Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
savings are also obvious targets for consolidation and shared service
efforts, because economies of scale can be applied to common require-
ments such as file storage, patch control, database management, and col-
laboration technologies. Because these factors can be more easily tracked
and maintained, overruns and shortfalls in capacity or cost can also be
identified much more easily in a consolidated environment. Resource uti-
lization is generally improved by consolidation, combining services onto
more robust systems able to handle greater capacity with a similar admin-
istrative requirement.
Consolidation may not always produce direct cost savings, as the
resources freed up by consolidating redundant systems and services may
be used to add value and functionality elsewhere within the enterprise.
Architectural leads must ensure that executives understand the value to
be gained through reinvestment and reallocation following a consolida-
tion effort. These cost savings and reallocated technologies can play a
large part in moving the organization toward a more regular cycle of
technology update and modernization or in adding new service options
to facilitate emerging needs.
Modernization Becomes a Process
Cyclic technology refresh, update and system modernization is a key goal
when planning long-term enterprise network strategies. Consolidated
resources make long-term budgetary planning possible, with a clear life
cycle and maintenance strategy for both software and hardware solutions
within the enterprise framework. This minimizes the impact of technol-
ogy evolution, because a portion of the network can be updated each year
rather than all at once or on a random basis driven by product release or
technology emergence.
Consolidation and shared services can also improve service delivery by
increasing the transparency between services and through a more seamless
method of access for users and consumers. The “one-stop shop” becomes
more efficient when service resources are well connected and built around
common technologies. This ensures that clients are not greeted with a
public-facing resource site in which some elements are unavailable due
to network lag or synchronization issues that may arise when integrating
widely varying services into a single interface.
