Process 2: Build Operational Work Instructions
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Figure 4. Build operational work instructions
Activities: Build Operational Work Instructions
The objective of this process is to develop guidance and specific, tested instructions for the operational work identified in the operations plan. This includes:
- Identifying resources.
- Identifying operational guidance.
- Developing operational work instructions.
- Testing operational work instructions.
The following table describes these activities in greater detail.
Table 5. Activities and Considerations for Building Operational Work Instructions
Activities
Considerations
Identify resources
Key questions:
- What technologies make up the service?
- Who in the organization is knowledgeable about these technologies?
- Who knows the infrastructure in which the service will be deployed?
- Who understands the architecture and design of the service being released?
- Who is responsible for operating the technologies that make up the service?
Inputs:
- Operations plan
- Information from Operations Manager
- Information from Release Manager
Output:
- A list of administrators and engineers responsible for developing work instructions
Best practices:
- If IT operations staff is involved, ensure that their schedules allow enough time for fulfilling their proactive IT operations responsibilities.
- If a service map has been created, use that to identify the technologies composing the service. For more information on service maps, see the Business/IT Alignment SMF.
Identify operational guidance
Key questions:
- How can vendor information contribute to the development of the work instructions?
- Is existing operations documentation available?
- What other relevant operational documentation exists in the IT organization?
- Do any tasks or guidelines lack documentation? Who is responsible for them?
Inputs:
- Operations plan
- Existing operational documentation
- Best practices and white papers
- Architecture and design documentation
- Configuration documentation
- IT Operations staff
- Existing guidance from currently used operations management tools
Output:
- Information that can serve as input for the work instructions document
Best practice:
- Make sure that time is not spent reinventing something that already exists.
Develop operational work instructions
Key questions:
- What is the user’s knowledge level? How detailed will the work instructions need to be?
- What delivery method (document, portal, other) would be most efficient and easiest for the user?
- What type of information should accompany the work instruction (trigger, duration, tools required, credentials required, user role)?
- What is the appropriate language (English, Danish, other?) for the work instructions?
- How can the work instructions meet the requirements stated in the operations plan?
Inputs:
- Operations plan
- Operational guidance gathered previously
- Information and guidance from subject matter experts (SMEs)
Output:
- A clear, easily deliverable guide containing instructions for the work described in the operations plan
Best practices:
- Agree on a common template and format for the work instructions.
- Present the work instructions in a way that is easily consumable by the users (for example, by arranging them according to user role).
Test operational work instructions
Key questions:
- What are the test criteria?
- Do users understand each work instruction?
- Does each work instruction produce the expected result?
- Does testing of work instructions result in compliance with operational requirements?
Input:
- Instructions for the operational work described in the operations plan
Outputs:
- Determination about whether the tests fulfill the test criteria
- Feedback for writer of work instructions
Best practice:
- Test the instructions in a setting that replicates as closely as possible the actual production environment.
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