Principles of ESQM

To make significant improvements in IT cost, risk and responsiveness, you have to manage all the issues on all the IT all of the time.

To do this, you need good information.

You need information that is sufficiently high level to support management decision making, and which is still connected to the detail of IT so that it can truly reflect the situation and guide technical work.

If it is too detailed, it takes too long to capture and is not connected to anything of meaning in the business.

If it is too high-level, then it is not connected to the actual technical work of IT.

If we think of the information we need as a table, we need to think what rows and columns would give us the right level of detail for effective management.

For the rows in the table, Metrici ESQM considers IT as a set of "systems".

Metrici ESQM defines a system as a business application and its usage, and the support procedures and technology that underpin it.

This definition of system is meaningful outside the IT organisation.

This definition of system is connected to the detail of IT.

This definition gives a level of detail which is just right for meaningful management decisions.

To get the columns in the table, Metrici ESQM considers the qualities (characteristics) of IT systems that demonstrate objectives being met.

For example, the objective of continuity of service is demonstrated, at least in part, by systems with good recovery qualities.

Qualities are meaningful outside the IT organisation because they can be connected back to objectives.

Qualities are meaningful inside the IT organisation because they refer to technical aspects of IT systems.

This definition gives a level of detail which is just right for meaningful management decisions.

Metrici ESQM involves considering how each system meets each quality.

This level of detail is appropriate for management decision making, but still connected to the detail of IT.

Qualities are measured using rigorously defined criteria.

Criteria gather just the right information for analysis and decision making.

Because they are well defined, and because they represent the organisation's objectives and policy, criteria are a practical guide for IT management.

Metrici Advisor provides comprehensive support for Metrici ESQM.

Metrici ESQM with Metrici Advisor is an effective and highly efficient method for gathering and analysing information about your IT. It gives you new insights into your IT, shows you what you need to do to make significant improvements in cost, risk and responsiveness, and provides the information you need to make the case for IT investment.

This is the end of the ESQM principles tutorial.

Continue with the introduction to Metrici Advisor (recommended)

If you want to know more about different uses of ESQM, read the ESQM family