Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

Introduction to NonStop Operations Management–125507
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The Operations Staff
Overview
Before receiving your Tandem NonStop system, you should determine what type of
operations organization you will need, what type of training you should arrange for
current staff, and what type of staff you need to hire (if any). This section provides
guidelines to help you make these decisions. If you currently have Tandem NonStop
systems, you might use these guidelines to reorganize your current operations staff.
Staffing and the Operations Management Model
The operations management (OM) model described in Section 1, “Overview of NonStop
Operations Management,” can help you ensure that all functions related to operations
management are identified and addressed. To make sure that all the functions in the OM
model are performed by the appropriate staff and that the staff’s roles and
responsibilities are clearly defined, Tandem defines four activity areas that are
indispensable to the success of the operations environment. Depending on the size of
your organization, you may need to assign one person, several persons, or whole
departments to an activity. The operations management activities are divided into two
functional areas: production and change.
There are usually five levels of expertise for Tandem operations: entry, intermediate,
senior, management, and executive. The five levels of expertise cover all tasks from the
most basic to the most complex.
Experience has shown that operations organizations function best when they have well-
defined levels of expertise within each activity area, which:
•
Helps the staff maintain a consistent level of service
•
Improves productivity by balancing skill levels with the cost of delivering the skills
•
Improves morale by providing well-defined career paths and responsibilities
•
Improves efficiency by reducing the recurrence of problems
Planning Staff assigned to the planning area develop plans for all aspects of
operations management, including performance and capacity
management, security management, disaster recovery, and production
management.
Control Staff assigned to the control area control and execute the introduction of
changes into production.
Operations Staff assigned to the operations area run and monitor the business
systems, applications, and networks.
Support Staff assigned to the support area support the running of business
systems, applications, and networks. They resolve technical problems,
automate production tasks, and handle administrative tasks.