IntroductionA strategy was required to be able to maintain desktop configuration and reduced support cost. Hardware and software capabilities continually are beyond what is required to do daily tasks. The organization is preparing for sun setting of the current desktop configuration; an opportunity has presented itself for an architectural and operating

change.

ObjectivesThe objective is to define a strategic direction for thin clients.

MethodologyDefine an architecture and service offering for thin clients.

Solicit a group of experts to prepare a direction statement on thin client.

Design an architecture that supports a reduction in desktop and support costs while supporting the business process.

Validate that concept and offering will work in the end user environment.

Establish a communication plan for management with each major benchmark receiving a status approval before moving onto the next stage.

Thin Client Management Thin Client Communication Matrix

Information Collection – Planning, Needs Assessment

Team chartered. Members: architects, project managers, specialized end users, management and financial analysts.

Initial objectives, scope of project and preliminary deliverables defined.

Through meetings and e-mail stakeholders and end-users provided minimum requirements. Planning included architects from the business unit as well as the enterprise level. An information analysis was performed to identify those common and extremes requirements that will be utilized for design purposes.

During the planning stage a needs assessment of services to be offered by the thin client platform was preformed. Interviews were conducted between business focals and information technologists to gather requirements. The needs assessment identified a number of services or workstation processes. (S/WP)

Financial information regarding cost and hardware availability was also collected and compiled.

DevelopStatementof Work

PreparePilot

Design

SponsorCustomer

Buyoff

Information Analysis

Following the needs assessment the S/WP’s were examined for appropriateness. A S/WP’s that was not good candidate for the thin client technology was eliminated. I.e. high graphic applications. Remaining services/workstation processes were grouped into common functional pools. The Team then prioritized the S/WP’s within each pool based on cost, ease of migration, hardware availability, and political factors. The top four S/WP’s within each pool were selected. These findings were reviewed by management, after review the next stage was an opportunity evaluation.

An opportunity evaluation was conducted with the deliverable being a business case. The business case included a description of the system, circumstances of the projects (funding, availability of members, support concerns) and conclusions.

Preliminary architecture drafted.

Management re-organization and re-prioritized of projects and funding cut.

Thin Client Darcy MacPherson University of Washington

Lessons Learned

Re-organizations happen, treat every meeting as a mini project and have documentation completed.

Team did not have enough financial information to determine service level charging.

Recruit a financial analyst on charter team.

Allow enough time for interviews, meet one on one. While time is always short, this personal attention creates much value to the individual and the evaluation.

Team needed to determine communication priority of status information.

Place positives before negatives when relaying team experience.

Some things cannot be controlled no matter the level of sponsorship or buy in.

Fix time constraints do not allow for flexibility.

Users

“Thin is In”

Application

Server

Thin Client Managemen

t

Stakeholders

Level of

services

Refresh

lifecycle

Single Develop

ment Environ

ment

Management

Customers

Support

Resulting ROI

Architecture

DataServer

ManagementDirection

Architectural Planning•Needs assessment•Interviews

•Analysis of information•Draft design

Gather Requirements

Management ReorgActivity Stopped

Communicate What

To Whom MethodEmail, Interviews, Project Plate,Virtual meetings

How OftenDaily, Weekly, etc

By Whom

Charter, Statement of Work

TeamStakeholderSponsors

Email, Word document

Bi-weekly Project manager

Survey Team

Email, On-line survey

Once Team

Project Deliverables

TeamSponsor

Email, Project Plate

Bi-weekly Project Manager,Architects, Financial Analyst, end-user

Communication & Operations Plan

TeamSponsor

Email, status meetings, project plate

Weekly Project Manager, Architect, Representative Next Steps

Regrouping of membership

Define clear boundaries for Thin usage

Provide regular review and status with Operational Managementwith Architecture Management

Validate business case as part of service offering plan Define and expand team to work goals and objectives

DeliverablesStatement of WorkOpportunity EvaluationArchitecture Diagram