3rd Echelon Support

Overview

The 3rd Echelon builds upon 1st and 2nd Echelon capabilities by adding Managed Transition Desk services. This echelon extends architecture and design with operational change management, deployment, and project coordination that supports internal service desk and user/case escalation processes.

Includes All 1st & 2nd Echelon Services, Plus:

Managed Transition Desk

A dedicated function that manages the transition of services through change, deployment, and project lifecycles, ensuring controlled implementation of changes with minimal business disruption.

Change Enablement, Management, Validation, & Testing

Comprehensive change management processes including change advisory board (CAB) coordination, risk assessment, validation testing, and rollback planning to ensure changes are implemented safely and effectively.

Deployment Management

Coordination and execution of service deployments, including release planning, deployment scheduling, implementation oversight, and post-deployment validation to ensure successful service transitions.

IT Project & Portfolio Management

Management of IT projects and project portfolios, including project planning, resource allocation, timeline management, and stakeholder communication to deliver projects on time and within scope.

Vendor/Supplier Management

Oversight of third-party vendors and suppliers providing services or products to the managed environment, including contract management, service level monitoring, and vendor relationship coordination.

Compliance & Risk Management

Management of compliance requirements and risk mitigation strategies, including regulatory compliance monitoring, audit support, risk assessments, and remediation planning.

Critical Situation / Major Incident Support

Specialized support for critical situations and major incidents requiring cross-functional coordination, escalated response, and comprehensive incident management to restore service rapidly.

Target Audience

3rd Echelon services support Internal Service Desk & User/Case Escalation by providing expert-level operational support, change coordination, and project management that resolves complex issues beyond first-line support capabilities.

Service Scope

This echelon focuses on operational change management, controlled deployments, and project execution rather than day-to-day user support. It provides the transition management and escalation support that ensures complex changes are implemented successfully.

Key Activities

• Change request evaluation and approval coordination
• Deployment planning, scheduling, and execution
• IT project planning and delivery management
• Vendor contract and performance management
• Compliance monitoring and audit coordination
• Risk assessment and mitigation planning
• Major incident coordination and resolution

Deliverables

Change & Deployment Management

• Change management process documentation
• Deployment plans and schedules
• Post-implementation review reports
• Rollback and recovery procedures

Project Management

• Project charters and plans
• Project status reports and updates
• Resource allocation and timeline management
• Project closure and lessons learned documentation

Compliance & Risk

• Compliance audit reports and findings
• Risk registers and mitigation plans
• Vendor performance scorecards
• Incident post-mortem reports

Escalation Path

Complex changes requiring architectural redesign are escalated to 2nd Echelon design services. Critical incidents affecting business operations are coordinated with business leadership and may involve 4th or 5th Echelon services for comprehensive support.