How do you measure the success of infrastructure management in your projects?

Measuring the success of infrastructure management in terms of availability & reliability involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as uptime & mean time between failures (MTBF). Availability is typically measured as the percentage of time that systems are operational & accessible for use. High availability indicates minimal downtime & a robust infrastructure. Measuring & monitoring response times, error rates, & incident resolution times can provide insights into the overall performance & stability of the infrastructure. Achieving consistent & high availability is a primary goal in infrastructure management to ensure that users can depend on the services & systems.

Infrastructure Management as a project is a juxtapose in itself. Infrastructure management is most often than not a long term affair (30 - 100+ years). Measuring success can often mean different things to different people; for users/customers they often feel success as social, economical and environmentally. Whereas asset managers often look at success as a technical measure i.e. MTTR, Availability, Reliability, MTBF etc. and shareholders always see success in terms of ROI. The challenge for asset custodians is to connect these stakeholder requirements together and balance the cost, risk and performance. This is done through understanding your asset; its characteristics, condition and criticality and implementing appropriate strategies.

Acredito ser muito útil a avalia??o dos desempenhos das infraestruturas a fim de garantir sua eficiência. Além disso, uma expans?o para acomodar aumentos na demanda e mudan?as futuras sem perda de qualidade é permitida através da escalabilidade. Como Peter Drucker, considerado pai da gest?o moderna, observou: “O que pode ser medido pode ser melhorado.” Garantir que as infraestruturas sejam tanto eficientes quanto escaláveis promove um melhor suporte ao crescimento e à eficácia a longo prazo.

Scalability is the ability of the infrastructure to handle growth in demand without compromising performance or reliability. Measuring the success of infrastructure management based on efficiency involves assessing how well the infrastructure uses resources to achieve optimal performance. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) e.g. resource utilization rates, including CPU, memory & storage, can help determine efficiency. An efficient infrastructure maximizes performance while minimizing waste e.g. unused server capacity or unnecessary data storage. Cost efficiency is crucial, tracking Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) & return on investment (ROI) can provide insight into how well the infrastructure manages resources & financial investments.

Providing proper security & compliance in infrastructure management projects requires a comprehensive, proactive approach that involves both technical measures & adherence to industry standards & regulations. Establishing strong access controls & authentication mechanisms e.g. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), helps limit & monitor who can access systems & data. Encrypting data at rest & in transit ensures that sensitive information remains secure. Regular security audits, vulnerability assessments & penetration testing help identify & address potential weaknesses in the infrastructure. Compliance with industry regulations & standards is crucial in secure infrastructure management.

Custo e valor s?o aspectos essenciais na gest?o de infraestrutura. O controle dos custos auxilia na garantia da viabilidade financeira, e a avalia??o do valor assegura que o investimento traga benefícios reais e sustentáveis. O investidor e filantropo americano Warren Buffett disse: “Pre?o é o que você paga. Valor é o que você recebe.” O equilíbrio do custo com o valor real auxilia na obten??o de uma gest?o eficaz, sem que haja gastos desnecessários.

Measuring value is one of the most difficult things to do in public infrastructure. Experts have come up with various ways to measure it as well. In transport projects it is often close to impossible to measure the success of a project in monetary terms. What you can do is get a feel of the benefit the project brings to the community; such as reduced congestion on roads as as result of a new public transport infrastructure (case in point the Helsinki Metro and feeder bus system). Often times than not these public transport projects are not turning a profit but their true value lies where these projects connect and bring together communities and that can often unlock far greater outcomes for society.

When evaluating the success of infrastructure management, a balanced approach that considers both cost and value is essential. Here are some keys from my point of view. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): This metric encompasses all direct and indirect costs associated with the infrastructure, including acquisition, deployment, maintenance, and support. By tracking TCO, can identify potential cost-saving opportunities and optimize resource allocation. CAPEX - can ensure that investments align with long-term business goals and avoid unnecessary expenses. Risk Management: Effective risk management practices can help mitigate potential risks and reduce costs