Method, apparatus, and program for implementing an automation computing evaluation scale to generate recommendations

A data processing system for assessing self-managing capabilities of an automated computing system, the data processing system comprising:

• a bus system;
• a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores a set of instructions;
• and
• a processor device connected to the bus system, wherein the processor device executes the set of instructions to:
• present automated computing education material to the customer that educates a customer on how the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system are assessed by the data processing system;
• present an assessment survey including a plurality of assessment survey questions for each of a plurality of automation computing assessment categories to the customer about a current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer, the plurality of automation computing assessment categories in the assessment survey include a problem management category for identifying, isolating, and resolving issues that negatively impact Information Technology services, an availability management category for ensuring availability of Information Technology services, a security management category for securing business resources and data against unauthorized intrusion, a solution deployment category for identifying, planning, testing, distributing, installing, and validating deployment of Information Technology solutions, a user administration category for managing a life cycle of a user's access to available resources, and a performance and capacity management category for managing and monitoring system performance;
• receive answers to the plurality of assessment survey questions for each of the plurality of automation computing assessment categories from the customer about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form received assessment survey answers;
• assign a computer automation rank according to an automation computing evaluation scale that includes a plurality of predetermined levels of automation computing capabilities used to measure on-demand readiness of automated computing systems to each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories based on the received assessment survey answers about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form an assigned rank for each automation computing assessment category, the plurality of predetermined levels of automation computing capabilities include a basic maturity level that indicates the customer uses manual analysis and problem solving, a managed maturity level that indicates the customer uses centralized tools and performs manual actions, a predictive maturity level that indicates the customer monitors, correlates data, and recommends action, an adaptive maturity level that indicates the customer uses a system that monitors, correlates data, and takes action, and an autonomic maturity level that indicates dynamic business policy based management;
• provide data for achieving a target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system to the customer based on the assigned rank for each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories in order for the customer to become more self-managing automation computing capable, wherein providing the data for achieving the target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system includes determining operational efficiency savings for achieving the target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system relative to the automation computing capabilities of the customer;
• receive changes to the received assessment survey answers about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form changed assessment survey answers for determining how the changes to the received assessment survey answers affect the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer;
• and
• determine a change in the computer automation rank for each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories based on the changed assessment survey answers.

A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions for assessing automated computing capabilities, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

• computer executable instructions for presenting automated computing education material to a customer that educates the customer on how the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system are assessed by the data processing system;
• computer executable instructions for presenting an assessment survey including a plurality of assessment survey questions for each of a plurality of automation computing assessment categories to the customer about a current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer, the plurality of automation computing assessment categories in the assessment survey include a problem management category for identifying, isolating, and resolving issues that negatively impact Information Technology services, an availability management category for ensuring availability of Information Technology services, a security management category for securing business resources and data against unauthorized intrusion, a solution deployment category for identifying, planning, testing, distributing, installing, and validating deployment of Information Technology solutions, a user administration category for managing a life cycle of a user's access to available resources, and a performance and capacity management category for managing and monitoring system performance;
• computer executable instructions for receiving answers to the plurality of assessment survey questions for each of the plurality of automation computing assessment categories from the customer about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form received assessment survey answers;
• computer executable instructions for assigning a computer automation rank according to an automation computing evaluation scale that includes a plurality of predetermined levels of automation computing capabilities used to measure on-demand readiness of automated computing systems to each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories based on the received assessment survey answers about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form an assigned rank for each automation computing assessment category, the plurality of predetermined levels of automation computing capabilities include a basic maturity level that indicates the customer uses manual analysis and problem solving, a managed maturity level that indicates the customer uses centralized tools and performs manual actions, a predictive maturity level that indicates the customer monitors, correlates data, and recommends action, an adaptive maturity level that indicates the customer uses a system that monitors, correlates data, and takes action, and an autonomic maturity level that indicates dynamic business policy based management;
• computer executable instructions for providing data for achieving a target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system to the customer based on the assigned rank for each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories in order for the customer to become more self-managing automation computing capable, wherein providing the data for achieving the target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system includes determining operational efficiency savings for achieving the target level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system relative to the automation computing capabilities of the customer;
• computer executable instructions for receiving changes to the received assessment survey answers about the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer to form changed assessment survey answers for determining how the changes to the received assessment survey answers affect the current level of the self-managing capabilities of the automated computing system of the customer;
• and
• computer executable instructions for determining a change in the computer automation rank for each automation computing assessment category in the plurality of automation computing assessment categories based on the changed assessment survey answers.