The Full Picture
~ by Randy Wagner
I have an old photograph of my mother holding my infant brother on the seat of my grandfather’s motorcycle. It’s sweet and has meaning to me. But I suspect if different people looked at it, they might each walk away with a different perspective. And if they discussed it together, they will likely all have a broader and deeper understanding of that picture. That’s true for anything we look at from different angles, including Production Support.
The Power of Different Perspectives
As a family member, I look at that picture and I see the early nucleus of my core family. My father took the picture but, knowing that tidbit, helps me see a young family, full of hope for the future. From a different perspective, if someone who is a motorcycle enthusiast looked at that picture, they’d know the bike in the picture is a Harley-Davidson 1962 FL Duo-Glide. More than likely, they’d be able to spot the parts that were not originally chromed but now gleam, even in the black and white photo. A construction person would likely spot the garage in the background with a roof that needed to be replaced, as would indeed happen in the next year. Multiple perspectives provide more detail, breadth, and depth.
The Need for a Clear “Picture” in Production Support
Production Support also needs a periodic “picture” taken to help identify things that might otherwise go unnoticed. We call this an audit. Fresh eyes can provide a clear picture of what’s working, what’s wandering off the path, and what might need a tune up. There are half a dozen areas that should be looked at with experienced eyes to identify areas of opportunity.
Technical Audits for Production Support
From the technical side, seasoned Technical Leads should be looking at the code to see how each of the x-centers are configured, how the database is structured, and how major integrations like the document management system are built, comparing to appropriate vendor and industry standards.
Assessing Process Efficiency
Likewise, process might need a tune up in certain areas. How is Production Support organized and managed? How are priorities set at the organizational or team levels? A qualified Program Manager would be looking at the project charter and interviewing relevant management to identify gaps that occur as entities change over time.
Evaluating Technical Debt
Is the technical debt getting a regular review to efficiently group work and reassess the business need for a change or defect? How does the team interact with the business to gather requirements and document them? A veteran Business Analyst would be able to look at content and the technical debt to pinpoint areas where the requirements may have led the configuration into troubled waters.
Ensuring Quality Assurance Standards
What documentation is QA capturing to ensure compliance with both requirements and audit expectations? A veteran QA Lead’s eyes would quickly catalogue what’s well tested and what area might need extra regression testing.
The Power of Combining Multiple Perspectives
When you combine trained eyes with different backgrounds, you get a much fuller picture of how your Production Support systems and processes are doing and what adjustments you might want to make, an audit process. A commitment to clear and varied perspectives auditing the process ensures that Production Support teams retain a suitable broad and deep project “picture” which allows them to remain efficient.
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.