Improving IT Service using Lean Principles
Service strategy, design, architecture, requirements, financials, procurement, transition, operations, and including continual service improvement – in complex multi vendor environments involving in-sourcing, outsourcing, multi-sourcing, or service aggregation
Large enterprises, complexity, multiple suppliers, demanding customers, simplification, transformation, clarity, control, performance, cost service, new systems
Setting up and transitioning service desks, reviewing, improving or designing process, workflow & interlocks, incident management, major incident management, after hours support, VIP support, security incident management, request fulfillment, price-book, change management, release management, availability management, capacity management, SLAs, reporting & metrics, vendor management, and financial management.
Customer Assignments: Spark Digital (Contact Energy), Ministry of Education, NZ Transport Agency, Vodafone (IRD & MBIE), Fronde, Gen-i (CBA Australia), ANZ Bank, Transpower, NZ Racing Board, ACC and others
SERVICE CATALOG: The Service Business Life Cycle
I use this model to understand which aspect of your service delivery needs to addressed, to get to where you want to be...
The activities and elements that need to be in place to set up and run an effective & successful service delivery & support organisation.
0. Business Philosophy, strategy & drivers
Business case, business plan, overall strategy & model
1. Initiation
Location, hiring, infrastructure, core systems, processes
2. Technology
Tools, support platform, call logging, telephony, call routing, multi-channel support
3. People
Effective teams, appraisals, goal setting, compensation, incentives, rewards, rostering, career planning & growth, retention, succession planning, knowledge management, training & development, team dynamics & staff morale, energising, transforming & invigorating the team, internal comms
4. Customer
Segmentation, relationship, key accounts, customer communications, new customer onboarding, customer satisfaction benchmarking, measurement, improvement, proactive service, escalations, intensive care, reference customers, marketing communications, customer loyalty, user groups
5. Finance
Billing, renewals, retention, budgeting, forecasting, new business dev, new offerings, support & service programs, service & support models, contracts, grand-fathering & retiring old versions and superseded contracts, (multi)-vendor & alliance management
6. Operations
Reporting, KPIs, scorecards, capacity planning, escalations, critical situations, call flow models, service delivery, continual improvement, alliances, external providers, offshore providers, 3rd level support, organisational readiness for new products, versions & releases, 24 hr support
7. Excellence
Customer satisfaction measurement, benchmarking & improvement, matrixed organisations, local vs global, ITIL, Lean, ISO20000, frameworks, standards
8. Mergers, Acquisition, Exit
Integration of operations on account of mergers & acquisitions, divestitures & spinoffs, exits
SERVICE 1: IT Service Management Consulting
Current state evaluation, future state development, identify gaps, develop requirements, create RFI/RFP, perform evaluation, selection, contract negotiations, SLAs, project management, business analysis, implementation, transition, handover to BAU
Resulting in improved processes, improved customer satisfaction and higher staff engagement
Consulting, Project Management, Business Analysis
Covering:
Business Outcomes:
Typical Artifacts:
IT Service delivery, service management, supplier management, performance management, future state model, requirements, procurement, SLAs, selection, implementation, transition, handover to BAU, process improvement, optimisation
Their problems - similar to yours?
Some real customer pain points ...
The service delivery is not working for us, what should we do
We have two distinct service management models, how do we integrate them
We are moving to a new supplier, what should we want
We need to quickly establish credibility with a demanding new customer can you help us
We are negotiating a contract, we need someone who understands service management & procurement
Our service delivery needs improvement, can you perform a maturity assessment and help us improve
Our customer is in intensive care, can you help in recovery
Our auditors have identified process shortcomings; can you help us resolve them
We are rolling out new technical solutions to our clients all the time, every day, we need them to be handed over to BAU support in an orderly manner please !
Our customers satisfaction needs to be improved, can we look at our processes
SERVICE 2: LeanIT Operations
If you are already using Agile & Scrum, you may want to improve your BAU IT Processes using Lean Principles
Training & Coaching for organisations interested in applying Lean Principles to improve their operations
Lean – LeanIT – LeanITSM – ISO 20000 – ISO/IEC20000 – ITIL – ITSM – Training – Lean Training – Quality – Improvement – Customer Satisfaction – Continual Service Improvement
Improve your Customer Satisfaction.
Apply Lean Principles & Techniques to your IT Processes and bring the ITIL Framework, the ISO/IEC 20000 Standard & Continual Service Improvement together.
These courses are easily translated to meet your requirements particularly if you are providing services in sectors such as banking & finance, utilities, telecommunications, healthcare or government
Courses can be modified to suit your particular industry or requirements. Course 3 is best run as a workshop. Course durations indicative.
Many organisations well down the path of having “done” ITIL are still wondering why the benefits they sought are still not delivered.
ITIL provides a framework of processes and functions that need to be in place. These need to be applied pragmatically depending on the maturity of the organisation.
This series of courses will introduce you to the origins of Lean Thinking, introduce you to Lean Principles and Concepts, will go into Lean Techniques, will show you how to use them in real life, will outline the steps you and your organisation need to take to undertake the Lean Journey, and show you how to bring the ITIL Framework, the ISO 20000 Standard and Continual Service Improvement together – to improve your processes, to improve your customer satisfaction, and improve your staff engagement.
The course will provide you time to think about who your customers are, what are the touch points, identify problem areas and take away enough knowledge, tools & techniques to go back to your work place to start on your journey.
SERVICE 3: Growth Hacking, Disruption, Innovation & Lean Startup
Using Lean Startup Principles, the Lean Startup Canvas, and some real life business experience to drive business growth
Here are some of the accelerators & start-ups I work with;
Question: is your enterprise ready for growth hacking ?
Business Innovation Strategies, business startup advice, entrepreneur, ideas for business growth strategies, lean innovation thinking, lean startup business model, Lean startup methodologies, Lean Startup Methodology, lean thinking, lean training nz, minimal viable product, Minimum viable product, new business innovation, New Zealand startup, startups
R9 Accelerator is a govtech accelerator. Teams of innovators develop products and services that make it easier for people to interact with New Zealand government.
Problem: Simplify the final affair(Department of Internal Affairs) - Help reduce the administrative burden and stress placed on others when a loved one dies.
A three-month business growth programme powered by New Zealand’s premier startup accelerator brand, Lightning Lab.
This programme is designed to help FinTech companies compete on a global scale.
Eight teams have been accepted, gaining access to NZ’s largest network of financial services experts and a high-quality pool of startup mentors.
Teams will work directly with Kiwibank, Xero and other financial industry partners.
R9 Accelerator v2.0
Problem: People new to the country often don’t have access to networks. MiBiz is a platform to help New Zealanders overcome common hurdles when starting a business by assessing where they’re at and linking them with appropriate local industry experts and service providers.
Startup Weekend is where startup enthusiasts get together to form new businesses in a 54-hour marathon of inspiration, perspiration, collaboration, and fun
What can you do in 54 hours? Share ideas, meet a team, and be mentored by the industry's finest at Startup Weekend Wellington; where you’ll find the tools to design and build a new product, service or business in the space of a single, fast-paced weekend.
Tap into Wellington’s startup community for a high-energy weekend you won’t forget.
Course 1: Introduction to Lean
Duration: 1 Day
Course Contents:
Course 2: Hands-On Application of Lean Techniques to IT Service Management Processes
Duration: 1 Day
Course Contents:
Course 3: Leading & Implementing Lean to Improve Customer Satisfaction
Lean Techniques to bring together the ITIL Framework, ISO 20000 and Continual Service Improvement to Improve Customer Satisfaction
Duration: 1 Day
Course Contents:
Courses can be modified to suit your particular industry or requirements. Course 3 is best run as a workshop. Course durations are indicative.
CASE STUDY ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL IT SERVICE PROVIDER
BOOK: Strategic Lean Service
... a business case study of how a global IT service delivery organisation used Lean to drive organisational transformation and achieve customer satisfaction
Strategic Lean Service
A case study of how a global IT service delivery organisation used Lean to drive organisational transformation and achieve customer satisfaction
Robert Oh & Sunit Prakash
In the Press
Selection of published articles and guest blogs including CIO NZ, Institute of IT Professionals Techblog, NZ Institute of Director's BoardRoom, ComputerWorld, Reseller News & the Dominion IT Weekly
IT Professionals Tech Blog, Sunit Prakash, Guest Post. 09 March 2020, 5:00 am
Originally published in CIO NZ
On my sometimes annual sojourn to Mumbai, I am always struck by the changes and adaptation of technology and its impact on life and human behaviour.
Tackling the digital skills gap? Look at the kiwi fruit industry
Applying classic product inventory management models and principles to the digital technology sector.
CIO NZ 09 January, 2018 07:00
“We need to know as much as we can about the size, scale and nature of the digital skills shortage in the digital technology sector, and across New Zealand” - Communications Minister Clare Curran
Click here to open the pdf for the full article.
Summary of the 7 steps to measuring the digital skills inventory
1. Demand - form a view of employers’ HR related trends
2. Supply - get a perspective from a resource perspective
3. Data, information, reports & systems
4. Add imports - validate from the larger ecosystem
5. Subtract exports - the brain drain
6. Diversity - under utilisation & under employment in the workforce
7. Learn - from countries who are exporters (and successful importers of talent)
Not very different from the kiwifruit industry and its inventory management systems I suspect !
IT boot-camp
I recently ran a couple of sessions to help skilled migrants find jobs in Wellington.
The experience highlighted key challenges the ICT sector needs to tackle as it prepares the workforce for unceasing change
CIO NZ: 09 January, 2018 07:00
I have been mentoring ICT professionals - new graduates, migrants - for years.
And, with apologies to the original Kiwi Landing Pad based in San Francisco which helps New Zealand companies gain a toehold in the US market, I raised the idea of transposing this concept for skilled migrants.
I called it the Wellington-based Kiwi Landing Pad for skilled migrants.
Development of New International Education Strategy - inputs to EducationNZ
“We are setting out to challenge and be challenged – we encourage all interested parties to be involved in strategy development.” - 9 Recommendations; October 2016
NZX Consultation - Diversity on Boards
Submission to NZX on its Consultation Paper to do with Ethnic Diversity on Boards; September 2016
7 Lessons in Customer Engagement from Australasia's Most Profitable Airline
Guest Blog: Astute Solutions, July 2014
Social media and brands: for big companies this can often cause panic, fear, and stress because they worry about a negative post going viral, or having no social customer strategy at all. We’ve posted about the negative effects of social media too, but how about turning it on its head and focussing on positive customer engagement instead?
Reaping India's Demographic Dividend
Guestblog, Institute of IT Professionals Techblog, Dec 2011
Laurence Millar kicked off a whole chain of thoughts when I attended his NZCS session "Agenda for the Digital Economy". He inspired me to write this article, about Indian students coming to study in New Zealand, Indian organisations servicing New Zealand, New Zealand organisations exploring India - and the challenges and opportunities this presents to New Zealand.
Click here: IITP Techblog
Opinion: Toyota's 'lean' model tackles IT complexity
ComputerWorld, October 2007
Many IT companies have learnt that to succeed in business you can not save your way to success - you need to add value to prosper and grow
Click here: ComputerWorld
Role of the Indian Diaspora in Building Bridges between New Zealand and India
The Independent, Aug 2008
India may well prove to be a more accessible and rewarding market than China for New Zealand's export driven businesses.
Free Trade Agreement with India; opportunities for New Zealand companies
NZ Institute of Director's BoardRoom Magazine, July 2008
Can the lessons from New Zealand's FTA with China be applied to India ?
Click here: Free Trade Agreement with India
Value Proposition of Support – Supporting the solutions Sales People Sell
Guest Editorial in the New Zealand Reseller News, October 2007
The business model of Nasdaq listed ERP vendors, and the business of support.
Click here: Value Proposition of Support
Satellite TV Revolution in India – Time to join the “global village” people
Guest article on changes in India; The Dominion IT Weekly; September 1994
Click here: Satellite TV Revolution in India
PatelNet: The future of IT enabled corner dairies – Corner diary options with PatelNet;
Guest article on e-enabling and connecting corner dairies with a common infrastructure and network; The Dominion IT Weekly; October 1994
Click here: PatelNet: The Future of IT enabled dairies
Sunit Prakash
ITIL | ITSM | ISO20000 | TOGAF | COBIT | Strategy | Architecture | Design | Transition | Implementation | Lean | Social Analytics | India | New Zealand | Australia
Coach, guide & mentor to skilled new immigrants and a sought after mentor to teams at StartUp Weekends, the R9 Accelerator and the KiwBank FinTech Accelerator. Experienced on Not For Profit boards.
Globally and locally experienced professional with core competencies in IT Service Management covering strategy, design, transition, operations & improvement.
Successful outcomes at Ministry of Education, Vodafone, Telecom, Fronde, Gen-i, ANZ, Transpower, Racing Board, ACC and others.
Qualifications include ITIL & Consultant Level ISO20000 certification. Recently completed TOGAF Level 1 & 2; familiar with COBIT, Prince2 & PMBOK.
Previously responsible for running a business unit of USD32M with responsibility for the Asia Pacific Japan region for NASDAQ listed ERP vendor Baan in Sydney.
Used to communicating effectively up to C-level, pulling together and leading high performing teams, and delivering high quality business outcomes.
Published author, writer, reviewer of international service management publications, speaker at conferences, trainer, occasional blogger & tweeter.
Core strengths comprise business, IT operations & lean thinking; add project management, governance and enterprise architecture; garnish with security, mobility, and an understanding of social & digital channels.
A unique blend to assist in simplification and improve the way service is delivered.
Specialisation:
Professional Credentials:
MBA, ITIL, Certified ISO20000 Consultant, TOGAF 9.1 Enterprise Architect, Member Institute of IT Professionals, Chartered IT Professional
My personal Corporate Social Responsibility: coaching, guiding, mentoring
Outside Work - Royal Enfield Bullet, 4WD and all things Indian...
Coaching, Guiding & Mentoring New Skilled Immigrants
Someone gave me a leg up when I first arrived in New Zealand, many were kind and generous to a fault.
Now in a position to pay if forward, I find myself coaching, guiding & mentoring skilled new immigrants to New Zealand - with very "deep-down-inside" satisfying results.
Currently documenting their stories and successes as case studies; and finding & connecting with like-minded people and organisations.
Gone Walkabouts:
4WD & Travel
As a family we decided to pull our son out of school for a term and see some of Australia before we headed home to Wellington.
The result was an epic 80 day, 21,000 km 4WD trip through the centre of Australia from Sydney to Broome, and then back again the long way.
We have seen more of Australia than most Australians and are so much the richer for it.
Here is a link to a clip if you are interested !
Quality Thinking Time:
Royal Enfield Bullet
... and for quality thinking and to find my peace of mind, I ride my Royal Enfield Bullet motorbike.
Link to article in KiwiRider.
India-NZ connections
I believe people like myself who are local in Australia, New Zealand & India have a role to play in building bridges between the countries... I play my small part by informally guiding businesses interested in these markets.
Clarity of Thought, Speed of Execution
Guaranteed two insights as they apply to your situation, or the coffee is on me
Have the quality conversation
© 2015