![sa_for_bp[1].jpg (139137 bytes)](images/sa_for_bp1.jpg)
©Don Fowler, MCE Inc., December 2004
Many years ago, in an IBM-land far, far away, there lived thousands of Systems Engineers (SE) that were assigned to every customer that had a mainframe. Each SE knew basic technical data and some were specialists in specific products. There were thousands of products in the Sales Manual and not every SE could know everything about every product. How could IBM assure that a product solution being proposed or being ordered by a customer would meet their expectations, install and migrate properly with minimum costs and disruptions? The Systems Assurance Review was born. Each SE (and usually the marketing rep) met together and using a formal process and checklist performed a review of the risks and developed mitigation actions. As this process matured and the account team saw the benefit of a smoother product implementation this process assured, they begin to invite the customer to participate.
As the cost of doing business and the margins on computing technology dropped, many mainframe customers were left with no SE and the Systems Assurance Review began to disappear. The process is still being done and is called Solution Assurance today.
Now we are the 21st century and the customer has become the client. Many of the software and hardware sales and installation efforts are in the hands of Business Partners with IBM supplying the lab development and product defect support actions. The Star Group, an affiliated group of IBM Business Partners who sponsor these newsletters, has embraced the concept of the 'Systems Assurance Review' and is actively engaged in delivery of this review to clients who wish to:
There are many reasons that clients wish to upgrade their software. First and foremost is that they wish to take advantage of new functions or enhancements in the product. The second most popular reason is simply one of service currency.
If you are upgrading simply to maintain service and support, the SA Review is not for
you.
If you are upgrading to begin sandbox playing with a new function or feature then the SA
Review is for you and should be considered..
If you are upgrading because the new version provides new functions or features
deemed of a high business solution value for your company then the SA Review should be
considered an imperative.
Let's look at the customer environment:
First, they have an expectation level - they want us to help them reduce complexity, not
increase it.
Next, they are usually anxious to implement a solution to fix or improve a business
situation. They want it to work and they don't want excuses from the vendor.
Next, no surprises. If you want your customer to remain with you for a long time, don't
surprise them with any unexpected issues.
Lastly, accelerated and smooth install and migration at minimum cost and disruption.
In the above graphic (copied from IBM's SA Training package for Business Partners), the Client's environment is more with less, no surprises, fast smooth installations. Many of today's products have many tasks that should be done before the product is ever ordered. DB2 is an example, see our previous newsletter article for details. By identifying and addressing all of the pre-order and pre/post-install actions required, a smoother and much faster migration to the new product version is possible.
The Star Group Business Partners' technical marketing efforts are to influence you to install the IBM software products as fast as possible. Your Star Group Business Partner provides you semi-annual product technical update seminars (or onsite if needed) that most attendees say is at the same level as what they would get a formal Technical Conference. Your Star Group Business Partners also provide you with items like this newsletter that try to keep you informed of new news and 'gotchas'. Your Star Group Business Partners also offer you Migration Support Kits (MSK) that begin with product pre-ordering tasks and proceed through install and migration tasks until the product is in production status. These MSKs can best be tailored and customized to your specific requirements at the SA Review time. All of these tools and services are provided as an incentive to you to order the product earlier than you would have otherwise.
The Star Group provides a wide variety of presale services to incent you to upgrade your IBM software products to newer versions. Such services as pre-release seminars on new versions IBM Software that expose you to the product features by highly qualified specialists. One seminar attendee wrote "your seminars' content are equal to that of any technical conference." The Star Group via their subscriber-only newsletter, Mainframer News, keep you informed of 'gotchas', pre-order required tasks, and product specific "speeds & feeds." The Star Group Partners are providing migration support kits that identify every task for both IBM and non-IBM products within the migration. Providing you the known IBM service APAR/PTF and other service related materials as part of the Migration Support Kit eliminates the need for you to research all of the associated Independent Software Vendors' and IBM technical support. This enhances your ability to accelerate install and migrate of the MSK supported IBM products (DB2, CICS TS, IMS, and z/OS).
![sa_for_bp[2].jpg (120399 bytes)](images/sa_for_bp2.jpg)
The above graphic, copied from the IBM Business Partner SA Training, says it all. When we utilize the Product's SA Checklist, which is authored by the product lab and product specialists, we get an immediate view if all of the i's are dotted and t's are crossed.
SA reviews with the multiple players almost always seem to find a hole or risk issue that needs a mitigation plan because there are different eyes with different agendas looking at the big picture.
It provides the checkpoint to properly input to the MSK build process and deliver a Migration Support Kit that covers the upcoming product order through the achievement of production status.
The graphic below shows the actual process flow for a SA Review.
![sa_for_bp[3].jpg (142600 bytes)](images/sa_for_bp3.jpg)
The following products marketed by your Business Partner are all SA eligible products. The specific ones we will provide no-charge SA reviews for in 2005 are DB2, IMS, CICS TS, and z/OS. These are the products that your Business Partners have invested time and money to develop Migration Support Kits. By using the SA review as the checkpoint to customizing the MSK to a specific client, an accelerated order/install/migrate timeline is possible and probable.
What SA trigger criteria should be considered for you to or your Business Partner to propose a SA Review?
SA Trigger Criteria - examplesYour Business Partner will recommend a SA review for proposed new version orders of DB2, IMS, CICS TS, and/or z/OS. Your Business Partner has taken the existing IBM documentation for eSARs, SA Product Review Guides, and Product SA checklists for the above mentioned products and streamlined them for version to version upgrades.
The actual SA Review can be done either onsite or via a internet/teleconference mode. Your Business Partner will schedule this with you using the appropriate medium.
At the Review, the Business Partner will document the results and provide a completed customized MSK and all risk mitigation documented actions within five business days of the date of the SA Review.
IBM makes the following statements about the SA Review process.
" as opportunity owners, Business Partners are responsible for conducting their own SA Reviews"
" Business Partners should have their own SA process - The documentation and tools on
the BP SA homepage
may help"
" Solution Assurance provides an IBM value-add service to help you get the job done
for your customers
Right
Effectively
With high customer satisfaction
Without "surprises""
These statements would plead a question to be asked. If your Business Partner is not offering SA Reviews, why not?
The SA Review has been around for almost 40 years. As products and solutions have become more complex the SA process has been evolved to address the ordering, installation, and migration complexities. Using the SA Review should be considered a primary event prior to entering the order.
For SA Reviews, contact us. We will also be making the SA Review offer prior to order time for your product.
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