Vladimir Leonenko: Transfer of non-core functions on outsourcing – the most organic way to decrease in operating costs

Vladimir Leonenko: The direction of outsourcing and technical support on the system of creation of business processes rather seriously differs from projects, traditional for integrators. Actually this direction became serious to develop in Technoserv since 2009. And annually amount of works on service for clients of the company showed height from 30 to 50%.

During this time in Technoserv there was a collective capable to work as division of a full stroke with the procedures from a preseyl before development of recommendations to the customer on development of its infrastructure and internal processes. Thus selection on this base of separate department of service and outsourcing became a logical step. Formation of department allowed to increase even more the responsibility of our employees for result, to increase controllability structure, to lower costs due to exact understanding of all complex of projects and tasks in this sphere.

TAdviser: Tell, please, a little about structure of new department of what services it consists?

Vladimir Leonenko: The basic is the division which is engaged in the direct organization of rendering services – management of service. They are responsible for work on already settled contracts. In fact it is the debugged pipeline, with the processes regulated and tested for many years which issue result absolutely predicted and necessary to customers. But before the contract gets on service to management of service, it should undergo process of transfer from service of exploitation of the customer or the current outsourcer to us. The management of development is engaged in it. We have several options of the smoothly running processes of transfer of infrastructure to Technoserv on service allowing taking into account a situation in the customer to make it as fast as possible, are transparent and without serious consequences. The most important factor of effective implementation of this difficult task – the correct selection of people. Here not easy highly professional employees having behind shoulders not one process of transfer of processes from the operator to the operator work, are the people having a strong creative component. In their work it is important not just to follow the developed algorithms. Each customer and his business processes are unique therefore it is necessary in time to be able to change the selected algorithm, to hear the customer and to put a usual and important element of its process into the operation. And then to adapt the accepted process to those principles by which we work, saving identity of the project and meanwhile doing it to more effective.

TAdviser: What does work on the contract usually begin with?

Vladimir Leonenko: Standardly we begin work on preparation of process of transfer of services before we won the contract. Especially in government contracts it is important to minimize transmission time of services. Thus, if Technoserv came for tender, we are obliged to understand what we will do after the victory. Study of the principles of how there will be a transfer and as we will work further, begins approximately a month before submission of documents on tender. Further we offer the practices to the customer, and then in direct contact the specific step-by-step plan begins to be developed is even one or two months. For example, process of transfer of technical support of the IT equipment of one of the largest banks of the country took month. For bank we give support of all making storage systems of its Territorial Departments located in 18 cities.

TAdviser: It would be desirable to learn how Service Desk works. It is the general service which accepts loading from all clients at the same time, or in it there are divisions on customers and the directions?

Vladimir Leonenko: It is the general service on all the project of Technoserv. It is built according to the international standards and the best practices. I tell it is so sure because Technoserv has one of the best teams automating processes of rendering IT services in the large companies. So, for example, a command of Technoserv were engaged in creation of a centralized system of user support of corporate IT services for JSC ANC Bashneft. A system covered all main subsidiary companies of holding which are engaged in oil exploration and production, oil processing and petrochemistry, sale and logistics. In total more than 12 thousand users work with a system. And the full stroke of works from ITSM consulting before full-scale implementation made 10 months.

But, we will return to Service Desk work. Under each customer the employee group which 100% of time is occupied only with this project is without fail selected. Besides, there is a group of highly qualified specialists who are connected to that from clients on which at present loading sharply increased. For an illustration of our working capacity I will give digit. Under the contract with FMS of Russia we annually process up to 25 thousand addresses. And in department we service everything: from computers in all passport offices to federal DPC. It is clear, that the FMS is a big and favourite customer, but he is not one. We keep federal contracts of Rosreestr, Federal Tax Service, several large banks and so forth.

TAdviser: The scale of the last signed service contracts of Technoserv impresses: the same contract with Rosreestr for 2014 provides service of IT infrastructure on 2.5 thousand objects, and it at tough SLA (on critical problems – 2 hours). How it is perhaps net technically, especially in small localities, say, somewhere in Siberia?

Vladimir Leonenko: Of course, the universal recipe does not exist, the country at us big. In some territorial subjects of the federation we have specialists, in some we work with contractors who are checked by both time, and situations. But should tell you that a considerable part of addresses (more than a half) is solved far off. Neither the customer, nor us have sense to pay work of the qualified engineer in some small town where nothing can break in general. And quite another matter - presence of the specialist who can explain with the most simple language to the employee of small branch of the customer what should be made in order that we could perform recovery of service far off. Besides, the situation is saved by existence of the reserve equipment on places that allows to replace the broken computer or the printer within two hours. Well, and the main thing in this work – not to solve a problem bluntly at once, and to look for an optimal method.

TAdviser: Other your old customer – FMS, this year the list of government contracts was replenished with the agreement from FTS on a number of regions (320 objects). We did not get used to perceive a public sector as main IT innovator, and suddenly such courageous relation to outsourcing on which not all large commercial holdings decide. What it is connected with?

Vladimir Leonenko: First of all it is connected with increase in requirements of the state and citizens to what federal agencies should do. Today to provide the necessary service quality which are obliged to render government institutions, perhaps, only attracting the specialized companies, such as Technoserv on outsourcing. Department cannot and should not contain in staff of IT specialists who are capable to maintain operability of the technical infrastructure necessary for rendering the existing services and functioning of department in general. In all government institutions large-scale, difficult and exacting IT systems for which service very qualified and expensive personnel is necessary work now.

TAdviser: Except a public sector there are still some industries which you could select as creating high demand on outsourcing services?

Vladimir Leonenko: It is any industry in which there is a high competition: retail, telecom operators, financial institutions. I cannot tell that there is some explicit leader. In the conditions of fierce competition broadcast of non-core functions on outsourcing is the most organic way to decrease in operating costs. Not so long ago we considered a case for large bank from which it turned out that economy when outsourcing makes about 8-10%. Plus to it the Chief information officer receives controllability services and transparency which is guaranteed to SLA.

TAdviser: If to abstract from IT outsourcing what other new directions of IT services, in your opinion, will be relevant in Russia in the nearest future?

Vladimir Leonenko: More and more the trend on transfer of CAPEX in OPEX gains steam. When outsourcing for business it becomes indifferent as processes of rendering service are organized. The customer needs to understand how these services interact and influence his business. Such approach allows to treat outsourcing very widely. It not just maintenance of the equipment or transfer to the contractor of the engineers. Accomplishment of the tasks formulated for IT by business is important. It means leaving towards clouds for integrators, mobility, services in data analysis. Now customers need even not applications, but results of their activity.

TAdviser: What services are rendered now by Technoserv? What is most demanded?

Vladimir Leonenko: Today we well are able to give service and warranty support - direct or partner service within the supplies of equipment performed by us. Here, first of all, it is required to measure correctly parameters of the equipment and to qualitatively render works on prevention and repair. And the integrator due to the lack of the overregulation which is present at vendors can provide SLA not available to the producer. For example, presence on site at the customer of substitution fund that reduces recovery time. Or we can give support of the equipment without participation of vendor, for example, for the closed state enterprises where there cannot be an engineer of the western company, or execute repair of the equipment removed from support.

The second service which is in demand is outstaffing when we admit to staff of the customer. Then all problems with personnel – salary, routine of the personnel, involvement of additional specialists under the growing business needs of the customer is our task.

One more class of services – so-called professional services where we jointly with IT service of the customer are ready to carry out the works directed to reduction of idle times of the existing infrastructure. It both consultations, and carrying out scheduled maintenance, and preparation of the documents describing the current situation and containing recommendations about improvement of a situation. Such services are provided with presence at Technoserv of the technical expertize not available to the customer. According to this scenario we work with RIA Novosti, FMS of Russia, large transport company and a number of banks. Here not only the principle of "not hackneyed eye", but also knowledge of approaches of the correct analysis of infrastructure without which outsourcing is not possible works. Such expert evaluation gives to the customer exact knowledge where "a potential rake lies", and already to it to decide – to live with this problem or to transfer a part of the budget to their elimination.

TAdviser: And what of services is very best?

Vladimir Leonenko: The most high-level service is an outsourcing when we supplement and we expand internal with IT of the customer. For example, because we take completely the responsibility for work of all infrastructure. To the customer it is not important what broke as to repair it whether there are component parts, etc. The main thing that, for example, the database will regularly deliver data in all IT systems, and will not hurt the customer the head about on what specifically disks that lies. We will report for it. Higher level is a support of the business application with the stated indicators and the mode. And we execute a complete pool of works from consultations of users to the organization of interaction of developers with the customer. Here already Technoserv not only is responsible how infrastructure works, but also guarantees correctness of an avtomatiziation of specific business processes (for example, correctness of business logic and speed of creation of reports). item.

Undoubtedly, just service and warranty service is most demanded today. But absolutely other level of the relations and trust between integrator and the customer arises not when the integrator is on a position catching up (broke – fly to repair) and when the work on advancing removing a routine and problems from IT departments both releasing time and giving base for planning, development and formation of strategy becomes.