01/13/2009

11 am, N42-286, CSS Managers 

Agenda

  • Discusssion of Jerry's letter forestalling an announcement of organizational review results at an All-Hands.
  • Review of changes to the Products & Services list 
    • Should we keep a lot of "subservices" under a broader service name.  The "service owner" in Wilson's view has the budgetary responsibility for making it happen.  The real point person should be the Group or Team that is responsible for the service.  So, the template is "DCAD.  Contact Jeff Reed".  Preference for combining as more subservices.
    • This document was not public before.  If elements of this are more public via Christine Cavanna and the RMs then what is put on it needs to be edited so they don't get inappropriate first contacts.
    • Another concern is how many different kinds of services there are.  There is a service for every 1.65 person.  The preference in the past was to acknowledge all the little subpieces.  Mark remarks that we have too many places where we try to say similar things.  Another purpose of this list is "if it breaks, who do I talk to?"
    • Are these the right list of products and services?  how do we define a service -- can we measure it?  Staffing, budget?  Can customers "sign up" for it?  Is it "Email" or is it "mail delivery, spam filtering, accounts listing, etc."  The customers idea is one filter on what to have on the list. 
    • Must we commit to coming up with cost and price listings for services we say we own.  Or are services really owned by someone else and we do an activity _on behalf_ of services that are really owned elsewhere, maybe even outside IS&T. 
    • ACTION: we now have a modified list of these, with some additions, etc.  We have updated the current document correctly.  Wilson leans in the direction of simplifying the detail. 
    •  
  • Discussion focussing on the decision making process for doing a Software Release Project (e.g. FileMaker 10)
    • invited Deb Bowser to attend -- Done.
    • Overview of Software Release Process -- exhibit shared at the meeting.
    • Questions:
      • can we get "a" list of product timelines, esp. for IS&T generated releases?
      • how does CSS decide what products it will support -- where do we hear about the need to do it?  When does the decision to move forward with a software product occur and who weighs in on it?
      • Jon: software release is the wrong place to decide whether to go ahead with an FM10 release.  A decision like that needs to be in the scope of the Director. 
      • Whose job is it to start the decision-making process?   So far, the SWRT group has the responsibility to build the case for or against.  Then a team of folks from Pubs, Training, Subject Matter Expert, etc. wants to be convened to work out the whole portfolio. 
      • Jon: Why not make it the managers group to decide how to proceed. 
        Wilson: don't use the weekly meeting to do this; convene a "broader audience meeting" once or twice a month to consider the case.  Get everyone to come who wants to weigh in. 
        Jeff: wanted to point out that the Subject Matter Expert can't be the leader. 
      • We need to be able to sell software that we don't in turn "support" or "release".  Wilson says we already do that.
      • Jon: what's the cost of Not Doing A Release?  Questions come in and we can't answer them...
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