Provisioning/User Management System Upgrades: Part II ? Building Awareness And Building Approval

Somewhere in the world is a person who wants to see their provisioning/user management systems get a sorely needed upgrade. But they seem to be getting nowhere.

The technical requirements are unarticulated. Key decisionmakers in the company are not aware this is needed. And the "project" is funded and without resources. How can someone who has the responsibility but not the authority get this upgrade to the next level?

This article will provide practical guidelines on how to build awareness and get funding for a provisioning/user management upgrade. Upgrade is meant to include new hardware and software and also the supporting environment of business processes, roles, organizations, business rules, etc. This discussion will include techniques for overcoming the approval and implementation obstacles detailed in the previous article.

1. Know What You Are In For

Congratulations, you just signed up to become a change agent. They are easy to recognize because they have the arrows in their back! Usually they find their own rewards ? pride of having improving their company's infrastructure against all odds, making new acquaintances along the way, and satisfaction of a job well done.

Note it may take longer that you expected. There will be times of great progress and others of utter despair. Just keep at it and you will achieve your goal. And don't forget to have fun while you are doing it.

2. Document the "AS-IS" Environment

This should include not only the environment but also current metrics for id creation, deletion, changes across business units, and special cases. Great care should be taken in identifying gaps and risks in the current environment.

3. Document the "TO-BE" Environment

Create your own network identity roadmap if one does not exist. Base it on a combination of your own and colleague's ideas, existing company policies and procedures, best practices, consulting think tank recommendations, and whatever else makes sense. Revise it as organizational and vendor realities change. By "setting a line in the sand" with your network identity vision, you will force other to either agree with you or identify their own assumptions, risks, and implementation next steps.

4. Communicate Often

You can never communicate enough about IT infrastructure needs! Use a variety of mechanisms to tell the story such as electronic/printed newsletters, bulletin boards (physical and electronic), web site, blogs, face to face, speaking at department meetings, in-house seminars etc.

There are many things you can communicate ? stories about the unsung heroes and heroines of provisioning and user management, current metrics, appropriate external meetings, webinars, and seminars, the "AS-IS" and "TO-BE" environments, successes at other companies, the unsung heroes and heroines of provisioning and user management, and of course stories illustrating user pain thresholds. Keep the information interesting, educational, and continuous.

5. Leverage Off of Other Company Success Stories

This may some work. Continuously scan the trade magazines and the web for other company success stories. Get the technical and management contact names if possible.

Try to get hold of them. See if both types of contacts are willing to share their key documents with you and how they measured success. Even better, see if you can get them to speak to the corresponding folks at your company (Especially the management contact talking with your management.)

6. Use Vendors and Outside Consultants

Use them to educate your management and technical decisionmakers through webinars, seminars, and on-site meetings. Webinars are appealing because they are usually free, relatively short (typically one hour), can be done from your desktop, provide an opportunity for asking questions and also saving a copy of the presentation.

Outside consultants may be helpful by coming on-site and reinforcing your efforts. This may include a talk on the state of network identity, evaluating your current provisioning/user management strategy, discussing current and future vendor releases etc.

7. Know Your Company's Resources

Once you underway with your effort, you will see people fit into these categories:

• Allies -- These are temporary and permanent employees who approve your general framework of problem diagnosis and proposed resolution. Keep these people best informed of all three categories through informal e-mails, 1 on 1 conversation, "brown bag lunches" and brainstorming sessions. Use them to spread the word when appropriate. Possible candidates are those actually doing provisioning/user management, data management, security, HR, IT, and remote/roaming users.

• Potential Allies ? This type of employees may take some convincing. But once convinced, they are on your side forever. They may need to be convinced through webinars, vendor talks, interfacing with their peers in other companies who have successfully implemented a provisioning/user management system, attending a conference etc. Find out what their objections are and work on overcoming them. Constantly communicate to them about user pain, successes in other companies especially metrics before and after implementation.

• Challenges ? This employee will need the most convincing because of education, financial, emotional, and political concerns. Unfortunately, they are probably your approvers and will likely give you the least amount of time and attention. Your encounters need to be well planned and timed. You should have reached a broad level of consensus and awareness on this issue. The problem and remedy should be clearly defined and documented. It could prove invaluable to read several books or take a course on relationship selling.

Conclusion

You can succeed at getting a provisioning/user management upgrade at your company. It will take a combination of great timing, targeted communications, both "hard" and "soft" skills, and the right people backing you up. Good luck and please write to me about your progress along the way.

For Further Information

Abridean "15 Rules for a Successful User Management and Provisioning Project"

http://www.abridean.com/SubPage.php?parent=experience&child=WhitePapers&grandchild=15R ules

German, Hallett "Project Management for Small/Medium Businesses" (3 articles)

http://mysite.verizon.net/hrgerman/hal/Publications.htm

Heiman, Stephen, Sanchez, Diane, and Tad Tuleja The New Strategic Selling 1998 Warner Book

Microsoft "The Provisioning Challenge" http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/mps/challenge.asp

About The Author

Hallett German (hallett.german@alessea.com) is president of Alessea Consulting (www.alessea.com) specializing in Identity Management, Project Management, and Business Development. Copyright 2004 Alessea Consulting All Rights Reserved

---

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Competition versus Collaboration

There is much confusion as to whether competition or collaboration is most beneficial to creativity and innovation. Though there are negatives to collaboration and it is not easy separating the effects of time... Read More

Team Motivation - Tough Enough to Care

Sir Alex Ferguson has just celebrated his 1000 game in charge of Manchester United, probably the world's most successful soccer team.I have a great deal of respect for Sir Alex as a man... Read More

Recruitment - Do You Know What Youre Looking For?

The time will come when you'll need to interview someone to join your business or your existing team. If you work in a large organisation then this could be someone from inside the... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations

Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing creativity and innovation into their day-to-day work processes and people. Leaders may want to capture the benefits of creativity and innovation, yet there... Read More

Sexual Harassment Policy Guidelines Part I

Sexual Harassment Policy Guidelines ? Part IPermission is hereby granted to modify and use the information in this draft sexual harassment guideline, provided you include reference to the author as shown at the... Read More

Getting Your Employees Attention Back to Work

It is 9:00 am on a Monday morning. Do you know where your employees' attention is? Is it on work?Picture this. You are at work. The phone rings. It is your aging father's... Read More

The Golden Key to Meeting Success

We all attend many meetings. I'm sure you have been to some great meetings and some poor ones. Unfortunately for everyone I've ever talked to, the number of poor ones far outweighs the... Read More

Allowing Employees Responsibility

Merely assigning a task with detailed instructions is not effective delegation. An employee cannot grow without the freedom to make decisions on how the job should be done. Managers must also be aware... Read More

Deciding What to Delegate

DECIDING WHAT TO DELEGATE: Once the benefits of delegation are established and obstacles removed, the next step in the delegation process is to decide what work can and should be delegated. In general,... Read More

Time Management Tips for Managers

Late last year I was presenting a workshop for the senior managers of a major organisation. Whilst doing a pre-workshop survey to assess the challenges these managers were experiencing it became very apparent... Read More

4 Tips on How to Avoid Communication Lines Breakdown

For example, in a small, two-person company, there is often the greatest opportunity for direct conversation and discussion throughout the day. There are only two possibilities for verbal communication and it's usually quick,... Read More

Strategic Clarity for Communication Management

Over the past few weeks I've been developing plans for a communication project, a media relations campaign.That's prompted me to reflect again on the communication management process by which we transform communication ideas... Read More

Culture Management and Creativity

Many concepts in the fields of managing creativity are very much applicable to culture management in general. The same concepts that foster creativity and innovation also maximise human capital potential, increase productivity, reduce... Read More

Try It Out On Your Team First

Wow! You're brilliant! You have a great idea. You've looked at it every possible way to find holes in your logic, fallacies in your assumptions. You know it will work and you can't... Read More

Give Yourself a Boss Day Gift, Part 2: Are You the Position or the Person?

Are you the position or the person?Bosses can lose their own identity sometimes. It's easy. It happens a lot. The results are devastating to both the workers and to the supervisor.When we are... Read More

Managing the Human Resource Project

We obtain strategic results by aligning HR mission, vision and values. The following overview highlights a macro approach to project management. Seeking a stretch assignment, such as ownership of a major corporate HR... Read More

Cold Water Comments - What They Are and How to Manage Them!

Cold Water Comments - What They Are and How to Manage Them! Cold Water Comments are those comments, phrases and ideas that are meant to discourage, disparage, discredit and generally douse your ideas!... Read More

Retaining An Expert -- What Every Business Owner Needs To Know

As an entrepreneur, hiring an expert can be one of the most efficient ways to turbo-charge your business. However, thousands of consultants flood the Information Highway, and each one promises to positively impact... Read More

Five Defining Characteristics of Great CEOs

1. Personal insight. Great CEOs are great leaders. They know themselves and what they stand for. They have been called on all their lives as problem solvers because others know them to be... Read More

Internal Control - The Why and How

Many retailers do not have good internal controls in place and place little importance on them. They are concerned with the buying and selling of merchandise and do not place enough emphasis on... Read More

Juggling Demands in an Organization

JUGGLING DEMANDS: All leaders constantly juggle a multifarious array of demands from those of their organization, employees, and themselves. Good leaders, never drop one demand at the expense of another equally important requirement.... Read More

Lean Principles in Action

AbstractThe electrical products industry is one characterized by fierce competition, declining margins, and legislative regulations, all that have forced the majority of electrical product manufacturers to rethink their business models. This article describes... Read More

Four Steps to Better Performance Reviews

Direct reports-people who need direction and leadership-rely on their leaders to give them feedback and mentoring, not just management and evaluations. However, these people who most need their boss's help frequently lack the... Read More

Sweet Parting Of Ways

Why settle for bad feelings when your employee leaves the firm? Human resource managers can help to sweeten the occasion during the exit interview, and get valuable information to help the company in... Read More

Making Meetings Work

We have all attended meetings that were boring, mindless and profoundly ineffective. Meetings don't have to be a waste of time. Rather, they can be productive if the leader or chairperson practices these... Read More

Effective Multi Cultural International Business Meetings

Of the many areas in international business where cultural differences manifest is in the corporate meeting room. International meetings are an area where differences in cultural values, etiquette, interpretations of professional conduct and... Read More

Unlock the Hidden Creativity of Your Employees

To release creativity in employees, managers must get involved in their employees' work. Look at each employee as if he or she is the expert on the job and tap into their creative... Read More

Manage or Lead ? Why the Difference Matters and What to Do About That Difference

Many books have been written about managing people, and an equally large number have been written about leadership. Some use the words manage and lead interchangeably, and some talk about the differences between... Read More

Balance Your Managerial Life

We have only one life, but we live in three overlapping worlds-our business world, our family world, and our other social world. Imagine bringing your spouse and kids to a meeting with seven... Read More