Spiceworks: The Change Management

SystemJustin Davison

Sr. Systems EngineerR J Lee Group

Introductions: Justin Davison•7 Years in SMB IT •2 Years IT Faculty•2 Years active in the Spiceworks Community

Introductions: R J Lee Group•Analytical Lab and Software Development•250 Employees•5 IT Operations Staff•5 Locations•50 Servers

Presentation Agenda

•Change Control in the SMB•Case Study: Change Control at RJLG•Evolution of Technology•Current Workflow•Configuring Spiceworks for Change Control•Q & A

What is Change Control

“Change control is a formal process used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner. It reduces the possibility that unnecessary changes will be introduced to a system without forethought, introducing faults into the system or undoing changes made by other users of software. The goals of a change control procedure usually include minimal disruption to services, reduction in back-out activities, and cost-effective utilization of resources involved in implementing change.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_control

Importance of Change Control

•Memory of Changes•Simplifies Troubleshooting•Coordination Between Adminstrators•Trending of Changes and Problems•Meeting QA Requirements

Challenges to Implementation

•Limited Staff/Time•Adoption by Multiple Groups•Resistance to Procedure•Change Management Systems Not Targeted to SMBs

Case Study RJLG: Topics

•Goals and Requirements•Infopath Forms•Word Forms•SharePoint Tasks•Spiceworks

Goals and Requirements

•Track changes and relate them to systems•Accessible to all IT Staff•Includes approval process•Low overhead for minor changes•Ability to use for all changes•Queue management functions•Includes management dashboards•Reporting functions on recent changes

Phase 1: Infopath Forms

•Con: Required Infopath•Con: Too many forms to meet varying needs•Con: Approval via email•Con: No trending or reporting•Con: No queue management•Con: No simple process for minor changes

Phase 2: Word Forms

•Pro: No additional software needed•Con: Too many forms to meet varying needs•Con: Approval via email•Con: No trending or reporting•Con: No queue management•Con: No simple process for minor changes

Phase 3: SharePoint Tasks

•Pro: Accessible to everyone•Pro: Freeform tickets•Pro: Basic Queue•Con: Difficult to trend•Con: Limited Queue Management•Con: Limited Workflow options•Con: No Dashboard or Reporting

Phase 4: Spiceworks

•Pro: Web based, accessible to everyone•Pro: Able to create relationships•Pro: Supports approval workflow•Pro: Supports low overhead workflow•Pro: Freeform tickets•Pro: Superior reporting and dashboards•Pro: Designed around a queue•Con: Requires additional server/VM

RJLG Workflow

Configuring Spiceworks: Topics

•Custom Attributes•Users•Notification•Ticket Rules•Ticket Views•IT Services•Role Based Restrictions•Dashboard•Reporting•Putting It All Together

Custom Attributes

Users

Notifications

Ticket Rules

Ticket Views

IT Services

•Vendor Contact Information•Support Contract Scope and Dates•Relatable to Change Tickets

Role Based Restrictions

Dashboard

•Open by Day•Closed by Day•Requiring Approval•Timeline to show recent activity•Open by Tech•Open by Department

Reporting

•Changes by Week, Month, Quarter•Changes requiring Approval•Changes involving third party support•Changes by Type

Putting It Together

•Custom Attributes Support Ticket Rules and Views•Ticket Rules Support Group Notifications•Ticket Views support overview of pending changes•Reports Support Dashboards•Custom Attributes and Views Support Change Control Lite•User Roles Protect the application

Concluding Remarks

•Change Control depends on the workflow•Spiceworks supports complex workflows•Workflow customization is good for more than just change control

Questions?