Resources for IT Managers
In a recent address at the Digital Lifestyle Consortium, Microsoft founder Bill Gates gave his view of the future. "I see Windows, a major new version of Windows every two to three years." Now we can look forward to OS changes every 2-3 years? For an IT department this would be a nightmare. For Microsoft it would be a 2-3 year injection of money as users are forced to shell out for upgrades to … [Read more...]
This is the second in a series of articles to help you improve your inventory management system. Read the first installment in the series IT Asset Management - Part 1 Catalog of Assets. Usage Tracking Usage data is a key part of an inventory management system. The data provide from usage tracking will help you: Determine the minimum on-hand inventory you need to maintain Help you set … [Read more...]
The IT help desk was once seen as a low level entry position that offered very little skill development. With the evolution of the modern help desk and implementation of best practices such as ITIL this has changed. The IT help desk is now seen as an IT career launching platform. By working on a modern IT help desk you interact with all of IT and most of the company you work for. This opens … [Read more...]
Do often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do? Do you sometimes forget to do something important? If so you are not alone. Most of us work in an environment of information overload. One of the most useful tools to tackle this problem are To-Do lists. To-Do lists are organized and prioritized lists of everything you have to do. You can have as many to-do lists as you need. It is … [Read more...]
From the Japanese word Seiton we get the next part in the 5S System, the straighten step. Once you have completed the sort step, the workplace should be free from clutter and unnecessary items. Now it is time to straighten everything up and organize it. The goal is to put everything in its place and organize each workstation for maximum efficiency and productivity. Everything Has a Place The … [Read more...]
Your day is starting good. You feel energetic and you are getting work done. Then an email comes in that you must deal with that involves researching months of paperwork. Your phone rings with a low priority call that ties you up for 10 minutes. On the way to a meeting six people stop you to chatter or ask you to do something. So much for your good day! Interruptions are a part of a normal work … [Read more...]
Gartner listed unified communications (UC) as 2nd in their top ten technology areas of 2008. Driven by voice over IP (VoIP), call centers and phone services are leading the way, but other areas of IT such as storage networks, video from security cameras and sensors will soon follow. Unified communications refers to a group of technologies, many of which are already used in the business world … [Read more...]
Project managers face problems with every project. By building problem-solving into your project and problem collaboration into your project team you will ensure that problems are dealt with promptly. You will also establish a track record of being able to identify and deal with problems. This is a useful notch on your project manager's belt. Your goal is to identify problems early before they … [Read more...]