Applies to:

Problem

Generally, solution performance is adversely impacted by End User model object granularity.  The adverse impact could be caused, for example, by modeling on details down to the individual device name, serial number, telephone number, software application, or username.  The problem often focuses on how to adjust a model to improve performance without sacrificing the necessary granularity.

Since there are no standard reports for End User Devices, the purpose of the object in the Cost Transparency model is to align device costs with a service.  Therefore, the Cost Transparency models do not need excessively granular detail in order to adequately model costs.

However, when End User Devices modeling is required, configuration should answer the question, “What is the lowest level of granularity necessary to make “better” or “best” substantiative allocations in Cost Transparency?”

Following are some End User insights that may impact the model object granularity:

•     When should I refresh my device? Device Age needed.
•     What is the unit cost of a particular device type? Device type is necessary.
•     What is the per employee cost for a workspace? Workspace types are included.

What is my software license compliance across my end user population?  While this is an end user issue, it may be best left to a separate effort (like Bill of IT) as it does not focus on Cost.  It can also lead to highly granular End User identifiers.

Resolution(s)

1.  For standard implementations, allocate directly from Towers to Services bypassing the End User object altogether. Why does this work?  When there is no need to align End User costs to services via additional end user meta-fields like device types or location, etc., it is possible to directly allocate an End User sub tower to an end user service.  In addition, there are no reports in the standard Apptio product and the End User object is not required.
2.  In  situations where Device ID is required at the reporting level, there are no best practice recommendations. The use of an intermediate object would serve no purpose because there are no standard reports that require an End User object in the first place.  Consider including granularity for only a particular subset of devices.  Alternatively, consider pushing the individual device level details to a Bill of IT implementation.  Again, it is not a constructive best practice to try to build the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a single device, but rather the TCO for a category of devices, e.g., Laptop and then use Bill of IT to provide end users with device level information.

Remember!

Remember that the purpose of the information (data) modeled within Apptio is to populate reports that help us make decisions. If a data element can’t help us make a decision or allocate costs, then it’s not a good candidate for inclusion in an identifier.

{Various} is not a four-letter word, and seeing a {Various} isn’t necessarily a sign of bad configuration! In fact, if you eliminated details that weren’t being used for analysis and improved performance, it can actually be good configuration.

When making exceptions to standard granularity recommendations or adding new objects and reports, pursue the least invasive options first.

Lastly, keep in mind that Cost Transparency is not an accounting system. Most analysts who could make use of extremely granular transaction-level data already have access to that information. The level of detail we need for cost modeling, allocations, and strategic business decisions is often much less! Following the above suggestions and best practices can keep your finance layer, and calculation times, as efficient as possible.