Managing your Production Support – The Three Ps
~ by Randy Wagner
People, Process, and Procedure
Running Production Support teams in an agile environment across multiple streams and lines of business can be challenging. How do we deliver quality functionality on time and consistently with so many plates spinning? It really comes down to three things: People, Process, and Procedure. The three Ps.
#3 Procedure – Repeatable Steps
Let’s start at the end. Procedure includes the repeatable steps that make up work. For example, a QA needs to analyze and understand a story, design and write the test cases, execute when the code is ready, and document the results and any defects. Each of those needs to be done so that the work product moving from one step to the other is repeatable. The user stories may change, and the effort of each step may differ but if you’re delivering the recognizable work items, it’s much easier to fit into the process.
#2 Process – Handoffs and Consistency
Process is about the handoffs. We need to move a story from idea to documentation to code to test results with little deviation from one story to another. That consistency allows the team to pick up and run. Work products are delivered, status is changed, and the next person can pick it up and run with it. The smoother and more consistent the process, the faster it gets with fewer problems. McDonald’s runs a $25B corporation with employees whose average age is 23 years old. You can only do that with a very strong process.
#1 People – Good People are Key
But unquestionably, what makes the process and procedure work well are the people you work with. I’ve worked with many teams over my career, and I can honestly say that my current organization has really good people. They care about what they deliver. They take care of each other. They take the time to get certified on the products they work with. When a problem comes up, I know that I just need to find out what’s going on behind the scenes instead of assuming someone isn’t doing their job.
Good People Allow Me to Focus on Improving Process and Procedure
For Production Support, we use those to deliver consistently on functionality and quality in a timely manner. It really doesn’t take much to throw a wrench into Production Support. Bad planning, juggling resources, switching up code streams, and many more missteps can easily put target dates in question and break test environments or Production. Focusing on the three Ps saves time, money, and heartache.
Mastering the Three Ps is a Path to Success
With the right staff, solid process, and clear, well-documented procedures, you can do anything. Every good organization masters the three Ps on their way to success. If the team knows what to do, when to do it, and are good people to start with, you can reach for the stars.
Randy Wagner is Director of Quality Assurance for CastleBay Companies. He has 20 years of consulting experience across private and public sectors, Guidewire InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, and Duck Creek, with specializations in quality assurance, project management, configuration management, and automation.