Enterprise Application Management: How to Evaluate an Outsourcing Partnership - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Enterprise Application Management: How to Evaluate an Outsourcing Partnership

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A greater number of companies today are turning to service providers for enterprise application management. Why? Outsourcing promotes innovation and optimization of the application environment…but only if you work with the right partner and you streamline internal IT processes. For more information about Enterprise Application Management, visit today. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Enterprise Application Management: How to Evaluate an Outsourcing Partnership


1
Enterprise Application Management
  • How to Evaluate an Outsourcing Partnership

2
Enterprise Application Management
  • A greater number of companies today are turning
    to service providers for enterprise application
    management.
  • Outsourcing promotes innovation and optimization
    of the application environment but only if you
    work with the right partner and you streamline
    internal IT processes.
  • According to Forresters Services Sourcing
    Playbook, organizations must maintain effective
    project management and internal process
    consistency.

3
Enterprise Application Management
  • The key to a successful outsourcing relationship
    starts with improving internal processes, then
    selecting the right enterprise application
    management provider.
  • To determine if youve found the best fit and to
    identify any provider or internal weaknesses
    before you commit to a long-term contract,
    Forrester recommends you collect the following
    information

4
Enterprise Application Management
  • Project management track record.
  • When considering outsourcing enterprise
    application management, companies need to
    evaluate how a provider performs project
    management functions.
  • You need to ask what percentage of complex IT
    projects were delivered within established time
    and cost parameters.
  • A high percentage indicates a competent provider
    that can accurately manage project scope.
  • If the outsourcing providers record isnt as
    strong as it should be, you may have to spend
    time and money reworking projects.
  • Project management expertise.
  • You want to evaluate the backgrounds of the
    enterprise application management providers
    staff.
  • For example, you should find out what
    percentage of the staff is PMI-certified.
  • Expert project management is necessary to
    successfully manage IT projects and resources.
    You also want to know the percentage of projects
    managed through a central program management
    office, or PMO. PMOs ensure consistency and
    quality.

5
Enterprise Application Management
  • Communication and collaboration tools.
  • Distributed projects rely on content sharing
    tools, real-time communications and advanced
    workflows.
  • If the provider relies on manual processes, you
    risk decreased efficiency in enterprise
    application management.
  • To promote the best possible working
    relationship, you should carefully evaluate how a
    service provider will work with your staff.
  • Standardized internal processes.
  • A service provider has to understand and
    accommodate your companys numerous processes.
  • Its much easier if your organization follows a
    single standardized development and maintenance
    process that the outsourcer already has
    established.
  • Be sure to ask for and evaluate the providers
    SSAE 16 audit report for confirmation that they
    create and follow appropriate processes and
    procedures.

6
Enterprise Application Management
  • Managing to SLAs.
  • Service-level agreements (SLAs) ensure
    outsourcing providers meet their obligations and
    service commitments.
  • They establish mutual responsibility.
  • Companies currently using SLAs, or that have
    experience with them, will be better positioned
    to establish meaningful parameters with the
    enterprise application management provider.
  • User acceptance testing.
  • An organization should have a formal internal
    approval process for delivery of projects.
  • Prior to approval, users typically participate in
    acceptance testing. This type of process is
    essential to outsourcing relationships.
  • When working with a service provider, a company
    must be able to accept systems or changes prior
    to production.

7
Enterprise Application Management
  • Its not just the outsourcing providers
    qualifications that must be carefully measured.
  • Companies must evaluate their own internal
    processes and improve them as needed to help an
    enterprise application management partnership
    succeed.
  •  
  • Too often organizations focus only on the service
    providers capabilities. Although this is a
    critical component of the overall analysis, you
    cant forget to look inward.
  • Maximum value can be derived from an outsourcing
    partnership when companies improve their internal
    IT processes.
  •  

8
Enterprise Application Management
  • OneNecks enterprise application management team
    is dedicated to maintaining applications in a
    configuration optimized to meet each customers
    specific needs.
  • To ensure optimal system performance and
    availability, the application administrators work
    closely with the database and operating system
    administrators to proactively monitor and tune
    each system.
  • OneNeck supports top tier ERP applications such
    as Oracle, JD Edwards, Baan, Microsoft Dynamics
    AX and more.

9
About the Author
Chuck Vermillion is CEO and founder of OneNeck IT
Services, a leading provider of hosted
application management and managed services since
1997.
For more information about Enterprise
Application Management, visit http//www.oneneck.c
om today.
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