Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

The Operations Staff
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Staffing Levels Within the Production Function
Staffing Levels Within the Production Function
The production function is divided into two activity areas: operations and support. The
following paragraphs describe the staffing levels for these areas.
Staffing the Operations Area
The operations activity comprises a range of tasks and skills from entry level to senior
level. The tasks range from basic problem solving and system monitoring to the more
complex tasks of coordinating efforts with vendors and running applications. Depending
on your needs, all levels of tasks may be performed by one person, or several people
may be responsible for a single level.
Entry-Level Skills and Tasks
Staff performing entry-level tasks should be able to follow procedures and use online
help, and should have a basic understanding of the command interpreter and Tandem
systems. Entry-level personnel require well-defined and well-documented procedures.
Their tasks should be as automated and as simplified as possible. Entry-level tasks
include:
•
Basic problem solving
•
Answering phone calls from users
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Logging problems
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Escalating problems to the next level of support when necessary
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System monitoring
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Running batch jobs
•
Controlling and maintaining consoles, tape units, printers, and workstations
Depending on the size of your operations, you may need to divide entry-level tasks
between two or more people. For example, some companies have computer room
operators and help desk operators to handle the entry-level tasks. The computer room
operators are responsible for the 24-hour operation of the system and have access to the
system hardware. The help-desk operators answer phone calls from users, solve simple
problems, and determine the impact of user problems and the priority of user requests.
Intermediate-Level Skills and Tasks
Staff performing intermediate-level tasks should have a good knowledge of Tandem
utilities and systems and should know how to find information in manuals. Intermediate-
level tasks include:
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Training entry-level staff
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Diagnosing, solving, or escalating problems
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Solving problems escalated from entry-level staff
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Starting up and shutting down systems, applications, and peripherals
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Performing network operations
•
Maintaining disk, tape, and optical storage media
Depending on the size of your operations, you may need to divide intermediate-level
tasks between two or more people. For example, some companies have intermediate-