Operational Assessment of IT

Operational Assessment of IT presents ideas and concepts of optimization designed to improve an organization’s business processes and assist business units in meeting organizational goals more effectively. Rather than focus on specific technologies, computing environments, enterprise risks, resource programs, or infrastructure, the book focuses on organizational processes. Throughout the book, the author presents concerns and environments encountered throughout his career to demonstrate issues and explain how you, too, can successfully implement the tools presented in the book. The assessment process reviews the economics as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. Whether your organization is profit-based, not-for-profit, or even governmental, you cannot provide services or products at a continuous loss. For an operational assessment to be of value, the ultimate goal must be to insure that the business unit process is effective and efficient and employs the financial assets and resources appropriately or helps the business unit make adjustments to improve the operation and use resources more efficiently and economically. After reading this book, you will be able to devise more efficient and economical ways to meet your customers’ requirements, no matter who or where your customers are. You will learn that the goal of any process is to service or supply customers with what they want. The book provides tools and techniques that will assist you in gaining a 360-degree view of the process so that you can help the business unit improve the delivery of a quality product or a service to the customer.

PRELUDEIntroductionOverviewRationaleGOALSThe OrganizationOrganizational GoalsMeasuring the Success of an OrganizationVoice of the CustomerProcessProductivityMeasuring the Success of the ProcessesSummaryOPERATIONAL ASSESSMENTSOperational AuditingBackgroundAuditingOperational AssessmentOperational Assessment Drivers/ImpetusOperational ObjectivesOperational Factors: The Three EsProcessOperational Assessment PlanningCustomer RelationshipsRisk AssessmentBusiness AcumenRACI Matrix (or RASCI)Planning MemoProject CharterAdding ValueKey Performance IndicatorOperational ProcessProcess Review (As Is)Activity: Procurement Audit PlanningIT Support of the Business UnitBackgroundLatency DelaysBusiness Continuity PlanningPlanning SummationOperational Assessment FieldworkFailure Mode and Effect AnalysisRoot Cause Analysis (RCA)The Five WhysPareto Principle (80–20 rule)MetricsStandardization or AnarchyControl ChartsIT and the Business ProcessThe Fraud Red FlagThe ProcessBusiness Continuity ManagementFieldwork AnalysisPurchasing ProcessPUTTING IT ALL TOGETHERAssessment ReportingShare the PictureReport DistributionFocus on the Issue/ConcernA Picture Can Say VolumesPresenting the ReportIT and COBITCOBIT Management EnvironmentEpilogueAppendicesRisk Assessment/ManagementWashington State Audit ReportTypical Swim Lane DiagramBibliography

Steve Katzman is a retired master sergeant who spent four years in accounting and finance and the rest of his 21-plus-year Air Force career in information technology (IT) and data communication. He has over 35 years of computer and technology experience and 14 years in auditing (internal and external). Mr. Katzman earned a BS degree in management information systems with a focus on business from Central Connecticut State University. He maintained several professional certifications, including CIA, CISA, CRMA, CRISC, and CISSP. During his military career, he held a top-secret security clearance.