Hardware's a commodity - Why bother managing capacity? Being ready for the next challenge…(6 of 7)

There are a ton of career-improvement and life-improvement books in the marketplace.

An early mentor of mine used the word pivot a lot, though, and it’s stuck with me over the years.  As a basketball fan and referee, I’ve always liked the term for more than one reason.

Everyone is in a different place – out of work, having a job but wanting to change their career or career trajectory, enjoying what they do but wanting to make more of a difference.

A new book called “Pivot” by Adam Markel describes the small changes one must make in their thinking and behavior that can lead to a big change in both personal and professional outcomes.  I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to make small, but real changes in their lives.

Now for some specific recommendations for the Capacity Manager, looking at how you can make some changes – some small, some bigger.

Education

There are two career-based reasons to seek out education – to perform your current job better and to position yourself better for future opportunities.  The best choices can be used for both reasons.

Your organization uses certain technologies – becoming expert in those will make you a better Capacity Manager. 

•        Technical training / certifications

•        ITIL training / certifications

•        Project Manager training / certifications

For example, if you are responsible for performance and capacity of VMware systems, becoming VCP certified will make you much more valuable to the organization and someday that certification might be a door opener if you decide to move onto something else.  In a commoditized world, it’s important for the Capacity Manager to understand why those technologies are really more than just commodities to buy, use, and throw away.

ITIL (or some other best practice) training and certification is especially useful in those organizations that have adopted / aligned to those standards.  Becoming Manager (v2) certified and Expert (v3) certified opened the doors in my career and even as a Capacity Manager would give me a well-rounded understanding of the other ITSM processes and the terminology used in them.

I’ve seen many people in technical roles take project manager training and seek out certifications and then segue into those kinds of positions in organizations.  Good project managers can never be underestimated and the skills will serve anyone who manages projects in IT well, even if it isn’t a career path.

Companies have all kinds of specialized training – about the business, about specific technologies they use.  If your company has an education department with courses that can be taken to teach new skills and those courses are made available to you, they’re a great option. 

•        Company specific training / certifications

•        Groups / Events like CMG, Toastmasters, etc.

•        Tuition reimbursement plans

Being able to speak in public is a skill many of us take for granted, but many more find absolutely terrifying.  And yet the ability to give a good presentation can be one of the things that can launch a career or change an existing one in a positive way.  Writing papers for CMG is a way to network with fellow Capacity Managers and establish credibility in the industry – there are many people who have improved their careers by making contacts at CMG or other technical events.

Finally, if your organization offers a tuition reimbursement plan where you can take college courses or pursue a degree on the company dime and/or time, consider it.  It’s how I started my MBA – and while it took me 4 years to complete, it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made for my career. I'll conclude my series on Wednesday, in the meantime make sure to check out our Resources section where you'll find a great collection of Capacity Management related white papers and on-demand webinars https://www.metron-athene.com/resources/index.asp

Rich Fronheiser

Chief Marketing Officer 

The Art and Science of Capacity Management

Just looking at the two parts of the world where I spend most of my time, the USA and Europe, it has been a funny old year.   

In the US, the presidential election has returned a leader who has, to date, sat outside the established political system.  Next year the USA will be led by someone who is totally new to his role, rather than have someone who has come through the traditional route of minor political roles leading to national leadership. 

In Europe, the British referendum concluded in a vote to leave the European Union (EU), or ‘Brexit’ as this process has now become known.  Although a British decision, the ramifications of Brexit will be felt across Europe, something that has already started.  The impact will be potentially more far-reaching once the withdrawal of the UK has been negotiated and eventually happens. 

Where does all this fit with Capacity Management?  Well, both geographies have taken a huge step into the unknown.  America has its first businessman with little conventional political background as leader.  The EU will see the first fully-fledged member state depart from its ranks, which have been steadily expanding to date.  Any step into the unknown like this has risks.  What will happen?  Will people be happy with the decisions they have taken?  Will the changes that come bring more prosperity, more equality or less? How will the all-important financial markets react, with their dislike of uncertainty? How will we cope if what unfolds differs from what we anticipate? 

One of the hardest aspects of Capacity Management is handling questions like these: questions for which there is no precedent, no experience on which judgements can be based or from which measurements can be taken.   For Capacity Managers this manifests itself in being expected to plan for acceptable service levels through major changes such as a new business venture bringing a need to support an application different to any others currently supported or an external change in user behaviour meaning knowledge of past system usage has no value in anticipating future needs. 

This is where the good Capacity Manager really earns his corn.  If we have things we can measure and use as a basis for prediction, if we have similar situations in the past on which we can base judgements, the job is always easier.  It’s more of a science at such times.  

‘Guesstimating’ the totally new is more of an art.  Having a Capacity Manager who has, or has access to, a broad range of experience, perhaps both within his business and in the world outside, will help.  This suggests a level of maturity and experience that needs to be built up over time, a mind that is willing to challenge obvious perceptions and test boundaries others might feel unlikely to be hit.  An open mind, a lateral thinker, someone willing to test assumptions others feel are not worth the time.  If you’re recruiting a Capacity Manager, you might want to think about how you test for these capabilities, rather than focus on traditional areas such as technical know-how.  For Capacity Managers, you might want to get examples of these skills on your CV – an employer who appreciates the need for them might be a better employer for a Capacity Manager than one who does not. 

As for next year – well, no predictions from me.  Ask a good Capacity Manager instead….  

Thank you to everyone who has interacted with Metron throughout 2016. 

My compliments of the season to you all.

Andrew Smith

CEO