I'd like to present the industry's first Technology Asset
Management Body of Knowledge - the TAMBOK. You can find it by clicking on the
link at the end of this post, but please take a moment to read this brief introduction.
Fair warning: I rarely talk about “me” but today, for this
purpose, I’m giving you my personal/professional perspective. For those of you who may not know my background, I've been in the technology asset management industry for
over twenty years. Here’s where I’m
coming from…
In 2000, I designed and delivered two of the first
professional certification programs in our industry - one for Software Asset
Management and another for Technology Asset Management. Since 1988 I
have been developing and delivering collegiate-level programs in Negotiations,
Buying Technology Assets, Project Management and other related business topics.
However, in 2004 I found myself forced to take a step back and to view the
asset management professional development industry from a new perspective. I've
spent nearly half a dozen years in intense study of credentials and of the
credentialing processes used by some of the top professions - and I have been
highly disappointed in the existing certification programs in our field.
We need a paradigm shift
Frankly, fewer than 5% of technology asset
management-related training programs I’ve reviewed are performing an effective
job of establishing and building our profession. Don't get me wrong: As a sort
of "training wheels" beginning, we've produced some decent
certifications over the past eight or so years - but we STILL haven't kicked
the proprietary supplier/product habit. The vast majority of our training and
certifications have been designed by, and in many cases are still delivered by,
partners, pals, and allies of the very industry suppliers that created the
financial and liability needs to establish technology asset management systems
in the first place. (While this is not necessarily a terrible state of affairs, it CAN BE easily translated into a less-than-credible focus on "marketing" over professional preparation.)
I think it’s well beyond time that we converted our
professional preparation into a supplier- and product-agnostic process – one
genuinely designed and developed by practitioners, FOR practitioners – a
program series that is based on solid learning methodologies (Think Bloom’s
Taxonomy) and shaped to help you obtain and retain professional career
employment by delivering serious business value to the enterprise. This is the main
reason why I worked with other asset managers to create the industry’s first
non profit organization specifically focused on credentialing asset management
practitioners: The Institute for Technology Asset Management. It’s also why
we’ve chosen to formally document our profession in the Guide to the Technology
AssetManagement Body Of Knowledge.
TAMBOK = What you need to know
So... Here's what I've done. I've spent the last five
years working with over three hundred business professionals, academicians, and
asset management practitioners to re-envision our collection of certificates
into a serious credential program - one based on a publicly available Body of
Knowledge as well as a credible credential preparation program of study.
Together, we have built this Guide to the Technology Asset Management Body of
Knowledge (TAMBOK) to accurately reflect the skills you need to perform well in
the fields of Software & Copyright Compliance Assurance (SCCA), Software
Asset Management (SAM), Technology Asset Management (TAM / ITAM), and
Technology Portfolio Asset Management (TPM).
Understand that the copy of the TAMBOK currently
available - the Third Edition - is the culmination of a series of short, yet
comprehensive, reviews to bring together the major components of a credential
series that not only speaks to what you KNOW, but more importantly speaks to
what you can DO with that knowledge. The major components of the TAMBOK include the
following:
Four Life Cycle Process Groups
o Procurement
o Distribution
o Operations
&
o Governance
Six Practice Areas
o Portfolio
Management
o Business
Management
o Financial
Management
o Risk Management
o Contract
Management &
o Project
Management
And Over Fourteen Applied Competency Areas
o Think about
focused applied capabilities in topics such as Negotiations, Audit
Methodologies, License Management, Documentation Management, and others.
We've come a long way with these professions since I
first developed and implemented the knowledge infrastructure of my former
association. After extensive research and development, our working group
determined that we need to take the next step of converting the traditional
certificate process from a few hours of lecture followed by a memorization
test - to a credible credentialing system that mirrors the success of such
credentialing programs as those provided by the Project Management Institute,
the AICPA, the Contract Managers Association, and others. (There is an
extensive list of organizations from which we drew samples, guidelines, and
advice in the TAMBOK Appendix.)
That next step begins with a formal Body of Knowledge -
the TAMBOK - on which we can build and evolve a solid foundation of applied
capabilities. The TAMBOK is not a derivative work that attempts to bend
technology skills into a new service added on to the responsibilities of
enterprise technicians. Instead, this is an entirely new perspective of
capabilities to be applied to the Business side of the Technology Portfolio.
And, to further clarify the potential of the TAMBOK,
we’ll soon be presenting a highly unique Knowledge Briefing Series covering how "What you
know," is converted into "What you can actually apply,"
which translates into "The value you can deliver with a significantly
more credible credential."
We'll be the first to admit that the TAMBOK isn't perfect
- it's a work in progress. But this document IS the first supplier- and
product-neutral effort by a credentialing body in our industry to bring order
from chaos and to place your cost-effective Professional Development Blueprint
in your hands where it belongs.
Technology asset management - software asset management - It's all about putting a stop to status quo - putting a stop to "This is the way it's done...". If you are a "go along with the program" kind of person, you may get that new technology asset management or software asset management job but you probably won't get the results. If, on the other hand, you are a "cut the the core" kind of individual, you probably have the capabilities to get the results but you probably won't get the chance to do the job.
Interesting quandary? Been there. Done that.
So here's my challenge to you: If you are willing to step up to the plate and change the asset management world, I'll help you all I can. How will you know if joining forces with "The Network!" and "The Institute!" would be right for you? Measure against your honest responses to the following items - don't present your corporate face - present your OWN. Answer as a buyer - as if it was your own money - and use the word "Agree" for "I accept" or use the word "Disagree" for "I'll be taking this acquisition to your competitor" (I'll interpret your score when you have finished...)
This software contract is not negotiable...
The hardware agreement is not negotiable...
The provider reserves the right to change the agreement at will and without notice...
This product is sold "as is"...
You can only purchase a new computer with this specific operating system...
Our product is the only one of its kind...
Our services are supplier-neutral...
Subscription-based licensing is less costly than perpetual licensing...
Remember, "Agree" if you would accept or believe the clause or statement, "Disagree" if you would not accept or believe. Once you are finished, I'll explain how we can help you create a more cost-effective technology environment. Click MORE for your score.
Every time I teach a course, be it software life cycle management, asset management, project management, negotiations, or some related business process improvement content, I run into the same problem. Way too many of the people attending the course make the same comment:
Committment: Our company wants to improve the way we do (this or that) but, when it comes down to actually making the move, there isn't sufficient executive support--no serious follow-through.
I'm sure you've seen this, too. The enterprise--as a whole--is aware that there are more effective ways to accomplish certain tasks or projects, but it has no formal process for approaching, planning, and implementing a change initiative. What's more, executive management--leadership?--does not, or will not, take a visible role in enacting the business process improvement or change. THIS is where my title content comes into play.
My politically incorrect message to management is this: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way!
Result? How many times have you heard the lament:
Employee Quote: "I spent the time and effort attending this training, or that seminar, (or the company spend the money) and identified a specific way (or two, or ten) that we could improve business processes in our company. Then, when I came back to work, I wasn't encouraged (permitted?) to make anything happen."
In this tough economy--in ANY economy--a company lives and/or dies by its abilities--its willingness--to evolve.
Read on for ideas covering the ways you might consider using to encourage the people around you to change this trend.
If your company is involved--or may become involved--in an acquisition, merger, name change, or even change of address, you had better be completely sure of the precise content of every technology license and support or maintenance agreement within your technology portfolio. The reason?
Inside every one of these legally binding documents are a series of quietly onerous terms and conditions that the licensor can hyper-enforce to take you on a quick--and very expensive--trip to the fines and penalties bank and mis-trust.
Real World - This company paid a six figure software license penalty because a zoning modification required them to move their corporate address around the corner to a different side of their building. (Same building...Big Fine)
Forewarned is forearmed... Even a simple thing like upgrading a server or other major system can cause your company to fall victim to vendor sharp practices--also referred to as stiffing--when you bend even a single clause in that carefully crafted contract.
As the economy continues to play havoc with bottom lines, some technology suppliers are more than willing to hyper-enforce their agreements just to wring a few extra bucks out of your budget--and they aren't too worried about you displacing their product when they play hard ball.
