Good Process is Tasty and Delicious
Filed under: Hosted Services, Managed Services, Outsourced IT Support
Image via WikipediaI think I was six years old when I ordered my first Big Mac. I’d eaten one before, but this was the first time that I stepped up to the counter on my own to order and pay for one. Waiting in line patiently I mouthed the words as I thought through what I would say. “May I have a Big Mac please?” I wanted to sound like I knew what I was doing.
When it was my turn, I stepped up to the counter. The cashier, who looked like a giant, looked down at me and smiled. Then she turned her gaze to the woman behind me and said, “Welcome to McDonald’s, may I take your order?”
I was devastated. But just as all hope was lost, the nice lady behind me said, “I believe this gentleman was first.” The cashier looked down at me and said, “Excuse me sir, what can I get for you?” …..Victory!
Since then, I’ve ordered thousands (that’s right, thousands) of Big Macs. Every time I do, I feel confident that the sandwich will taste the same as the one I bought 30 years ago.
McDonald’s has a specific process that they follow to prepare a Big Mac. This process is the same in Charlotte, North Carolina as it is in Seattle, Washington. It has been honed over time into a series of steps that is teachable and repeatable. In fact, many McDonald’s employees go to Hamburger University where they learn how to make Big Macs.
When it comes to selecting an outsourced IT partner, process is very important. Most providers say they have a process that they follow, but the word “process” rarely means that they’ve developed a step-by-step series of activities that’s teachable and repeatable. They may have a general idea or approach to clearing trouble tickets, building a server or monitoring a firewall, but their approach is rarely fully documented or integrated into their information systems. The result is that each employee has his or her own way to do the work.
The impact is an inconsistent level of service. Sometimes the client gets good service and sometimes he or she gets really lousy service. This result is often compounded by Murphy’s Law. For some reason, the lousy service experience always occurs when you’re on a deadline.
One way to avoid service level inconsistency is to make sure that your potential outsourced IT partner can show you its process. It’s not enough to show you a bunch of Word documents with bullet points that read, “Promote Windows Server 2008 to Domain Controller.” A well-documented process includes flowcharts, job aids and clear tie-ins to the firm’s information systems. A true process is teachable, repeatable and, because it’s clearly documented, it can be incrementally improved over time.
The ability to incrementally improve a process, assumes that the outsourced IT provider does not outsource its core functions to someone else. Outsourced IT providers that in-turn outsource functions like Network Operations and Help Desk don’t have a lot of control over service delivery. If they don’t have control of the function in the first place they can’t really impact the process. I wrote a blog about outsourced IT providers that in-turn outsource their IT. You can read more by clicking here.
At Endsight, we include a review of our process as part of our site visit. It also includes a tour of our facility, introductions to our staff and a review of a sample strategy document (I’ll write more about documentation and strategy in another blog). If you’re looking for an Outsourced IT partner, we’d really like to host you for a visit. To schedule one, click here.
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