IntroductionA strategy was required to be able to maintain desktop configuration and reduced support cost. Hardware and software capabilities continually are beyond what is required to do daily tasks. The organization is preparing for sun setting of the current desktop configuration; an opportunity has presented itself for an architectural and operating
change.
ObjectivesThe objective is to define a strategic direction for thin clients.
MethodologyDefine an architecture and service offering for thin clients.
Solicit a group of experts to prepare a direction statement on thin client.
Design an architecture that supports a reduction in desktop and support costs while supporting the business process.
Validate that concept and offering will work in the end user environment.
Establish a communication plan for management with each major benchmark receiving a status approval before moving onto the next stage.
Thin Client Management Thin Client Communication Matrix
Information Collection – Planning, Needs Assessment
Team chartered. Members: architects, project managers, specialized end users, management and financial analysts.
Initial objectives, scope of project and preliminary deliverables defined.
Through meetings and e-mail stakeholders and end-users provided minimum requirements. Planning included architects from the business unit as well as the enterprise level. An information analysis was performed to identify those common and extremes requirements that will be utilized for design purposes.
During the planning stage a needs assessment of services to be offered by the thin client platform was preformed. Interviews were conducted between business focals and information technologists to gather requirements. The needs assessment identified a number of services or workstation processes. (S/WP)
Financial information regarding cost and hardware availability was also collected and compiled.
DevelopStatementof Work
PreparePilot
Design
SponsorCustomer
Buyoff
Information Analysis
Following the needs assessment the S/WP’s were examined for appropriateness. A S/WP’s that was not good candidate for the thin client technology was eliminated. I.e. high graphic applications. Remaining services/workstation processes were grouped into common functional pools. The Team then prioritized the S/WP’s within each pool based on cost, ease of migration, hardware availability, and political factors. The top four S/WP’s within each pool were selected. These findings were reviewed by management, after review the next stage was an opportunity evaluation.
An opportunity evaluation was conducted with the deliverable being a business case. The business case included a description of the system, circumstances of the projects (funding, availability of members, support concerns) and conclusions.
Preliminary architecture drafted.
Management re-organization and re-prioritized of projects and funding cut.
Thin Client Darcy MacPherson University of Washington
Lessons Learned
Re-organizations happen, treat every meeting as a mini project and have documentation completed.
Team did not have enough financial information to determine service level charging.
Recruit a financial analyst on charter team.
Allow enough time for interviews, meet one on one. While time is always short, this personal attention creates much value to the individual and the evaluation.
Team needed to determine communication priority of status information.
Place positives before negatives when relaying team experience.
Some things cannot be controlled no matter the level of sponsorship or buy in.
Fix time constraints do not allow for flexibility.
Users
“Thin is In”
Application
Server
Thin Client Managemen
t
Stakeholders
Level of
services
Refresh
lifecycle
Single Develop
ment Environ
ment
Management
Customers
Support
Resulting ROI
Architecture
DataServer
ManagementDirection
Architectural Planning•Needs assessment•Interviews
•Analysis of information•Draft design
Gather Requirements
Management ReorgActivity Stopped
Communicate What
To Whom MethodEmail, Interviews, Project Plate,Virtual meetings
How OftenDaily, Weekly, etc
By Whom
Charter, Statement of Work
TeamStakeholderSponsors
Email, Word document
Bi-weekly Project manager
Survey Team
Email, On-line survey
Once Team
Project Deliverables
TeamSponsor
Email, Project Plate
Bi-weekly Project Manager,Architects, Financial Analyst, end-user
Communication & Operations Plan
TeamSponsor
Email, status meetings, project plate
Weekly Project Manager, Architect, Representative Next Steps
Regrouping of membership
Define clear boundaries for Thin usage
Provide regular review and status with Operational Managementwith Architecture Management
Validate business case as part of service offering plan Define and expand team to work goals and objectives
DeliverablesStatement of WorkOpportunity EvaluationArchitecture Diagram