As outlined in my last blog (“Private Cloud and the impact to the existing IT Service Management System”), the impact of the cloud services to an existing IT Service Management System is quite significant. Besides of the completeness, maturity, level of detail and automation challenges for the IT processes, internal IT organizations need to look to the impact to their organizational capabilities in terms of skills, expertise and experiences needed to run the show successfully.
The new skills, expertise and experiences needed are based on:
- new technology, tech stack integration and process automation,
- new or increased risk profiles for security and compliance,
- increased service governance and customer relationship requirements.
Starting with customer relationship management: Internal IT organizations are moving their business facing roles like “Business Analysts” more and more towards “Business Consultancy”.
“Business Consultancy” is way above defining requirements based on business needs. It is to look to the potential added value of an IT service for the business. The role of a “Cloud Consultant” as a customer facing role is to:
- coach business functions on the impact of cloud services to the value chain of business services and products
- help the business to create and to understand business case scenarios for moving into the cloud
- review the business processes and portfolios to come up with cloud service proposals based on market trends
- outline cloud migration and transition concept
- coach the business functions on security, compliance and risk matters from an IT point of view.
Positioning an internal IT organization as a (private) cloud provider or cloud broker function (hybrid cloud deployments) requires a much stronger focus on service Ownership and service portfolio management. The role of a “Cloud Service Owner” ensures governance over all cloud service lifecycle phases, proper cloud service portfolio management and IT efficiency.
Looking to the service design phase of a cloud service, cloud specifics like resource pooling, rapid elasticity, orchestration and end-to-end automation will shape the traditional IT Architect role towards “Cloud Solution Architect“. A traditional “Developer” role will become a “Cloud Developer“. Due to the increased risks profiles in the area of security and compliance, dedicated cloud security management skills are needed. Therefore, the role of a “Cloud Security Manager” is to be considered. For service transition and service operations, two emerging roles with dedicated cloud knowledge are underway: The “Cloud Administrator” role is focused on running the cloud tech- stack based on automated run-books. The skillsets will be spread across all technology components used in the cloud. On contrary to traditional IT, cloud tech skills are not dedicated to technology towers. They are more towards understanding and managing technology integration, automation and orchestration. Last but not least, the overall responsibility for running a cloud service in operations will be with the “Cloud Service Manager“. The main responsibility of that role is to ensure, that a cloud service is being delivered by meeting the agreements and quality parameters routinely.
The mentioned emerging roles are becoming industry standards. Already today, role descriptions and even training and certification schemes are available. Please have a look at http://www.cloudcredential.org/certifications/ for more information.
Nice set-up of role matrix which is today definitely needed to oversee the service functionality of a cloud model. One more critical component I often see forgotten here is ‘time’. With the introduction of a cloud based delivery model, the customers’ mind-set is strongly adjusted to its benefits, namely cost reduction, ttm, business agility and flexibility, knowledge independency etc., but forgets the fact that the cloud model is an outcome of the ever faster spinning IT evolution and transition cycle. What does that mean? It means that the model itself is changing and adapting itself to needs and technological opportunities much faster than older traditional service models, what is exactly the asset that business management is looking for today. Ever growing opportunities and business facilitation. But that brings very high risks on business continuity, lock-ins and costs, which can only be assessed and controlled by a more dedicated cloud role.
And that for I feel the role of an internal cloud business manager missing in the blogged role concept, the one which oversees the time axis of technology and service related advancements and enhancements with focus on its steady alignment to own business strategies and opportunities. Independently of private, public, hybrid and in/outsourcing. This as being a strongly strategic, technologic architectural and business related role, I less see it as part of a pure service manager or engineering/architecture role.
Keep up this fantastic blog, it’s a great read!
Best Regards,
Michael Shavit