Your organization is struggling to manage its IT infrastructure. What are your options?

Don't start with what you have today but the start is to have a vision of what you want. 1) you wish to run this yourself or have done one else do it for you? 2) what is your overall architectural vision? A SaaS based application landscape needs a different infra set-up as an onprem one. 3) look at your in house skills. Some of todays infra technology ain't easy. Do you have the brains available to make it happen?

I think the first question is what went wrong and why to determine the areas needing immediate attention and then putting together a phased plan of action to address the priorities in first stage followed by actions that would create a more sustainable and reliable environment for the future.

I think Infrastructure has historically been seen as a cost or a detractor - until it's not available, has issues or fails completely and then it's mission critical. In my experience you should be continuously evaluating your infrastructure for technical debt that requires remediation and applications that can be modernized. I had a formal life cycle schedule, created by my leaders, that allowed us to view what infrastructure assets were due for retirement projected outward up to 10 years into the future. That not only gave us a view into what we had but also allowed us to set expectations on what costs we expected to spend in future years. Monthly KPI's allowed us to discuss the health of our infra and adjust the schedule accordingly.

The very first step should be to assess what went south, identify if there are any pockets that causing the lack. Then build one roadmap for quick kill which is short term but control the damage and in parallel to that work on a long term solution. Here staggered approach can work if the long term approach needs more time. Also need to take a call whether any legacy app has propensity to make any future harm, need to modernise those too.

Does the infrastructure support the businesses objectives? If not then start there! If it does then identify where the difficulty lays. Complete an honest skill assessment amongst your staff, look closely at your processes. Get feedback from your business customers as well. Then make appropriate plans against each of the identified areas. What is key is not to just look at the IT in isolation, it only exists to support the business so make sure any changes you make improve the support of the business objectives.

My team recently leveraged a hybrid IT infrastructure to develop a GenAI application for a leading healthcare provider. This approach balanced the high-compute demands of AI model training on the cloud with the security of on-premises data storage, crucial for sensitive patient information. The result was a robust GenAI system that significantly improved diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. This strategic deployment not only enhanced operational efficiency but also established the provider as a frontrunner in technology-driven healthcare solutions.

One thing I have found very common during infrastructure management is the reluctance to change technology or deployment models after selection. I completely agree that the decisions are made after a lot of assessment and effort, hence there is a reluctance, however, every management and leadership should be a good decision maker to change post-decision if there is burnout and overkill and adopt new modes of deployment model faster to bring the service to market quicker, because, in the end, efficient and effective delivery matters not the past decisions.

Before you can decide you need to understand the overall strategy and plan of the company. Are you growing? How predictable is business volume? Do you have to be elastic with regards to capacity? etc. You have to factor in strengths and weaknesses of your existing organisation and infrastructure. These two aspects will impact your decision making and inform the approach. You can outsource the operational aspects of your infrastructure in a lift-and-shift approach. Here it is possible that a provider manages your data center or the provider can move your infrastructure to their data centers. Lastly, you have the cloud as an option or a hybrid approach. None of these models can be implemented instantaneously and you need a reliable plan.

First and foremost list your IT Infrastructure challenges Assess the following : What is your target state plan Is this best in class IT Infrastructure? Does this meet/align with your business requirements 5 years down the line ? Does your target model optimise your operating costs ? How is this a competitive advantage for your business ? Is this compatible with your IT Enterprise Landscape ? What is current vs target state of IT Infrastructure ? How is this meeting your organisations security needs ? Plan for continuous improvement throughout deployment and look for optimisation, best in class market leading solutions which ensures modernisation of infrastructure and meets your future needs Ensure it is validated by a panel of experts

Start to develop an infrastructure-as-code project. After using automated Cloud Assessment Tools you get proposed, which parts of your infra can be automated. Use e.g. Terraform or Ansible to get your infra deployed on any Public or Private Cloud.

An example, consider widely used options like Nagios for network monitoring, Ansible for automation, and ServiceNow for IT service management. For a cloud-centric deployment, tools like AWS CloudFormation or Terraform might be suitable, while on-premises solutions could benefit from tools like Microsoft System Center. Consider the complexity of your infrastructure and opt for tools that offer scalability and adaptability. Prioritize those that provide comprehensive monitoring, automation, and reporting features, ensuring they align seamlessly with your management objectives to streamline operations and enhance overall efficiency. #ITStrategy

Most organizations burn out a lot on management tools, hence having a clear roadmap and strategy for tools is a very important and integral part of having successful operations for infrastructure. There should be clear selection criteria and capability checks aligning with the requirements and best practices. Performing tools assessment is a key and a differential skill, which comes with experienced technologists, hence management needs to support and invest in these strategies to avoid failure and burn in the long run.

These tools should align with the chosen deployment model and be capable of handling tasks such as network monitoring, system performance tracking, security management, and automation of routine maintenance tasks. It's important to choose tools that offer comprehensive visibility into the infrastructure, support proactive troubleshooting, and are scalable to adapt to the evolving needs of the organization. Integration capabilities with existing systems and user-friendliness are also crucial factors, ensuring that the tools enhance, rather than complicate, the IT team's workflow. By carefully selecting the appropriate management tools, you can streamline operations and improve system reliability.

Evaluate a comprehensive IT management suite that aligns with your organization's goals. Choose tools capable of monitoring, automating, and optimizing diverse infrastructure components. Prioritize scalability, ensuring the tools can adapt to your growth. Consider user-friendly interfaces and integration capabilities for seamless coordination. Embrace solutions with robust security features to safeguard your IT assets. Ultimately, the selected tools should streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and support your IT strategy. #ITManagement #Infrastructure #BestPractices

Consider tools for configuration management to maintain the desired state of your systems efficiently. Performance management tools are crucial for monitoring system health and optimizing operations. Security management tools play a vital role in protecting your infrastructure from threats. Additionally, look for automation tools to reduce manual tasks and improve accuracy. The integration of these tools should align with your infrastructure's complexity and your management objectives. Selecting tools that complement your deployment model, whether on-premises, cloud, or hybrid, is also key. In my approach, ensuring these tools work harmoniously has been essential in achieving a streamlined and secure environment.

Implementing best practices in IT infrastructure management is vital for ensuring efficiency, security, and reliability. This includes adhering to industry standards and frameworks like ITIL for service management and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management. Establishing strong policies for disaster recovery and business continuity, regular data backups, and stringent cybersecurity measures are essential to safeguard the infrastructure. Additionally, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and keeping abreast of emerging technologies and trends can help in optimizing processes and staying ahead of potential challenges.

Use the opportunity to re-think, rationalize and optimize processes. To borrow a quote from Elon Musk, the worst thing an engineer can do is optimizing a part (system/process) that shouldn't be there to begin with. Any optimizing should be done from the perspective of the user/customer, and not necessarily from the owner of the process. Their incentives might not be aligned.

Modernising and managing IT is more than just shiny tools – it's about alignment, skills, and a holistic approach. Powerful tech needs skilled people to wield it, or progress slows. That's why aligning modernization with business goals sets priorities right. To succeed, map your current state, pinpoint improvement areas, and envision your future ideal. Consider the "People, Process, Technology" trinity: build up your team's skillset (through hiring, training, or outsourcing), streamline processes, and choose the right tools. As Professor Dakshinamurthy aptly said, "change needs tools, skills, and mindset." Remember, successful modernization thrives on technical muscle paired with smooth processes and empowered people.

For effective IT management, align infrastructure with business strategy and goals, adopting a proactive, preventive approach. Utilize automation and innovation to reduce manual tasks, enhance efficiency and accuracy, and explore new technologies for improved performance. Implementing these best practices optimizes IT management, yielding better results and benefits.

Implement best practices involves executing a systematic approach to optimize IT infrastructure. Focus on streamlined workflows, automation for routine tasks, robust cybersecurity measures, and regular performance evaluations. Embrace scalability for future growth, leverage cloud solutions judiciously, and foster a proactive maintenance culture. Continuously update policies, stay abreast of industry advancements, and encourage a collaborative IT culture for efficient problem resolution. Regularly assess and adapt practices to ensure the IT environment remains resilient, secure, and aligned with organizational goals. #ITInfrastructure #BestPractices

There will always be tension in between IT being a cost center to be ruthlessly managed, and IT being a business enabler - so as you're evaluating your IT plans, focus your time on aligning with the business. Can your IT capabilities be a differentiator? Can you increase your orgs nimbleness vs competition? Can you maximize productivity, reduce your orgs sales cycles, ramp up times, new location opening times, fulfilment lead time, or whatever is important to your leaders? Basically, in your deliberations, shift the conversation from "what does IT cost" to "what IT can do" and position yourself as an enabler and partner to the business, vs. a budgetary black hole.

Don't be afraid to consider outsourcing it. Perhaps you don't need to outsource your entire infrastructure, but there are many mundane maintenance tasks that you can pay someone else to handle, freeing up your infrastructure staff time to work on bigger challenges or more fun and innovative projects.

I highly recommend you to leverage a proven framework like Technology Business Management (TBM) to gain a clear understanding of your IT infrastructure landscape and ensure optimal use of those resources. As an IT strategist and leader, you need a structured and consistent approach to manage IT infrastructure effectively and translate those investments to business value.

For the most part, the struggle comes from the IT team (as a % of spend) does not keep up with the growth of the company as a whole. As a cost centre, it happens, a lot. Spending on IT as status quo, as the business adds more and more applications, creates more and more data, and depends more on more on external partnerships, is a recipe for overwhelming an under spending IT team. Firs things first, reassess the importance of IT, IT Infra, and Application support for the business, and build the ROI to resize, even if that return is only risk mitigation.

Embrace a continuous learning mindset and be open to adopting new approaches that can enhance your infrastructure management capabilities. Look for opportunities to leverage AI to automate repetitive tasks, and implement monitoring tools to proactively identify and resolve issues. Consider outsourcing low value tasks, this will not only help you optimize infrastructure management, but will put you in a better position to focus on strategic initiatives and contribute to value creation. Consider leveraging cloud-based infrastructure solutions, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS), to offload some of the management responsibilities and gain scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency benefits.