XA Systems

Assessment and Strategic Planning Services

Our methodology includes a proven and repeatable approach that combines experienced and multi-disciplined IT professionals that have been educated and certified in ITIL Operations and Management Best Practices to provide the highest standard Assessments and Strategic Planning possible. The ITIL focus enables a thorough comprehensive view and analysis of the business and technology environments including:

• A systematic, process-based approach, supported by procedures and policies
• Utilization of a mature and documented ‘Library’ that provides guidance on strategic, tactical and operational management of the IT infrastructure based upon a worldwide knowledge base of data.
• Suggestions to develop and improve implementation strategies customized to meet unique demands.
• A consistent and repeatable training aid transferring skills to on-site staff

Application Life-Cycle Management

Daily operational demands dictate technology changes in the form of new or changed software or hardware. The release of hardware and software must often be accomplished without interruption to complex, distributed environments. Good resource planning and management are essential to successfully release to the customer and users for updates for daily operational use. XaSystems practices a holistic view of Application LifeCycle Management that ensures that all aspects of releasing technology are fully integrated while considering technology, resources and processes together providing a fully integrated solution.

Application Life-Cycle Services Include:

• Training and Knowledge Transfer
• Assessment, evaluation and IV&V
• Organizational Specific Life-Cycle Development
• Planning, Development and Implementation
• Testing and Quality Assurance
• Technology Support and Expertise
• ITIL Release Planning and Management
• Project Management
• Application LifeCycle Security
• Life-Cycle SLA Management
• Application Life-Cycle Monitoring Planning, Development and Implementation
• Emergency Application Life-Cycle Support

ITIL Service Solutions

ITIL (the IT Infrastructure Library) is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. ITIL provides a comprehensive and consistent set of best practices for IT service management, promoting a quality approach to achieving business effectiveness and efficiency in the use of information systems.

Executives are consistently reporting a 30% reduction in IT operational cost and a 50% faster delivery time for the fulfillment of services as a result of implementing IT Service Management, ITSM.

Undisputedly, businesses dependence on their IT organizations has transformed. Operations, Sales, Payments and Receivables processing are virtually impossible for many organizations without the IT organization providing the right service at the right time. These new demands placed on today’s IT organizations require a paradigm transformation in the way that IT services are provided. Business critical systems and applications demand an approach to deliver end to end service and application management aligned with the customer’s business operational requirements and perspective. Princeton studies report achieving these goals necessitates the implementation of an IT Service Management Framework. Success for most government and private industry technology organizations hinges on the implementation and practice of a robust Service Management framework.

ITIL, the authentic framework for IT Service Management increases business operational efficiency revolutionizing IT organizations to meet these new challenges. IT organizations become efficient business focused providers of technology services delivering measurable cost effective services, like other business units within the enterprise.

Our ITIL Service Solutions include:

• ITIL Gap Analysis and Assessments
• ITIL Process Audit and Analysis
• End-to-End ITIL Implementations
• ITIL Point Solutions
• ITIL Advisory and Support Services
• ITIL Staff Augmentation and Assistance

Xa Systems is also an accredited ITIL® Training Provider. See our Education Solutions for a one-stop solution for all of your ITIL Training and Certification needs.

Business Process Management

What drives improvements in business process management?

A survey by the Business Process Management (BPM) Forum, reported that increasing revenue and optimizing profit continue to be the driving factors for performance and accountability.

XaSystems offers organizationally tailored solutions using Best Practices to achieve your organizations objectives.

• Business Process Portfolio Management
• Creation and Management of an Actionable Service Catalog
• Definition of Standard Services to Improve Business Processes
• Development of New Service Models
• Reduction in Service Delivery Costs
• Enhancement of Service Quality
• Delivery of Increased Value to Business Operations

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are critical in business objectives for all organizations that maintain a significant reliance on Information Technology. We at XaSystems deliver Customized Business Continuity and Recovery Services through Proven Methods and Management Techniques to help you successfully accomplish your organizational objectives.

Security Solutions

“Availability is at the core of business and User satisfaction”

Operationally, an under or over secured environment can have a direct effect on the availability of business supporting technology.

Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of service information all represent aspects of Availability.

Availability and Security represent key aspects of Service Management. The roles and risks associated with security are essential important elements of service management.

The usage of a formal methodology Service Framework has proven to provide the highest protection addressing gaps and providing integration to other processes yielding a comprehensive view.

Program and Project Management

Organizations engaging in projects and programs should have a vision about what the results are intended to be. By defining the means necessary to achieve the project or program result, it is possible to isolate these assets (people, budget, etc.) from the day-to-day activities. This increases the success rate of the project.

XaSystems concentrates and accelerates creating an appropriate management Environment to achieve the stated aim of the project. Project and Program visions are realized within the finite and defined lifespan of the project through:

• Utilization of defined and measurable business products (to achieve quality requirements)
• Best Practice, Standard Project Practices and Program Management activities to achieve the business products (i.e. the 'doing' of the project)
• Optimization of defined resources
• Implementation of project organization or program structure, with defined responsibilities, and comprehensive tasks reducing costs frequently associated with costly oversights

The business case describes the added value of the project or program for the organization, why the project or program should be carried out.

XaSystems supports the business case, describing how the project outcome will support business needs and justify its existence - including reasons for selection of the Best Practice approach.  Our business case justifications always include, but are not limited to:

• Known quality expectations of the business solution
• Acceptance criteria for the final outcome
• Known risks
• A high-level plan identifying necessary roles and, if possible, assigning them to individuals, as well as identifying the major 'go/no go' decision points.

Business Risk Management, Quality Assurance and IV&V

"Solid Risk Management includes an integrated business based cost justified Best Practice Approach to Risk Management, Quality Management and Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)"

XaSystems Best Practice approach identifies, weighs, selects and implements countermeasures justified by the identified risks to technology assets in terms of their potential impact upon services if failure occurs, and the works in partnership to reduce those risks to an acceptable level. Risk Management spans all technology activities.

Risks are critical decision factors in many aspects of technology management. Adequate identification of testing Risks is one area critical to Technology Risk Management. Technology updates should be performed by independent business staff and involve technical staff to verify technical aspects and any changed support procedures. Any back-out procedures should be tested as part of this activity, which should prove that the built technology hardware or software updates can be installed and run as required. This includes testing both the installation procedures and the function of the final system.

Testing covers the installation procedures and the functional integrity of the resultant resilient system. Each testing stage should have a sign-off for testing. The final acceptance and sign-off for the technology updates to go into the live environment are an agreed stage of the Change Management process. All levels of support work together to accelerate major changes.

Hardware and Software acceptance should be performed in a controlled test environment that can be reinstated to known configurations of both software and hardware.

The end result of the acceptance testing activity should be a sign-off on the completeness and accuracy of the technology updates.

Our procedure manifests deliverables demonstrating the remediation of risks :

• Tested installation procedures
• Tested Release components
• Tested back-out procedures
• Known defects to be carried forward into the live environment
• Test results
• Support documentation including the system overview; updated support procedures; diagnostic aids
• Operating and administration instructions
• Contingency and back-out plans
• A contingency and back-out plans
• Acceptance test documentation signed by all relevant parties
• Authorization to implement the Release (done through Change Management).

Technology Development and Support Services

Solving today's problems require providing the right service and the right time that can only be accomplished successfully by seamlessly integrating the right leading edge technology, Best Practices, and Resources equipped to meet the daily challenge.

No longer will the right technology alone create a resilient customer and business supporting environment. The right technology combined with a provider - client partnership, strategic planning, operations improvement, expenditure reductions, technology deployment, and ongoing support, expert resources, education and Best Practices is necessary for the challenges presented by today's business climate. We continue our track record of success by creating comprehensive technology enabled solutions.

Our technology Solutions Produce:

• Quality Improvement Powered by ITIL Best Practices
• Reduced Operational Costs derived from Proven Solutions
• Increased Productivity through the integration of Technology, Processes and Proven Effective Resources
• Improved Customer Satisfaction and Business Support

Outsourcing Solutions

While many aspects of IT are common from organization to organization, XaSystems solidly recognizes each environment is unique and poses its own complexities. Therefore, Outsourcing solutions are established to be the perfect fit for your organizational needs from tiny projects to international programs.

Our outsourcing solutions provide organizations with immediate use of IT Best Practices, uniquely qualified staff and cost effective support of your business requirements.

Outsourcing Areas for which we are engaged:

• Strategic outsourcing decision
• Best Practices
• Project or Program management
• Service Management Office
• Security Services
• Technology Solutions
• Systems Monitoring and Event Management
• Business and Systems Analysis
• Risk Management
• Educational Services
• Quality Management and IV&V
• Testing
• Strategic Planning
• Interim Executive Management
• Continuity