Page 249 - Performance Leadership

238 • Part IV Implementing the Performance Leadership Framework

F igur e 12.6
Performance Network of an IT Department

Software vendor Development Operations Internet provider
Values Values
Tech Solves (+) (+) Security Protection
All-the-Way Legacy Availability Promise =
Replacement IT Dept Performance promise
(–) Values Cost
Standards
All-the-way Check/ (–)
Double check External
Not invented
here Internal
(–) Don’t touch
Quick NextGen Save (+)
Solutions money Availability

Values Values
New Security
Hit-and-run Front office:
Business
Opportunity (–) Homo iPodus
Models
Win-the-business Back office:
(+) “Go home at 5”
Management Users
A crucial part of the success in the relationship between develop-
ment and operations is an understanding of each other’s motives. It
then becomes predictable that there will always be tension between
the two departments about which technologies to use. The develop-
ment department will always look for the new technologies that oper-
ations see as a potential disruption. The relationship can improve if
development, for instance, applies its innovative all-the-way skills to a
new way of testing. It is easy to predict that introducing a rigorous test
process that already runs at the design phase of new implementation
and monitors all development from there will be accepted easily by
both. It is an innovative methodology, and it is aimed to save costs and
to improve the quality of developments.
Of course, the IT department does not operate on its own. It inter-
acts with its stakeholders on a continuous basis. The IT department is
funded by the management of the company, which is very opportunity-
driven. It tries many different ways to win more business, and is open
to all kinds of ideas. Sometimes this leads to a “hit-and-run attitude”
and a somewhat short-term focus. The management and IT depart-
ment get along quite well when discussing new business models; the