It’s an unpleasant and unavoidable fact of life: IT organizations are almost always in problem-solving mode. And the best way to address unusual, urgent or one-time issues is to create temporary IT “solution teams.” The experts on these SWAT teams – the apt acronym for Special Weapons and Tactics –
Successfully surviving the budget process requires more than just shouldering past competing departments and technologies. To hit the jackpot in a steadily dwindling pool of IT funds demands a different way of thinking. In addition to determining a cogent list of reasons to get what is needed, you also must
Today’s new technologies have enabled employees to bring work home. But they have also made it easier for people to bring their personal life to work. While most organizations understand the need for flexibility, they are also well aware that increased access can cut both ways. Pedro Forment, a lawyer
No organization is an island. To be sufficiently agile and survive in today’s fiercely competitive markets, you must work closely with partners, suppliers and customers. Not only will collaboration result in significant cost savings and process efficiencies; it will allow you to boost customer service and create a significant competitive
Too little management can leave IT stalled; too much can choke it to a standstill. The trick is to find that magic balance that enables the whole IT department to chug steadily forward like a well-oiled machine. Historically, IT departments tended to be organized in layers. “That model doesn’t much
The perennial problem with teaching technology in an academic setting is that by the time cutting-edge applications reach the classroom, they’re often past their prime. IT professionals blame the distance between the ivory tower and the real world. The teachers “are mostly full-time professors and have no link to industry,”
IT managers walk a fine line between profits and productivity, but never more than when launching a new enterprise project. Tight budgets, paper-thin staffing or a misstep in scheduling employees or allocating resources can lead to blown budgets and bungled projects. “Salaries are money, time is money and technology is
You’ve no doubt heard of great college football coaches who couldn’t cut it in the NFL, or terrific salespeople who got promoted to sales manager only to find that they were much better at sales. It’s the same in IT. “The IT field is littered with great technologists who are
The individual who was born to be a project manager is a rarity. If you’ve been given the title (and the responsibilities that go along with it), you may have had little or no prior training. Your expertise may be in traditional management or the specific subject matter or technical
Blackberries, Web 2.0 tools and other nifty widgets may make life easier, but they don’t change the primary responsibility of a senior IT executive. The basic job description still involves overseeing all the resources — personnel, financial budgets, software and equipment — invested in various projects, whether they are temporary
