A question that often comes up during the early stages of a TBM program is where to organizationally locate the TBM Office (TBMO). The answer is "it depends" but here are a few considerations:
- The TBM office can be a virtual construct. Many customers designate a group as their TBM Office (or whatever they are comfortable calling it) but you can be equally successful by defining the roles and having them filled by people from different parts of the organization. For example, the TBM Program Owner or champion may be from the Office of the CIO but the TBMA may be sourced from IT Finance. Ultimately the success of the TBM office has more to do with TBM program governance than it does any specific organizational construct.
- With that said, the chances of the TBMO being successful go up when it is closely allied and aligned with the driver of TBM adoption. If IT Finance has brought Apptio in to establish transparency then situating the TBMO within IT Finance gives it some management air cover. If the CIO has brought Apptio in to improve performance, optimize/rationalize, etc. then having the TBMO live with the CIO or I&O may be a better choice.
- One of the Hallmarks of Wildly Successful Customers is that the TBM program spans IT and Finance. It may not be practical to achieve that right out of the gate but it is a seed that should be planted early and watered often. Expanding the TBM Governance function and/or the TBMO as the number of stakeholders expands is a natural evolution – just avoid having it become too big or too top-heavy.
- TBMO is only one component of TBM Governance. Staffing the required positions is a priority but winning hearts and minds from the broader IT and Finance community is a close second. This means emphasizing a marketing or communications plan, recruiting “friendlies” to help carry the message, collecting feedback and identifying new opportunities are all tasks that the TBMO, as the arms and legs of the TBM Governance process, need to start working on. The emphasis at the beginning of the program will be on getting the solution stood-up but as go-live nears that emphasis needs to swing toward driving adoption and managing the overall TBM program.
- You may have little choice in who staffs your TBMO. There are specific skills you need and you may only have access to a couple of people who could fill the roles, especially if TBM is not a widely supported program yet. Emphasize the need to get commitment for the required skills but be willing to accept “good fit” now over “perfect fit” down the road. There are lots of resources available to help a TBMA and program sponsor develop in their roles.
Location of the TBMO – at least initially – should reflect a balance between seizing immediate opportunities to drive TBM adoption, and positioning to spread TBM disciplines and its benefits throughout the IT, Finance and Business organizations. A thoughtful and honest assessment of an organization’s readiness for TBM will help to situate the TBMO to maximize the chances of adoption, realization of TBM benefits and momentum for expanding the TBM program.
What other suggestions or observations do the TBM Community have to share on the subject of TBMO location?