IT Manager's Handbook: Getting Your New Job Done Read Online Free PDF Page B

clear idea of which task should be addressed in which order.
    Some companies have huge IT departments, with layers and layers of managers. Organizations of this size have formal IT strategies and sub-strategies. However, many smaller companies don’t have formal IT departments with managers, budgets, and expectations. Wherever you are on the size and formal structure spectrum, you should have a strategy. And you should write it down. Your strategy should include the following:
•Who are your team members and what can they do?
•Why or how is technology important to your organization?
•What are your assets?
•Who are your customers?
•What are your customers’ needs?
•How do you plan to satisfy these needs?
    Although this all sounds simple, it’s definitely not. Your customers may not even know what their IT needs are, for example. However, the very act of getting this in writing can be of great value. For more information on both the visible and the hidden benefits of documentation, see Chapter 8, Security and Compliance on page 205 .
    Determine Who Your Team Members Are
    This also seems like a simple task—just list the people in your department. In fact, though, your team members may or may not be all the people on your staff. You may have someone on your staff who has part-time responsibilities to another department. This person is on your team, but you can’t count on having his or her time when you need it.
    Alternatively, there may be people from other departments who aren’t on your payroll and report to some other branch of the organizational chart, but could be very useful to your department. They might call you when they hear about certain problems on the system, for example, or help you when someone in your department is out sick. They may have intimate knowledge of the business applications and could be in a better position than your team to do testing, understand the impact of changes, and how the application is used. These people aren’t in your budget and aren’t in your department, but they are on your team. See Chapter 4, Project Management on page 103 for a discussion of how to work with, recruit, and “manage” people who are not directly under your supervision.
    In addition to determining who the team members are, find out their skill sets and backgrounds. You may know a team member as a cable installer but he may have rudimentary .NET skills that the Applications Development team could use. She may be a sales manager who has some project management experience that could help you coordinate new phone system rollout.
    Determine How Important Technology Is to Your Organization
    The technology in use can vary tremendously from organization to organization. Originally, in a law firm, technology was used simply for word processing or for tracking client billings. Additionally, it could be used to scan and archive documents so that every single piece of paper related to a case is online where it can be indexed, cross-referenced, and immediately retrieved. But now, law firms are increasingly involved in technology through e-discovery, digital forensics, and lawsuits related to use of technology. In a retail organization, technology can be used for all the traditional back office activities (billing, purchasing, etc.) but probably serves its most vital function by helping the store managers know what products are generating the most sales and profits and which should be dropped from inventory. The store might also use it for space planning so that the shelves are stocked in a way that maximizes space usage, as well as sales and profitability. Customer lists and purchase history can be used to create customized marketing campaigns and increase sales.
    Determine Who Your Customers Are and What Their Needs Are
    Whether your customers are other employees, suppliers, consumers, or other businesses, they are the ones you need to serve. Find out who your customers are. Figure out what their needs are.