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Managing outsourced IT

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by killianj 1 view

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I was recently hired as a "watchdog" to monitor and manage the outsourced IT operations group and interface with the business. This is a newly formed position and we are having some trouble clarifying roles and responsibilities. I think I need "god like" rights to the infrastructure, and the outsourced IT management feels I should be able to do my work with standard users rights.

Has anyone been though this? I am very frustrated!

8 replies

by bfilmfan

I would ask the client's legal department what is spelled out in the contract for their ability to monitor and verify contract performance.

Frankly, if I am responsible for managing a client's data center and have authority to do so, their technical personnel don't get the ability to interfere with operations.

by jamesrl

You as a watchdog should be monitoring the rules based in the service level agreement - what are the rules, and what rights to do need to determine whether they are complying with them?

James

by tony hopkinson

if you can go in and 'bugger' about. Worse the they can weasel out of the contracted responsibilities by claiming you messed them up.
Omniscient but impotent, is what you should be aiming for, now the short sighted decision to outsource has been taken.

by chandraram

Tony, could you give me your views on why you consider the decision to outsource as "short-sighted"?

Regards

by daedalusmgmt

Prior poster has it ... you would need to know the contract details as to how you are allowed to measure and verify the performance of the contractor. Personally, I would only give you "godlike" access if I were exiting from being the provider. If I were the ongoing service provider, giving you those access rights, unless specified contractually, would pose a security risk as well as a potential risk to the accurate analysis of my performance.

by jdmercha

You need to set a goal for your position.
Do you merely need to see that the contractor lives up to the contract?
Do you need to learn wha tthe contractor is doing?
To what degree is it outsourced?
Does the equipment reside in their facility?
Do you own the equipment and the contractor maintains it?
Yes, check the contract first. But if the contractor owns the facility or equipment, they needn't give you full access.
On the other hand if you own the equipment and it is located in your own facility then you should be able to get full access to it.

by killianj

We own the equipment, apps, licensing, etc. These (as well as the vendor staff) reside under our roof.
The IT staff is fully outsourced (helpdesk, server install/support, architecture, etc.) Basicly my employer took the existing staffing and gave them the option to work for the Staffing company. Many stayed and are here to this day.
I would be satisfied if I had Enterprise Domain Admin-like rights, with read-only capabilities - sort of an "auditors" role, if you will.

I think that my role is clear: "to provide technical oversigth of the enterprise and corporate-wide information networks and systems ... and the business unit owner for corporate network systems and services ... to review, evaluate...the effectiveness of design, implementation and maintenance of the voice and data infrastructure..."
From talking to my boss (who manages the relationship with the vendor) my position was created due to dissatisfaction by the business with its ability to govern the vendor.

by jdmercha

I'd move towards bringing the IT department back into the company. But I might think differently if I had more in-depth details. Most IT departments are ourtsorced because the in-house people have done a bad job. It is almost always more expensive to outsource.

But you are a new hire. You were hired to manage people. You feel you have the skills to get in the systems at an admin level. You should be running the IT departmetn.

In relation to the contract firm, you are their customer. It is their job to satisfy their customers, or they will lose their job. You are in the drivers seat, not them.

Don't resort to threats. Don't let them know that you might even consider bringing the IT department back in house. And check the contract.

If the contract allows it, by all means demand that you get admin access. But watch out for contractual perfomance issues. Once you have admin access you may not be able to hold them accountable for performance.

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