Shared resources can lead to conflicts. If the capacity runs out, somebody will feel the pain at the expense of somebody else. This conflict will be resolved in one way or another. Without other arrangements, the stakeholder with the most power wins. This is not necessarily the best outcome for the organization as a whole.
To illustrate this, I gave ChatGPT the following prompt:
Write a business case story about the conflict over shared computing resources.
And here is what it answered. Admittedly, the situation of a single server is a bit old-fashioned. Nevertheless, the principles hold. Identify some governance concepts in this story.
Once upon a time, there was a small startup company called TechPro. They were a team of software developers who needed to use shared computing resources to complete their work. Initially, they all worked on their personal laptops, but as their team grew and their projects became more complex, they needed to access more powerful computing resources.
At first, they decided to use a shared server hosted on-site, but soon they started to experience conflicts over access to the server. Some developers needed to use the server for extended periods of time, while others only needed it for short bursts. Additionally, some developers needed more computing power than others, which led to contention over who had priority access.
As the company continued to grow, these conflicts started to have a significant impact on their productivity. The developers spent a lot of time coordinating access to the server, which led to delays in completing their projects. Some developers even started to look for alternative computing resources outside of the company, which led to security concerns.
The CEO of TechPro recognized the severity of the problem and decided to take action. She tasked the IT department with finding a solution that would allow for fair and efficient sharing of computing resources. The IT department evaluated various options, including adding more servers, using cloud-based resources, and implementing a queueing system for access to the server.
After careful consideration, they decided to implement a queueing system that would prioritize access based on the urgency and computing needs of the tasks. This solution would allow for fair access to the server, as well as efficient use of the resources. The IT department also provided training to the developers on how to use the new system and established clear guidelines for resource usage.
The implementation of the new system was not without challenges, as some developers were resistant to change and preferred the old way of accessing the server. However, with clear communication and support from management, the developers quickly adapted to the new system.
As a result of the solution, TechPro’s productivity increased significantly, and the conflict over shared computing resources was resolved. The developers were able to complete their work without delays, and the company was able to retain control over their computing resources. The CEO was pleased with the outcome and praised the IT department for their innovative solution.
As an exercise, see which stakeholders you can identify in this example. You can also think of residual risks of this solution, and other approaches.