The document discusses strategies for growing data centers without increasing overhead through automation and self-service technologies. It highlights the importance of scale enablers, such as standardization and process improvement, which have led to significant efficiency and revenue improvements at Macquarie Telecom. Key takeaways include focusing on business problems to solve, leveraging automation, and enhancing customer self-service capabilities.

1. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc1
Growing Your Data Center,
Not Your Overhead
Automation
Self
Service
Business
Benefits

2. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc2
Dean Forster
Growing your Data
Center, not your
Overhead

3. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc3
Dean Forster
Technical Director and OSS Manager | Macquarie Hosting
Australian Business Telecommunications
Service Provider
Hosting focus, with Telco background
(Voice, Data, Mobile, Hosting, Co-Location)
for Corporate and Government
26 Data Points of Presence in AUS/NZ with 3 Data
Centers
(BMC Customer since 2001 with Remedy, and 2011 with Automation)

4. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc4
Life as a small company….
SKILL
Experience
knowledge
SpeedGURU Supports first 3 customers
Build Run
Your ‘one guru’, does all the work

5. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc5
Life as a small company….
SKILL
Experience
knowledge
Speed
GURU
Supports first 10 customers/users
Build Run
SKILL
Experience
know
Speed
NOVICE
More customers = hire new people

6. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc6
Life as a large company……
SKILL
Experie
nce
know
Speed4 Novices
40 Customers/users
SKILL
Experie
nce
Though
t
Speed
SKILL
Experie
nce
know
Speed
SKILL
Experie
nce
know
Speed
10:1 Ratio
Even more customers, more people, a scale

7. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc7
Using a scale enabler
SKILL
Experie
nce
Though
t
Speed
4 Novices 60
SKILL
Experie
nce
Though
t
Speed
SKILL
Experie
nce
Though
t
Speed
SKILL
Experie
nce
Though
t
Speed
15:1 Ratio
100:1 Ratio 400
500:1 Ratio 2000
Using a Scale Enabler, to reduce effort/overhead
10:1 Ratio

8. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc8
Why is the right scale important
Sales
Effectiveness
Operations
Effectiveness
Delivery
Effectiveness
Service
Effectiveness
Good
Scale
Better
Scale
Less ProfitPoor
Scale
Less Customer
Satisfaction
Tickets per Operator
Builds per Engineer
Customers per Rep
Deals per BDM
Tasks per person
Too many
people Too many
tasks
15:1
4:1
9:1
3:1
Scale
Various measures in the business
P
o
o
r
G
o
o
d
B
e
t
t
e
r
P
o
o
r
G
o
o
d
B
e
t
t
e
r

9. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc9
Scale enablers
Standardization
Managed ITIL BPE
Documented Non-custom Repeatable
Sharing Quality KMS
Teams Specialist Communication
Scripts Tools Orchestration
Online Integrated End to end
Process
Knowledge
Structure
Automation
Self-Service
Technology
Accelerators

10. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc10
Using scale enablers at Macquarie Telecom:
•ITIL focus with standard products
•Dedicate teams/re-structure
•Process improvement and management
Business structure
•Reduce customer execution time from 56 days to 2 hours
•Online contract and commercial agreements
•Interaction via an online portal
Customer self-service
•Remove all human effort where possible
•Improve operations efficiency
•Offer unique value
•Platform for continual improvement
Automation
Executed over 6+
years with minor
gains.
80% of ‘change’
business is now
online.
Immediate 20%
efficiency
improvement

11. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc11
The
automated
business

12. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc12
Atrium Orchestrator: Robot
Other
Business
Systems
Front End Portal
- Service portal
- Online pricing
Assets/
Services
CMDB
Internal Portal
- Internal changes
- Service Request Management
Test/Dev
Other Management
Systems
Reporting
BMC Atrium
Orchestrator
Billing
CRM
Tickets
Orders
Alarming
(SMARTS)
Perf Mgmt
Config Mgmt
BSA (Server)
BNA (Network)
Storage
VMWare
Duplicate assets
and systems
Spotfire
SQL
SQL
Structure Process
Standards Knowledge

13. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc13
How much automation?
What scripts can do
What puppet/chef can do
What automation can do
Server
List
Patch
Servers
Server
List
Patch
Servers
Report Redo
Server
List
Patch
Servers
Test ReportMissing
Patches
Auth
Change
Mgmt
AlertRetry
Change
Mgmt
fails
fails
fails
Server O/S Patching
Example
3000 servers per
month
Informed

14. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc14
Examples of Automation
Operational:
- First Time Fix/Ticket enrichment
- Process triggering/Disaster Recovery
- O/S patching
Initial
Focus
Service Build:
- Build workflows
(VM/Network/SAN/Firewall/AV/Backup)
- Order linkages
- Automated test/validate
- From click to bill automation
Largest
Scale
Enabler
Information Extraction:
- Service inventory updating
- Application inventory
- Data correlationCustomer
Value and
Innovation
Solution Builds:
- Parallel processing
- Solution end-to-end
Future
Focus

15. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc15
Business Results: Automation Scale Enablers
15%
Efficiency
improvement
5%
Revenue
Improvement
20%
Efficiency
improvement
15%
Efficiency
improvement
15%
Revenue
Improvement
20%
cSAT
improvement
Internal Automation External Automation Customer Automation

16. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc16
Help the
customer
help
themselves

17. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc17
Online Ordering/Self-Service 60+ tasks on
offer
Automated and
manual order
processing

18. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc18
Extend the buying cycle….
Where typical Online Ordering works
You
have
this
It performs
X well, with
Y Capacity
I would like
to buy?
Build
Test and
handover
You now
have
this
It performs
X well, with
Y Capacity
Needs identify Needs fulfilled
$
Alert
AutomatedeCommerceReportAutomated Automated Automated Report

19. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc19
Customer usage
Increased revenue
Reduced errors
Efficiency improvement
Business Results: Self-Service Automation Scale Enabler
80%
Customer
Adoption
1/3
Less Order
Issues
20+
Days billing
earlier
10%
‘Small Order’
Revenue
Increase
20%
Staff
Reduction

20. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc20
It all went ok, didn’t it??
Learnings

21. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc21
Measures of Success…
Business target
reached
We now
have it?
Lower staff
numbers
Revenue
increase?
Customer
satisfaction?
Engagement Happy
staff
S.M.A.R.T
Simple!
Focus on one obvious business problem with an eye on results.

22. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc22
Other
Business
Systems
People
- Support
- Developers
Assets
CMDB
Users/Customers
Other
Management
Systems
Reporting
Automation change overlay…
Automation
Systems
Overlay
• Limit Change
• Limit Risk
• Costs more/short term
• Improve acceptance

23. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc23
Limit Business Change…
Tried and true

24. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc24
Limit Business Change…
Tried and true
New/quicker/
parallel

25. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc25
Limit Business Change…
Tried and true
New/quicker/
parallel Change executed
Business change by stealth

26. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc26
New costs/overhead:
Maintain what has been
delivered.
Support
Continuous
improvement
Support growth and
expansion.
Pays the bills
Builds a profile,
enables innovation
Equiv 1
developer
(20 tickets pm)
Equiv 2
developers
(Annual
savings target)
Planned
‘spare’ effort.
innovation
projects
Macquarie Experience
Discretionary projects
Plan for support overhead…

27. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc27
Key Takeaways
• Scale Enablers, grow your Data Center, without growing your overheads
– Automation Technology:
• Long chain automation with orchestration
• Focus on B2C first (greatest business gains helping customers)
– Self Service Overlay:
• Online/self-help/ordering
• Extend buying cycle
• Focus on one obvious business problem to solve
– Easy to understand business benefits:
Growing your Data Center, not your overhead

28. © Copyright 3/13/2015 BMC Software, Inc28
Thank You.
blog: www.thebannedtechnologist.com
www.macquarietelecom.com