Using automation technology to modernize China's infrastructure

Many Chinese infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders hope to use automation technology to simplify and speed up the configuration, management and expansion of IT infrastructure resources when implementing infrastructure modernization projects. However, Chinese companies' technical teams often work in silos, and technical experts tend to view automation as merely an extension of existing technology, resulting in competition between automation priorities, limited collaboration between teams, and weakening the role of automation in improving business results.

China’s I&O leaders should ensure that technology investments deliver tangible business benefits while advancing infrastructure modernization projects by creating a management framework for automation technologies.

Figure 1: Leveraging an automated technology management framework to support business outcome-driven infrastructure modernization

Establishing I&O automation teams as a key enabler of IT infrastructure modernization

The first step for I&O leaders is to communicate with IT executives (such as those responsible for IT infrastructure) to gain their support for the establishment of a dedicated automation team, thereby focusing their efforts on building cross-domain automation solutions that can provide measurable value.

The purpose of forming an automation team is not just to receive requests and input for infrastructure modernization projects. The team also needs to coordinate with experts in different technical fields to implement automation in a way that improves IT's overall contribution to business outcomes.

After the team formation request is approved, the next step is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each model and select the team model that best matches the enterprise IT infrastructure modernization project. Usually one of the following four models is adopted:

• Temporary Team

• Dedicated team

• Matrix/Virtual Team

• Platform Team

Figure 2: Team model and definition for IT infrastructure modernization projects

Expand automation team roles to include automation leads and architects

Many I&O leaders in China recognize that automation skills are important for current I&O experts in technical fields such as servers and networks. The feasibility and effectiveness of this skill have long been proven. In the past, technical results were a necessary part of the solution, but now the solution should also include business results.

Today, technology domain experts are challenged in IT infrastructure modernization projects because these are strongly business outcome-oriented. The current siloed and technology-focused (server, network, etc.) automation approach leads to a gap between the products delivered by different technology domain experts and the expected business outcomes.

To bridge this gap, China's I&O leaders must set up specialized roles to "translate" business needs into technical requirements and respond to changing business needs by building efficient automation teams. These roles must play the role of coordinators and promote collaboration between experts in different technical fields.

To ensure a smooth transition when building and managing automation teams, start with the Automation Owner and Automation Architect roles. These roles are inspired by DevOps teams that deliver products and features to customers in an agile and continuous manner, driving the goals and overall business outcomes of IT infrastructure modernization projects.

Use business outcome-oriented KPIs to align I&O automation performance with goals

I&O automation performance needs to be aligned with IT infrastructure modernization goals. To this end, a clear goal should be set and a performance measurement and management framework should be established.

Most I&O leaders in China use KPIs to track technology delivery performance because these indicators are a proven way to demonstrate the team’s technical achievements. In addition, KPIs can be used to motivate employees and provide clear direction and focus for the team’s work.

As leaders implement I&O automation in infrastructure modernization projects, they can use three types of KPIs to track and report on technology performance: value, cost, and risk (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Tracking the value, cost, and risk of I&O automation projects

In addition to KPIs, I&O leaders need to prepare to pilot Objectives and Key Results. Objectives and Key Results (OKR) is a modern approach to working across teams to achieve specific goals for business outcomes (e.g., “Increase customer satisfaction by 15% in three months”). It’s a modern approach to aligning goals for the future.

I&O leaders should keep in mind that OKRs are a relatively new approach for most team members in China. Therefore, they should start with small-scale projects with strong support from top management (e.g., IT executives). Once the business outcome-driven approach is recognized and accepted by the majority of team members (e.g., through surveys), I&O leaders can start to expand the use of OKRs. This gradual transition will phase out KPIs while modernizing the technology, people, processes, and team management of the entire I&O team.