Purpose

• Gain a clear understanding of the current state of the IT solutions (i.e. systems, processes, people).
• Document existing applications, performance targets and existing issues.

Activities

Scope

S1. Identify all systems within scope. Prepare list of applications, number of users, reach and infrastructure platforms.

S2. Build rapport with stakeholders including applications owners, key decision-makers, key users, subject matter experts and technical managers.

S3. Identify resources currently supporting systems. Record skill levels and hours allocated to systems support.

S4. Gather and chart operating costs, importance of systems and perceived effectiveness of systems to identify under-performing systems and over-capitalised systems.

S5. Determine maturity level of systems and strategic direction.

S6. Document findings in a Software Audit Report.

Performance

P1. Assess reliability and stability of systems by reviewing logs of incidents and problems.

P2. Benchmark existing capacity and performance of the systems (e.g. response times) to form a baseline for future improvements. Where possible use a Standard Benchmark Test.

Operations & Support

O1. Review quality and currency of existing system documentation, user documentation and systems architecture documents.

O2. Peruse development standards to understand level of software development maturity.

O3. Review existing Service Level Agreements. Ascertain whether service levels are being met.

O4. Review the backlog of maintenance jobs and enhancements (including the associated priorities).

O5. Review suitability of existing Business Continuity Plans (BCP) or Disaster Recovery Plans if BCP does not exist.

User view

U1. Gauge users’ satisfaction and expectations with systems and current support services. This can be done using survey instruments and direct interviews.