Asset Conservancy is the process of nurturing the implemented services that form the computing engine of the business. These services generally take the form of purchased equipment and related expenses. Unlike Asset Development, Asset Conservancy has few programs, techniques, and processes available for its management. In fact, most of what is available deal only with the "buy decision" when replacing a capital asset.
The computing services of a business enterprise are typically composed of many computer systems of varying types and sizes. Many of these systems were purchased under the guise of a “Capital Expenditure”. In most organizations this means the purchase is made with a "buy decision" evaluation and then the investment is moved to the “company’s books”. Because the Service Delivery assets are “off the radar” they lose focus in the organization.
The focus on Asset Conservancy has diminished in recent years along with the decline in the Capacity Management discipline. The reasons for this are many, but they mainly focus around two facts: the processes and skills were too complex, and the replacement alternative appeared to be cheaper. While the perception that Capacity Management is no longer needed remains, the reality is much further from the truth. With the evolution of sophisticated frameworks such as SOA (Software Oriented Architecture) and mission critical Service Delivery issues, the need is even greater than before.
Management Focus
The function of Asset Conservancy can take many forms given the complex nature of computing solutions. This delivery of computing resources could be internal, external (out sourced), supplier based (managed resources), or all of the above. Regardless of the situation, all Asset Conservancy fits into three main focus groups: Resources, Management, and Communications.
The Resources focus is concerned with the elements that assist in the Service Delivery for the business. This can include both internal or external staffing, support equipment to leverage the staffing, and the optional use of suppliers to supplement elements of the service delivery.
The Management focus is concerned with the continued successful Service Delivery to the business. This area not only includes the day-to-day operations, but also includes continuity (fail-back) issues.
The final group is Communications and is concerned with the on-going support needs of the business.
Resources
As stated, the Resources group is related to the elements that assist in the Service Delivery to the business. How effective these resources are for Service Delivery is based on the maturity of the IT group. As the business invests in the resources, the group will become more competent in the Service Delivery required by the business.
For the Human elements of Asset Conservancy, the organization will start out with limits in budgets and such that restrict Service Delivery. Knowledge and skill sets will need to be developed to address the needs of the Service Delivery model. As the organization matures and develops these resources it will begin to form skills that will eventually become a core competency.
Like the Human elements, the Equipment elements will also be constrained by budgets and other business factors. This situation will initially be reactive and require more trust (by management) than one with business based facts. Decisions will be based on unexpected needs rather than planned changes. In today’s world, the decisions for conservancy equipment predominately revolve around “buy decisions” and other costs rather than what value is being returned to the business.
No IT organization would exist without suppliers. The relationship of IT with it suppliers can be different based on the needs of the organization. However, there are some technologies that just cannot be developed in house (such as a equipment maintenance or supplies) and will form a crucial element for the IT solutions. These supplier relationships need to be managed in a manner that minimizes business risk and ensures effective Service Delivery.
Management
The Management focus is concerned with the processes and elements needed for effective Service Delivery to the business. As the IT group coalesces and matures, it will increase its capability to deliver better service more effectively.
For the Process elements of Asset Conservancy, the organization will start out with few standards and practices for Service Delivery. There will generally be no metrics that allow for the measurement and qualification of the processing. They will be reactive in nature until they form/adopt policies that measure and “nurture” the Service Delivery. Many of these policies and measures are rooted in traditional Capacity Management.
The Activity (Business) elements are related to the business processing in the Service Delivery. Initially the orientation is oriented around the traditional measures that are normally supplied by system monitors (processor, I/O, etc.) and will have no bearing on business processing. As the organization evolves, workloads and metrics will be developed to orient the processing with business activities. Expressing Service Delivery in a business activity manner is the most effective method for conveying the value of IT to the business management.
The Function elements are associated with the types of processing on the systems. As the organization matures, the aggregation of system processing becomes more sophisticated and can be group by logical type (i.e. SQL, Online, Batch, etc.). This form of segmentation allows for better demand analysis and a better application of resources and solutions.
The Operation elements deal with the mundane day-to-day elements of system processing. They start as simple measures (system is up, application is on-line, etc.), but evolve in proactive and anticipatory measures used for planning. These elements are the most basic measures of Service Delivery and have been in place since the beginning of modern computing history.
The Continuity (Fail-Over) elements are not main stream, but very important. Without good fail-over policy, the business could encounter severe business outages. One main issue for good continuity planning is the ability to measure the processing constraints of Service Delivery. As the other Conservancy Management focus areas mature within the organization, the Continuity elements will also mature by default.
Communications
The Communications focus is the smallest area, but probably one of the more important areas for Asset Conservancy. Without effective use of Service Delivery by the users, there really is not much reason to the have system. If you can’t use it, why bother having it.
The Support elements will begin in an informal manner. Solid Service Delivery support is a process that needs to develop and mature. While the early support efforts start out as being reactive to the user/business needs, it eventually matures into a more formal process.
