Assessing Complexity In IT Operations

Complexity is a recurring theme for today's infrastructure and operations (I&O) executives. Complexity is currently cited as the root cause of all IT operations ills. I&O teams are desperately trying to reduce or abstract it, but there is precious little information as to what complexity is and how to evaluate it. Today's I&O executives must tackle complexity by learning what it is and how it applies to IT operations. To do so, I&O must focus on the bigger picture and how IT operations interconnect and interrelate. To get started, assess six key indicators: 1) time management; 2) release and deployment of business services; 3) configuration and change management; 4) incident and problem management; 5) infrastructure projects; and 6) batch updates and applications. From there you can remediate the complexity by focusing on the people, process, and technology associated with the underlying activities.