The only full remedy is to have separate teams running with these two important pillars of Tech. The Site Reliability teams should ideally be separate from the projects/build teams. If the contention is at testing and deployment stage then the prioritisation matrix will kick in. One would have to weigh the business impact of deprioritising either of the two. I often tell my teams that our immediate salary comes from what is already on production and hence it is advisable to secure the next salary first and then get back to securing the windfall that is anticipated to come from our current build process. The reputation damage that comes with an incident on production might out weigh the losses that come with delayed market releases.

Balancing incident response and ongoing projects can feel like juggling tasks. In IT operations, effective prioritization is key. Here are some tips: Impact and Value: Prioritize tasks that keep key systems running and provide the most value. Flexible Resources: Have a response team, but allow role switching as needed. Automation: Automate routine tasks to focus on high-impact issues. Clear Communication: Inform stakeholders of delays and manage expectations. IT Ops is about balancing urgent issues with long-term goals.

The challenge of balancing incident response with ongoing projects in IT operations is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. It requires a dynamic, adaptive approach that integrates clear incident classification, scalable resource allocation, agile project management, proactive risk mitigation, and effective communication. By embracing these strategies, IT operations leaders can ensure that both immediate and long-term priorities are effectively managed, driving operational success and fostering a resilient IT environment capable of supporting both business continuity and innovation.

Its good to always breakdown these actions to their original purposes. 1. Incidents are often symptoms of the problem 2. Projects are often solutions to the problem Therefore, it is important to be aware of the incidents, respond to them and understand the characteristics of the problem producing the incidents. Being aware should then spur the quest to drive the related project to conclusion. #itoperations must always align, respond and actively address the customer's needs directly or as represented by the other lines of business.. The balance should be found in the #itstrategy and customer preference.

Balancing incident response and ongoing projects in IT Operations requires clear prioritization, resource allocation, and proactive communication. Establish protocols to categorize incidents by severity, enabling focused responses while leveraging automation to handle minor issues. Dedicate or cross-train teams for flexibility, and use tools like JIRA or ServiceNow to track both tasks effectively. Revisit priorities regularly through dynamic planning and stakeholder updates, while adopting time-blocking to ensure steady project progress. Conduct post-incident reviews to address root causes, reducing future disruptions. Lastly, foster accountability and monitor team morale to maintain productivity and avoid burnout amidst shifting demands.

This one an interesting one and we are facing this very frequent ..difficult to manage both Projects and ongoing daily operational tasks especially when both have strict timelines and adhoc urgent requirements.We feel like trapeze in circus ..all a balanced act and the end satisfying the variety of audience.In our opinion there is no pre defined rules when handling the situation ..prioritize the request seeing the urgency and the impact of the issue if not sorted out soon.

An effectively balance incident response and ongoing projects in IT Operations, prioritize based on impact and urgency. Use incident management systems to categorize and prioritize incidents. Allocate resources dynamically to address critical issues while maintaining project timelines. Effective communication, automation, and regular reviews as well as feedback are essential for maintaining a balanced approach.

- Prioritize incidents by Impact + Urgency - Assign separate teams for incidents and projects. - Follow SLAs for incidents, OLAs for projects. - Schedule projects during low-impact windows. - Use daily reviews to adjust priorities. - Use task boards to balance workloads. - Use Problem Management to prevent repeats.