Lead IT Infrastructure Automation Architect
IBM
Total years of experience :19 years, 10 Months
Ashraf's job role is to understand technical requirements and works in levels of abstraction, applies industry knowledge, and leverages appropriate business elements and information technology to address those needs. This includes leading team members with client personnel to identify functional and non-functional requirements and subsequently leading others in the identification, design and implementation of the client's solution.
His key responsibilities include:
• Leading the design and deployment of Automation solutions in systems and service management landscape driving substantive quality improvement, productivity, improved availability, accelerated problem resolution and continual service improvement.
• Identifying potential opportunities and leading the optimization of IT Infrastructure (on-premises as well as cloud infrastructure) resulting in reduced IT costs.
• Leads in the translation of business requirements to develop solutions for review and implementation within client environment.
• Responsible for performance, availability and scalability of the infrastructure.
• Understands future customer, industry and information technology trends; Applies this understanding to develop robust solutions and to identify opportunities for future business
• Selects, tailors and applies formal architectural methods to analyze customer needs and develop
requirements for architectural solutions.
• Drive innovation to improve operational efficiency and providing competitive edge to the clients.
• Leads the implementation of solution or provides expert guidance to the solution implementation
team.
• Develops and leads execution of the technical risk management plan for the solution to be implemented.
• Lead negotiations with key stakeholders.
Ashraf's key job role is to engage with the account stakeholders within IBM's Infrastructure Services Delivery organizations to address their Infrastructure enablement requirements and assist the clients in achieving their business transformation resulting in flexible, cost effective, standardized and robust IT Infrastructure.
He is part of the senior account leadership team for the designated account(s) and works closely with senior executives to establish a strong and trusted relationship with the Client.
His responsibilities include:
• Defining end-to-end architecture for strategic corporate initiatives.
• Providing architecture consultancy to help formulate enterprise IT strategy and its alignment with the business strategy.
• Providing thought leadership to the stakeholders in the client IT architecture domain.
• Single point-of-accountability for leading and managing the decision process between the customer and IBM to ensure the end-to-end integrity of the technology service solution.
• Devise new strategies for the client to gain competitive advantage resulting in cost-savings.
• Facilitate solution integration across multiple platforms for better operational efficiency.
• Own and maintain the technology roadmap including system architecture and design.
• Develop plans for improvements in existing infrastructure and manage overall technical health in the account.
• Provide strategic recommendations for high business impact issues.
• Owns and manages the technical governance on the account (ex. Design Authority, Architecture Review Board).
• Working with Business Engagement Team & Executives on the solution for contract renewal and new proposals.
Ashraf's responsibilities commence with strategic IT consulting to define, in client consultation, various key outcomes that are desired and technology framework that will assist in meeting the expectations.
He has been providing technical advice and consultancy to clients and management on matters of technical architecture infrastructure developments, including their feasibility.
• Understand the overall account condition including financial situation (revenue, profit, costs) and define the technical recommendations to improve when applicable
• Provide improved outcomes for the client and IBM on platform stability, operational approach and tools efficiency as well as management systems and governance.
• Established Performance & Capacity Management Portfolio for the services delivery.
• Lead the Infrastructure review assessment - regular and ad-hoc technical reviews.
• Prioritize and develop approach to remediate technical and operational process issues as identified.
• Lead mitigation activities for high impact risks and adoption of integrated, end-to-end systems
lifecycle.
• Bring innovation and recommendations on best practices to solve issues like improving overall
availability, reduce complexity, etc.
• Plan, design and review project solution architectures, detailed designs and work breakdown
structures & provide solution direction while insuring IBM standards are adhered to.
• Coordinating, negotiating and motivating resources in support of timelines and project
deliverables.
• Leading transitions and transformation projects on a global and cross-competency basis
• Leading Tivoli Team in implementation of Tivoli Suite of Products - Systems and Service Management portfolio, Security portfolio.
• Leading UNIX team of 16 members and the account transition to Global Delivery Center.
• Conduct account level analysis for proactive defect prevention to improve quality and productivity across SO accounts.
• Ensure organizational support to effectively leverage and reuse defect knowledge across accounts.
• Creates broadly applicable solutions for process improvements in handling recurring problems (across accounts, pools, and locations).
• Defect Prevention focused leadership and working with cross-functional teams.
• Provide Level 2 and Level 3 problem isolation and resolution.
• Strong customer service attitude, exceptional organizational ability and communication skills.
Ashraf has been working on number of deployments of Tivoli products for both internal and external clients across India whilst working with HCL Technologies. He has proven expertise in both small and large teams in implementing solutions based on the Tivoli suite of products.
His responsibilities include:
• Understand the customer’s infrastructure and direction.
• Installation and Configuration of Tivoli Management Framework, Tivoli Configuration Manager and Tivoli Monitoring
• Deployment, Maintenance and Troubleshooting of Tivoli Endpoints
• Applications & Scripts written to insure ease of management, application workflow, security capabilities.
• Development of Struts based Web Portal for Endpoint Management.
• Consolidates and manages technical risks across the solution deployment.
• Ensure smooth hand-off between customer and HCL team.
College Rank Holder - 1st Rank University Rank Holder - 7th Rank