IT Management-101: Fundamentals to Achieve More

Introduction:  The publication that puts an IT manager’s responsibility into perspective. Managing technology resources can be much easier if you know what to do, how to do it, and have tools with examples to help you.

Eleven key traits are emphasized that will leapfrog you past other managers. Tools are included to help you assess an IT situation and to gain insight to insure your team is in sync with your company’s needs. 

Table of Contents 

Introduction

I.   Understand Your Company’s Needs

          A.  Goals and Objectives

          B.  Role needed for the IT Manager to Play

II.  Assessment

           A.  Senior Management Input

           B.  Department Manager Input

           C.  Client Input

           D.  IT Staff Input

III.  Key Questions That Must Be Answered

IV.  Establish First 90-Day Objectives

V.   1-Year Game Plan

VI.  First Things First

VII. Key Traits of Any Successful IT Manager

           A.  Ability to Assess Needs

           B.  Ability to Create a Vision

           C.  Ability to Create the Plan

           D.  Ability to Build the Team

           E.  Ability to Focus the Resources

           F.  Ability to Implement a Client Service ‘Mindset’

           G.  Ability to Manage Projects

           H.  Ability to Implement Change Management Processes

            I.  Ability to Lead and Motivate

            J.  Ability to Communicate Effectively

           K.  Ability to Track and Measure Performance

VIII. Keep a Scorecard

IX.   Communicate Successes

APPENDIX:

A.      Assessment questionnaires

           A-1.  Senior Management Questionnaire

           A-2.  Department Manager Questionnaire

           A-3.  Client Questionnaire

           A-4.  IT Staff Questionnaire

B.      Issues Priority Matrix

C.      IT Project Hierarchy

D.      Change Request Process

           D-1.  Change Request—Programming

           D-2.  Change Request—Infrastructure

           D-3.  Programming Backlog Request Log

E.  New Employee Orientation

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

Building a Strategic IT Plan

Introduction:  Create strategic plans for your IT organization and set yourself apart from your peers. Most IT Managers are reactive managers only because they haven’t learned the value of developing long term strategies that work. This book takes you through the process step by step and even discusses how to prepare for your strategy proposal meeting with the senior management team. 

Included is a real strategic plan example with CIO level insight into each component.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.    What is a Strategic IT Plan ?

II.   Go With What is Appropriate for Your Company

III.  Are the Foundations in Place for Strategic Projects ?

            A.  Lay the Foundation First

            B.  Identify Where You Want to Be

            C.  Identify Where You Are

IV.  Work Backward or Work Forward ?

V.    Define Key Milestones (Major Projects)

VI.   Clarify Prerequisites

VII.  Quantify Needs for Each Strategic Project

            A.  Staff

            B.  Budget

            C.  Other Resources

VIII. Break Major Projects Into Smaller Projects

IX.    Identify Critical Path

X.     Define Project Timeframes

XI.    Draw the Strategic Plan Overview

XII.   Present the Plan

            A.  Objectives

            B.  Return on Investment

            C.  Validation

            D.  Awareness

XIII. Now the Hard Part  -  Implementation

XIV. The Value of Your Work

XV.   Sample Strategic Plan

APPENDIX:

A.     “Where Do You Want To Be” Questionnaire

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

Building a Successful IT Organization

Introduction:  The best lesson any manager can learn is that it’s more important to the company in what the IT organization can accomplish as opposed to what the manager can accomplish. A heavy emphasis on ‘team’ and ‘teamwork’ make this publication essential in developing leadership skills that cause your team to ‘walk through fire for you’. 

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.     Assess Your Organizational Needs

II.    Quantify What You Have

            A.  Quality

            B.  Quantity

            C.  Processes

III.   Do We Understand ‘Client Service’ ?

IV.   Identify Gaps and Prioritize New Hires

V.    Funding New Staff and Managing Expectations

VI.   Recruiting and Interviewing

            A.  Job Descriptions

            B.   Interview

            C.  Offer Letter

VII.  Starting Out Right

            A.  Orientation

            B.  Benefits

            C.  Equipment

VIII. Performance Plan

IX.    Communication is Key

X.     Motivating and Rewarding

XI.    Involve Each Resource

XII.   Weed and Feed  -  Step Up to Your Problems

XIII.  Reinforce Focus

            A.  Organization

            B.  Individual

XIV.  Report Cards and Measurement Tools

APPENDIX:

A.       Sample Organization Chart – Functional Requirements

B.       Sample Organization Chart – Infrastructure   

C.       Sample Organization Chart – Special Projects  

D.       Sample Organization Chart – Business Applications 

E.       Sample Organization Chart – Acquisitions & Assimilations

F.        Current Employee Skills Matrix    

G.       Blank Skills Matrix Template    

H.       Technology Resource Interview Guide   

I.          Sample Offer Letter     

J.         Sample New Employee Orientation Guide  

K.       Job Description Template    

L.        Performance Plan Template    

M.  IT Support – Key Indicators Trend Report

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

IT Project Management

Introduction:  Managing projects effectively is crucial for any technical manager. Establishing a reputation that you deliver projects on time and within budget with minimal problems will position you for many more responsibilities in your company.

This publication provides a “short cut” to effective project management techniques that I learned at IBM and other companies that have helped me for over 20 years. Tools are included to simplify the entire process.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.    What’s the Big Deal About Project Management ?

II.   Establish the Project Goal

III.  Define the Project Deliverables

IV.  Quantify Resource Needs

            A.  Staff

            B.  Budgetary resources

            C.  Other

V.  Develop a Return on Investment

VI. Develop the Plan

            A.  Major Project Sections

            B.  Tasks

            C.  Responsibilities

            D.  Prerequisites

            E.  Critical Bottlenecks

            F.  Timeframes

VII.  Document the Plan

VIII. Establish Sign-off and Approval Requirements

IX.    Project Status Meetings

X.     Execute the Plan

APPENDIX:

A.   Project Plan  -  Blank Template

B.   Sample Project Plan  -  Technology Assimilation

C.   Project Kickoff Meeting  -  Blank Template

D.   Project Status Meeting  -  Blank Template

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

IT Staff Motivation and Development

Introduction:  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”  Create an enthusiastic team that has  everyone focused on the same target and ‘watch out’. It is powerful and something that you will remember forever.

This publication goes to the heart of empowering technical resources so they  feel good about what they do. Nothing feels more rewarding than when your company and client tells your team that they are doing an excellent job.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.     Have You assessed Your Staff ?

II.    What Motivates Them ?

            A.  Individually

            B.  Teams or sub-units

III.   Setting Goals and Objectives  -  The Vision

            A.  IT Organization

            B.  IT Departments

            C.  IT Teams

            D.  IT Staff

IV.   Quantifying Projects  -  The Road Map

V.     Identifying Individual Focus

VI.   Tap Into the Leaders of Your Organization

VII.  Take Advantage of Strengths and Develop Strength and Depth

VIII. Empowerment is KEY !!

IX.    Always Reinforce TEAM

X.      Share Victories and Defeats

XI.    Appreciate Their Work

XII.   Have Fun

XIII.  Reward Desired Behavior

XIV.  Reward Accomplishments

XV.   Communication is a Two-Way Street

XVI.  Always Have an Open Door

XVII. Motivating in a “Down Economy”

APPENDIX

A.  Employee Skills and Experience Matrix

B.  Education and Training Needs

C.  Career Planning Template

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

Developing an IT Business Plan

Introduction:  Sooner or later you have to learn how to budget and build a plan that is aggressive but achievable. This publication takes you through the process of building a reasonable business plan and focuses on key areas with CIO level insight that are most important to ensure that you will meet your budget plans. 

My  own tips and techniques are included that served me well for twenty years of managing an IT budget.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.     Why Do We Need a Business Plan ?

II.    Key Elements of a Business Plan

III.   The Budget

            A.  Staffing

            B.  Benefits Factor

            C.  IT Related Costs in the Company

                    1.  Telecommunications

                    2.  Telephone  -  Voice

                    3.  Hardware maintenance

            D.  Systems Maintenance & Software Licenses

            E.  Consulting

            F.   Special Project Considerations

            G.  Risk Areas

IV.   Capital Budget

            A.  IT Plans

            B.  Department Plans

            C.  Capital Request and Approval Process

V.     Monitoring the Plan Every Month

APPENDIX:

A.  Sample Budget Worksheet

B.  Sample Staffing Plan Worksheet

C.  Capital Budget Template

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

IT Asset Management

Introduction:  Managing the technology assets of a company has never been more important than it is today. With changes taking place more frequently and exposure to risk with unlicensed software becoming more severe, it is a requirement of every CIO to keep track of the technical assets of the company. This book tells you what to track and provides several tools to help you do it. 

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.     What is IT Asset Management ?

II.    Which Assets Need Managing ?

            A.  Computer Equipment

            B.  Software Licenses 

            C.  Phone/Fax Systems 

            D.  Telecommunications (data) 

            E.   Local Area Networks (LAN’s) 

             F.  Staff 

            G.   Facility floor plans 

            H.   Vendor contracts 

III.   Define the Information to Track 

IV.   Gather the Data 

V.    IT Asset Management Tools 

            A.  Network Diagram

            B.  Servers 

            C.  Data Center Equipment (non-CPU)

            D.  Software Licenses 

            E.   Phone / Fax / Dial-up Modems 

            F.   WAN Circuits 

            G.  Vendor Support Contacts  

            H.  IT Staff

             I.  Vendor Contracts 

             J.  Desktop PC’s, Laptops, and Local Peripherals  

            K.  External Client Software Licenses 

VI.  Change Management Processes 

VII. Software Usage Policy

APPENDIX

A.      Server Template

B.      Data Center Equipment (non-CPU) Template 

C.      Software License Template 

D.      Phone / Fax / Dial-up Modem Template

E.      WAN Circuit Template

F.      Vendor Support Contacts Template

G.     IT Staff Template 

H.      Vendor Contract Template 

I.         Desktop PC’s, Laptop, & Local Peripheral Template 

J.       External Client Software License Template 

K.      Employee Equipment Change Request Form

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

Acquisition  -  IT Due Diligence

Introduction:  Use the senior management insight in this book to help you conduct any IT assessment. Tools, examples, and plenty of “how to” discussion provides what you need to conduct a technology assessment efficiently and thoroughly, even a report template to help you organize your findings. 

Table of Contents

Introduction

I.    Buying a New Company  -  Exciting Times

II.   Due Diligence

 A.  Due Diligence Objective

 B.  Due Diligence Process

III.       IT Due Diligence - Tie it into the Overall Due Diligence;

           It’s a Team Effort

IV.  The IT Due Diligence Request List

V.   What Are the Key Risks ?

 A.  Technology Stability

 B.  Technology Ownership

              C.  Software Licensure

              D.  Staff Support  

              E.  Vendor Support

 F.  Major Expense Needs

VI.   Onsite IT Review

               A.  IT Business Assessment Outline

               B.  Senior Management Interview Questionnaire

               C.  Company Department Interview Questionnaire

               D.  External Client Interview Questionnaire

VII.  Due Diligence Data Collection Templates

               A.  Business Applications

               B.  Infrastructure Templates:

                       1.  Servers

                       2.  LAN’s

                       3.  WAN

               C.  IT Organization

               D.  IT Project Initiatives

               E.  Automation Capabilities

               F.  Software License Agreements / Contracts

               G.  Software License Agreements / Contracts to Other

                        Companies

               H.  Maintenance and Support Agreements  (Hardware &

                         Software)

                I.   Other Contracts and Leases

                J.  Capital Budget Items

               K.   Outside Consulting / Contract Work  (Next 12 Months)

               L.   IT Operating Budget  (Next 12 Months)

               M.  Transition Costs (Next 12 Months)

VIII. Due Diligence Report

  A.  Executive Overview

  B.  Inventory and Status of What is There

1.  Business Applications

2.  Infrastructure

3.  Organization

4.  Processes

             5.  Level of Automation

  C.  Risks

  D.  IT Budget  -  Next 12 Months

  E.  Capital Expenditure Needs  -  Next 12 Months

  F.  IT Project Initiatives

  G.  Leverage opportunities

  H.  Transition Plan

APPENDIX:

A.  IT Due Diligence Request List

B.      Information Technology Business Assessment Outline

C.      IT Assessment – Senior Management Questionnaire

D.      IT Assessment – Department Head Questionnaire

E.      IT Assessment – External Client Questionnaire

F.      IT Due Diligence Data Collection Templates  

F-1    Business Applications

F-2    Infrastructure -  Servers

F-3    Infrastructure -  LAN’s

F-4    Infrastructure -  WAN

F-5    IT Staff

F-6    IT Project Initiatives

F-7    Automation Capabilities

F-8    Software License Agreements & Contracts

F-9    Software License Agreements & Contracts Granted to

             Other Companies

F-10  Maintenance and Support Agreements

F-11  Other Contracts and Leases

F-12  IT Capital Budget Needs

F-13  Outside Consulting and Contract Work Needs

F-14  IT Operating Budget

G.  Sample Due Diligence Report Template

H.  IT Assessment Notes List

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

Acquisition  -  IT Assimilations

Introduction:  “Ok, so we’ve acquired a new company. Now what do we do ?”  These words have been used far more than you might realize. This document provides a game plan and a road map on what and how to go about assimilating an acquired company’s technology. Key issues are emphasized to help you minimize risk as you implement significant change in the organization. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 

I.     “We’ve bought another company; what do we do now?” 

II.    Identify the Objectives 

III.   Company Objectives Lead to IT Strategy 

IV.   Was Due Diligence Performed ? 

V.     Size It Up 

              A.  Key Risks 

              B.  Potential Problem Areas 

              C.  IT Dependencies 

  D.  IT Organizational Impacts 

               E.  IT Budget Implications 

  F.  Opportunities 

VI.    Boil it Down to Key Initiatives 

VII.   Prioritize and Make the Tough Decisions 

VIII.  Gain Agreement on Assimilation Strategies  

              A.  Everyone’s Needs or Pain Are Not the Same 

              B.   It’s still a Company Team 

IX.     Build an Assimilation Project Plan 

 A.  IT Transition project List 

 B.  IT Assimilation Project Summary 

              C.  Business Application Conversion Project Plan  

              D.  Employee Transition Planning

X.     Implement with Care

XI.    Track Results 

XII.   Got More Than One Technology to Convert ? 

APPENDIX:

A.  New Acquisition Planning Questionnaire 

B.  Business Application Conversion Plan – Template 

C.  Sample Employee Severance/Retention Letter 

D.  Legacy System Status 

E.      Transition Issues Templates 

F.      IT Transition Project Summary List 

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

What to Look For in a CIO

Introduction: This book outlines key attributes necessary for CIO’s to be effective for their company. The document  “nets out” traits that lead to success and helps a company’s senior management quickly understand what they should expect from their CIO and how to work effectively with a CIO.

The material is useful for technical managers of all levels to better understand the role and requirements necessary to become an effective CIO and provides tools that help you gauge your own capabilities with those that are needed for a CIO position.

Table of Contents                            

Introduction

I.     First  -  Assess Your Company’s Goals & Objectives 

           A. Quantifying Objectives

           B.  Importance of Business Planning

           C.  Where is the Company Today ?

II.   How Important is Technology to Meet Your

       Objectives ?

           A.  Strategic

           B.  Operationally Critical

           C.  Supportive

III.   CIO or Technical Manager ?

           A.  Every Company Does Not Need a CIO

           B.  What Are the Differences ?

           C.  All CIO’s Are Not Equal

IV.   Successful CIO Traits

           A.  Assessment

           B.  Strategy

           C.  Planning

           D.  Organization

           E.  Implementation

           F.  Leadership

           G.  Communication

V.    Defining Your “Perfect CIO”

VI.   What Should You Pay ?

VII.  Where to Look

VIII. The Interview

IX.    The Offer

X.     Ready, Set, GO !!

APPENDIX:

A.    My Resume

B.    Sample CIO Job Description

C.    Blank Technology Leader Skills/Experience Matrix

Price: $29.95 USD

Please allow one to two business days to receive this eBook via email.

IT Manager Tool Kit

Every publication in the IT Manager Development Series includes tried and proven tools to help you organize, monitor, and manage your technology business. You can now get the entire set of 80 tools, all in EXCEL’97 and WORD’97 file formats.  Use them “as is” or modify as needed to meet your own unique requirements.

A complete list of all the tools is provided below.

Every tool includes instructions and tips that explain the purpose of the tool, directions on how to use the tool, with examples, and insight to achieve immediate benefit. 

IT Manager Tool Kit includes

Assessment

  -  IT Assessment  -  Client Questionnaire

  -  IT Assessment  -  Department Questionnaire

  -  IT Assessment  -  IT Department Questionnaire

  -  IT Assessment Guide

  -  IT Assess-Senior Managers Questionnaire

  -  IT Employee Skills Matrix

  -  IT Manager Skills Matrix

  -  Remote Site Technology Survey

  -  Where Do You Want to Be Questionnaire

Assimilations

  -  Employee Termination Letter

  -  IT Assimilations Project Summary

  -  IT Assimilations Transition Issues

  -  IT Assimilations Plan  - Contacts

  -  IT Assimilations Plan  -  DEPT

  -  IT Assimilations Plan  -  EXEC