) Problems
2) implement initial diagnosis
3) Transfer the question to a specific team based on specific skills:
A) Application Development
B) Database Management
C) Hardware/Infrastructure
4) The team tries to determine the solution to the problem.
5) The team solves the problem, records the problem in the tracking system, and transfers it to the next challenge.

Due to the limited functions of this organization, the "war room" phenomenon began to emerge. Representatives from different technical fields gathered to try to identify the root cause of the problem. Unfortunately, this usually turns into a defensive mentality drill. The focus of team members is "I am right" rather than solving the problem.