Managing monitoring events for multiple clients is a complex challenge that requires a delicate balance between operational efficiency, customisation and timeliness. Data normalisation, dashboard and alarm management, and the need to maintain a uniform, high-quality workflow are just some of the issues that arise. In this article, we present effective strategies to address these issues and improve event management in a multi-client environment.
To free up resources to focus on core competencies, or to extend their offerings, many companies are increasingly turning to outsourced shared services.
Shared Services
An ICT service provider can often be called upon by its customers to expand its service and increase reliability levels through proactive monitoring activities even outside standard business hours (24/7).
In many cases, such companies can overcome the organisational gap required to set up such services, through outsourcing services that are provided by companies (even international ones) that are already organised to optimise their work.
These are centralised units that provide support for a range of functions outside the typical ‘core business’. By consolidating these functions in a single unit, companies can achieve better economies of scale and increase efficiency.
The need for Shared Services Centres (SSCs) is felt by those companies facing major growth, or those required to optimise existing resources or improve business processes, especially in the case of market expansion (companies with multiple sites, in Italy and abroad).
Main challenges in managing events for multiple clients
Data access
To deal effectively with the problem of heterogeneous data, it is essential to ensure uniform access to information, so that it can be managed and monitored in an integrated and dispersion-free manner. When events are produced by several customers, it can be complicated to monitor and manage them efficiently.
This problem is exacerbated when information is located on various dashboards and alarm systems (typically owned by the customers themselves), making it difficult to get an overview. Uniform access to data means that information must be easily accessible and understandable, regardless of its origin or the system where it is stored.
This allows a more efficient management of events, as it provides an overview. Uniformity in data access also facilitates the overview of alarms in monitoring sessions and, therefore, management, reducing complexity and accelerating response capabilities.
Information overload and loss of priority
Managing a large number of events can easily lead to information overload. Not all events are the same; some require immediate attention, while others can be handled calmly. Prioritisation must be correctly assigned to avoid critical events being overlooked.
Real-time monitoring
The need for an efficient alarm and dashboard system to monitor and manage events in real time is crucial. Without continuous monitoring, responsiveness and resolution times may be compromised.
Instructions and standard operating procedures
Keeping standard operating instructions and procedures up-to-date is crucial to ensure consistency and responsiveness in event management.
Context switches
Managing multiple platforms and clients carries the risk of context switches, reducing operational efficiency and increasing the time needed to respond to events.
Best practices and solutions to improve event management
Standardisation of data and centralisation of notification flows
Implement a centralised management system that allows quick and secure access to the data of each event. This facilitates collaboration and information sharing between teams.
Artificial intelligence and predictive analysis tools
Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics can automate the classification of events in real time, helping to prioritise and reduce the risk of information overload. This allows the team to focus on the most critical issues without having to manually filter each event.
Continuous training
Invest in continuous training for teams to ensure they are always up-to-date on the latest technologies and operational procedures.
Customised dashboards and configurable alarms
Customised dashboards and configurable alarms for each customer allow the team to focus on the most relevant data for each case. They provide an immediate overview of the status of events, identifying and responding quickly to any issues.
Documenting and updating standard operating instructions
Documenting and regularly updating standard operating instructions is essential to ensure uniform event management. This reduces the risk of context switches, as the team always has the latest and most consistent guidelines available.
Customer feedback and performance review
Encourage feedback from customers and internal teams to identify areas for improvement and implement innovative solutions. This involves the operators who are best placed to manage events and procedures on a daily basis.
NOC: timely response to incidents, outages and network performance problems
A Network Operations Centre, also known as NOC, is an IT team geared towards the remote management of networking and infrastructure issues: a real 24/7 service centre that can supervise, monitor and manage the network, servers, databases, firewalls, devices and related external services, without burdening the enterprise.
Why organisations use NOCs
Industries that operate 24 hours a day need constant and reliable connectivity. Maintaining this modern state of 24/7 global operations requires continuous network monitoring, which, however, can make network services difficult to manage within traditional IT services.
NOCs perform this monitoring for organisations, quickly addressing issues that could affect network performance, such as identifying malware, managing user volume and website traffic. They also optimise the network by performing upgrades and maintenance and improving its performance.
NOC Functionality
A Network Operations Centre takes care of all the following tasks:
- Updating, troubleshooting and installing software on systems connected to the network
- Management of IT infrastructure and equipment
- Backing up data and ensuring its accessibility on the network
- Antivirus support
- Monitoring firewalls and network security software
- Patch management
- E-mail management services
- Network monitoring, including network integrity status analysis, performance reporting and network optimisation
- Disaster recovery
Benefits of NOCs
NOCs, whether internal or obtained through third-party providers, offer several advantages to companies.
- More efficient IT departments: by taking the work done by an NOC away from the internal IT team, employees can focus on critical projects and new initiatives.
- Scalability: an NOC grows with a company as it expands into new locations and markets, and offers the scalability needed for daily or seasonal traffic fluctuations.
- Downtime eliminated: The 24/7 capabilities of an NOC mean that someone is always there to ensure that all software, hardware and networks are working properly.
- Rapid incident response: NOCs are designed to continuously monitor network systems, quickly identify problems and resolve them before they become a problem. This ‘always on’ design means that incidents are resolved promptly.
- Network optimisation: NOCs provide real-time reporting on the state of network integrity, identify areas for improvement and develop them to achieve a more robust network.
Conclusion
Managing events for multiple customers requires a structured approach and the adoption of best practices to ensure consistency, efficiency and quality. By implementing artificial intelligence tools, centralising data and adopting a Network Operations Centre, companies can address key challenges and significantly improve event management.
With their ability to operate seamlessly, monitor continuously and respond quickly to incidents, NOCs are an invaluable resource for organisations aiming to maintain high quality service and a high-performing network.
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