Business Mapping TechKNOWvatioN 

The Business Mapping TechKNOWvatioN deals with the processes and practices needed to map the user community's business and functionality requirements to the technologies needed to deliver those requirements. This TechKNOWvatioN deals with all aspects of the computing environment, including communications, network access, application access, host access, security, and peripherals.

Business Mapping takes a long term view when trying to meet user requirements. A proactive TechKNOWvatioN, Business Mapping focuses on how the IT organization works with the user community rather than being driven by users in a reactive manner.

• Strategic Planning TechKNOWvatioN Service

The Strategic Planning TechKNOWvatioN Service is the set of services that identifies new and significant technologies for an organization. Strategic Planning is concerned with identifying needs and requirements of the user community that can be addressed with distributed computing technology. It tends to have a long term focus and be strategic (not tactical) in nature. Strategic Planning involves close cooperation and coordination with both the IT and user community.

• Operational Assessment Element

The Operational Assessment Element is the service that determines the current capabilities of an IT organization for the purpose of developing a baseline for the present mode of operations. This element tends to look at the whole IT organization to determine “where we are today” in order to help the IT organization determine IT strategy for the organization.

• Visioning

The Visioning Element is the service that establishes the Mission, Vision, and Values for the IT organization. This element helps determine critical objectives, and establish metrics for the IT organization based on current business requirements.

• Requirements Analysis

The Requirements Analysis Element is the service that determines the needs and requirements for the user community that can be addressed by the IT organization with distributed computing technology. This element involves working closely with the user community to determine what the current and future business requirements will be.

• Project Management TechKNOWvatioN Service

The Project Management TechKNOWvatioN Service is the set of services that determines how projects are implemented within the IT organization. Project Management is concerned with defining, planning, monitoring, and evaluating IT projects being done for or with the user community. Project Management focuses on the methodology and life cycle model that will be used, the “what” and “how”, not on the actual implementation of a specific project.

• Project Definition

The Project Definition Element is the service that defines the scope, objectives and resource requirements of a project. It focuses on how projects get scoped, how objectives are determined and how resource requirements are specified.

• Project Planning

The Project Planning Element is the service that plans, schedules, and assigns responsibilities for a project. It focuses on how projects are planned and scheduled and which tools are used to perform these tasks.

• Project Monitoring

The Project Monitoring Element is the service that monitors, controls, and modifies projects. It focuses on how project monitoring is done, how changes to projects are done and which tools are used to perform these tasks.

• Project Evaluation

The Project Evaluation Element is the service that evaluates the performance of a project and the people involved with the project. It focuses on how projects and people involved with those projects are reviewed, and the tools used to perform these tasks.

• Communications TechKNOWvatioN Service

The Communications TechKNOWvatioN Service is the set of services that establishes mechanisms used by the IT organization for communicating information to and getting information from the users of a technically complex environment. Communication is concerned with disseminating information to the user community and gathering information from the user community. This TechKNOWvatioN Service is the mouth, eyes, and ears of the IT organization. The Communication TechKNOWvatioN Service focuses on tactical communication with the user organization.

• User Communication

The User Communication Element is the service that communicates information to the users of a technically complex environment. User Communication is concerned with keeping the user community informed of new and significant changes to the functionality of the environment. System upgrades, installation of new applications, upgrades to current applications, and planned outages are examples of changes that might be communicated. Communication primarily flows from the IT organization to the user community. This is the mouth of the IT organization.

• User Feedback

The User Feedback Element is the service that obtains information from the users of a technically complex environment. User Feedback is concerned with listening to the user community to determine what their functionality requirements are, and how well the IT organization is satisfying those requirements. Communication primarily flows from the user community to the IT organization. This is the eyes and ears of the IT organization.

• Operational Reviews

The Operational Reviews Element is the service that reviews the IT organizations operational activities with the users of that service on a regular basis to determine how well service levels are being met. These typically take the form of weekly status review, or monthly site reviews.