Benefits

• Website downtime episodes of 2-3 days are cut to less than 20 minutes
• Configuration audit, reengineering pave way for improved processes
• Developers work more efficiently, lowering labor costs

Challenge

A company that provides Internet- and CD-based educational materials to K-8 students was facing a crisis. Its on-line courseware -- with database, content, software, and script components -- crashed frequently, leading to prolonged downtime periods in its customers' classrooms. A basic software management tool in use could not handle the volume of required system fixes and feature upgrades.

Website crash incidents, which users expected to be rectified within 20 minutes, sometimes took two or three days to resolve. These delays were embarrassing. They also undermined customers' confidence in the company's ability to deliver on-demand instruction in grade-school settings.

The company had to coordinate its developers' efforts to resolve the crisis. But the developers were busy fixing and re-fixing system bugs, unaware that their colleagues were inadvertently overwriting their new code with older versions, thus fueling the problem.

Stratagem's Solution

A Stratagem consultant made an SCM presentation to the client's management group. At the client's request, Stratagem conducted a gap assessment that would indicate the extent of the problem and point out the steps necessary to fix it.

Stratagem's SCM consultant performed a physical configuration audit on the client's production site and created a back-up production release process. As a result, the next system failure was rectified within just 11 minutes, instead of days. Stratagem's consultant then reengineered client workflows and implemented a change management process. This phase ensured that the SCM solution would be maintained by the department making the continual upgrades of the website's database, content, and other critical areas.

Throughout the project, Stratagem's consultant organized and led a broad-based client team. The team met weekly to adopt those process improvements necessary to preserve the integrity and performance of the vastly improved system.

Result

A series of metrics and indicators put in place by Stratagem keep the client continually apprised of ongoing SCM processes so that the system can be maintained and run efficiently. The client engaged Stratagem for an additional period to ensure that the favorable results could be replicated in-house.