Service Manager 7.1: Migrate vs. Re-implement
June 29, 2009
Migrate? Re-implement? Upgrade?
Service Manager 7.1 is the latest release of the ServiceCenter line. Both internally and externally, there are many structural changes in Service Manager. If you have previously been on ServiceCenter and used its’ proprietary P4 database, the P4 database does not exist in any form on Service Manager.
The choice and the decision to re-implement reside with the business. However, there may be factors that will sway an organization from one side to the other.
Choosing the Path Right for You
Look at the age of your original implementation.
Has your application been repeatedly ported from one version of ServiceCenter to another and now you are finally looking at Service Manager? If your organization is upgrading to Service Manager from a version older than ServiceCenter 6.x, there may be huge benefits to gain from a re-implementation. With each release, the base implementation is improved and continually aligned with ITIL. There are also many backend infrastructural improvements that occur from release to release.
Look at the business processes that support your implementation.
While those processes may have been first class when you first implemented your Service Management solution, do they still support your organization as desired? Have you gone through and re-designed your processes to align them within the ITIL framework? Has your tool taken over driving your business processes because the implementation is too complex? Does your solution support the entire enterprise or just one portion of the users within your organization?
If you answered “No” to any of these questions, your organization would benefit from a structural re-alignment of the business, business processes and the tool.
Now what?
The first step is to document your business processes. Determine the required inputs and outputs of each step, required controls and the data collection necessary to support those processes. These business process realignments do not require access to a Service Management solution. (It’s a good idea to review and align those processes with ITIL recommendations as well.)
After you have documented the business process, the next step is to overlay that process over the out of box modules. Is there a significant amount of common ground? Or, are there significant differences?
What are the benefits of re-implementing?
Many times, there are efficiencies that can be gained from moving to a newer out-of-box image of the application and building custom extensions onto that image. You gain the full benefit of the newer code, a clean system, and a well implemented system. If your system is very old, chances are that there are newer, better ways to implement some of the existing functionality. Also, there is probably existing code that is no longer utilized and is still in the system.
By re-implementing, you also have an opportunity to re-use existing out of the box fields and processes that can help support your business. You may be able to simplify some confusing and complex portions of your system and make them more user-friendly as well.
Are there any challenges to re-implementing?
A re-implementation is not without some pain. There are changes that the organization has to feel. There are changes in training and implementation. If you need to bring over existing data, there is an effort involved in that process. What results from that effort though is a clean, streamlined system that supports your organization and your business processes and that is built on a new, stronger framework.
What about a migration?
Likewise, if you do wish to migrate your system as-is, there are efforts with that as well. The underlying framework (applications) changes with each release. There is a good likelihood that something that worked in a prior release may or may not work the same way in the new release.
Depending on your customizations, you may not gain the full benefit of some out of box extensions that have been coded to make your life easier. Due to changes in the way that forms are displayed, you may have to make significant changes to your existing forms in order to implement them successfully. There are fewer training and reporting efforts by migrating. Be aware that a migration effort may not be as simple as upgrading a few applications and pushing a button.
Considering your Options
Whether you decide to re-implement or to migrate your application to Service Manager, there is no better time than now to take a look at the best and worst parts of your system and your business processes. Be honest. Re-evaluate each piece. Document what works and what doesn’t. Look at what is provided out of box. While an out of box application is not designed to be a single solution for all organizations, look at the out of box fields and examine how you could make some of those fields work for you.
~Kim Euker, StrataCom
For a free consultation regarding a migration to or implementation of Service Manager, please contact Laura Walker at StrataCom, a Hewlett Packard partner organization focused solely on the Service Manager user community.
Laura Walker Director of Business Development 701.232.5697 ext 27 lwalker@stratacominc.com
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