I was recently asked the following: “I want to take the “Release, Control and Validation” (RCV) class. As a Release
Manager, I know it will help but I need to justify this for my manager. What is the value of taking this class?”
Every
organization can be effective with release and deployments. What is
needed today is for us not only to get the job done but to do it
efficiently. Efficiency infers that we deliver value, but that we design
and deliver services, BETTER, MORE, FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE and at the same
time we are being COST effective.
The
role of Release Manager, although it is central to the release and deployment
process, is much broader in scope than many organizations or managers
realize. This role in Best Practice is separate from Change Manager and
from the actual Validation and Testing Manager or even the Change Evaluation role.
Frequently these roles will be assigned to one or more persons. It
does not mean that you have to open several new req's or that you will have to
replace people. What this does mean is that a clear and concise
understanding of these processes, roles and functions must be clearly
understood in order for organizations to really reap the benefits that they
expect from change and release efforts. Not only do we need to understand
the dependencies, but also the workflow of how we can quickly interface with
the various functional teams to respond quickly. Without the proper
knowledge and skill for these best practices, an organization could overtime
improve but will be less likely to reap the type of optimization and benefits
that they had hoped for. Everyone will agree that we can always do better with
what we have.
The
course Release Control and Validation (RCV) provides in-depth knowledge of
the ITIL RCV areas: Change Management, Release and Deployment
Management, Service Validation and Testing, Service Asset and Configuration
Management, Request Fulfillment, Change Evaluation and Knowledge Management; most importantly the roles and
the process interfaces and dependencies. Best practice can help get the
bigger picture, identify gaps, and allow for the practitioner to be enabled for
success. Business requirements are dynamic and we (throughout the design
& delivery) must also have processes and models in place to meet those
constantly changing business requirements.
In summary,
the RCV processes, integration and knowledge enable:
- response to CHANGING Business Requirements
- consistent and Repeatable Workflow that result in and successfully deploy faster into the environment
- your staff and your organization for real success resulting in less rework and greater productivity
- results in cost savings for the business
- the ability to deploy changes quickly with less defects and therefore less business and customer disruption
- risk reduction while complying with governance and audit requirements
- overall improvement in quality resulting in increased value for consumers
Comments