Our client had a large and sophisticated information technology (IT) organization with very mature processes related to IT operations, including IT change management. However, because of the size of the organization and the rapid pace of change, the client struggled with maintaining a balance between the speed in which changes were released and the control over changes. 

Specifically, the client noted:

1. Customers and internal service representatives were affected by changes without appropriate notification and/or training.
2. Changes were not always thoroughly tested before they were released, resulting in production defects.
3. Demand of IT and business changes could not be accurately forecasted.
4. Some staff were bypassing parts of the change management process.

After speaking with our client, it was determined that a detailed assessment of their enterprise change management capabilities would identify the root causes of the challenge. To aid in this assessment, our professionals used two benchmarks from the IT Process Institute (ITPI) to compare the client versus market and industry top performers. The assessment involved three phases to identify opportunities for improvement:

Phase I – Benchmark. We facilitated benchmarking sessions for 12 representatives across major functions of the IT department and validated our observations with additional interviews regarding the benchmark.

Phase II – Business Process Evaluation. Our professionals interviewed more than 70 process and functional owners to gain a deeper understanding of the IT and business change management processes. We performed a detailed technology analysis and walkthrough for a sample of changes through these systems to understand how changes are actually implemented.

Phase III – Review and Recommend. Using the data collected, we were able to assess the current state maturity for each of the areas reviewed and identified both strengths and opportunities for improvement. Recommendations were compiled, aggregated and prioritized to highlight four areas that required the most attention and added the most value.

As a result of this analysis, our client decreased time to market of new systems functionality and increased volume of changes processed. In addition, the IT department has decreased overall costs and gained efficiencies through: 

1. Increased system stability, integrity and performance
2. Reduced system maintenance time and effort
3. Enhanced business alignment and flexibility
4. Increased user satisfaction and IT staff productivity
5. Improved audit ability and accountability

How We Help Companies Succeed

Organizations struggle to maintain data integrity and system availability while delivering solutions to customers and business users. Performance issues, frequent outages, and long lead times to implement changes often cast a negative perception of the IT department. According to ITPI:

1. Up to 80 percent of unplanned downtime is spent trying to determine “What changed?”
2. Top performers have unplanned work levels of
3. Top performers also have up to 30 percent higher customer satisfaction.

We work with organizations to become top performers by designing integrated processes and deploying technologies that manage multiple stakeholders’ expectations, decrease downtime, and improve change success and incident resolution, while achieving audit and compliance objectives. 

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global business consulting and internal audit firm composed of experts specializing in risk, advisory and transaction services. The firm helps solve problems in finance and transactions, operations, technology, litigation, governance, risk, and compliance. Protiviti’s highly trained, results-oriented professionals provide a unique perspective on a wide range of critical business issues for clients in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Protiviti has more than 60 locations worldwide and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half International Inc (NYSE symbol: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is a member of the S&P 500 index.