Introduction

The difference between success and failure in today's business environment is often dependent on organizations achieving and maintaining best in class service delivery levels with processes that are more reliable, less costly, more efficient or better than those of competitors.

At an operational level, the management of processes particularly those supporting e-business initiatives that meet or exceed demanding strategic objectives and operational service level requirements involves a number of core activities:

• planning and maintenance;

• defining performance measurement processes;

• setting and monitoring operational buffers;

• establishing operational back-up and recovery arrangements;

• preparing and implementing operational contingency facilities; and

• managing external communications.

Each of these actifities is examined in more detail in the following paragraphs.