Template/Policy

This policy will help establish and define standards, procedures, and restrictions for the disposition of non-leased IT equipment in a legal, cost-effective manner. The resulting document is therefore intended for both HAM project scoping and...

Template/Policy

If you haven't created a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) in the past, chances are you may not know what one should look like, or what should be included. This template presents a full, editable DRP template; use this template to document your...

Tool

Keep vendor evaluations objective with Info-Tech's Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Evaluation and RFP response tool, and put hard numbers behind ECM vendor claims.

Video

Non-monetary switching costs can be high when adopting alternative office productivity suites, but deployment may also greatly decrease MS licensing costs. Assess your environment to determine if and where deploying an alternative suite makes sense.

Solution Set

Justifying continued investment in MS Office, with prices remaining steady, is becoming more difficult when there are cheaper SaaS or even free alternatives.

Tool

IT leaders looking to adopt an alternative office productivity suite and reduce their MS Office licensing costs need to understand their organizational requirements or risk either overspending or incurring preventable switching costs. Leverage...

Note

Money-saving opportunities exist for many organizations by implementing a limited deployment of an alternative to Microsoft Office.

Video

The IT department often is tasked with developing a range of policies to help set behavior expectations with users and to protect the organization from risk. Without writing expertise and business support, this can be asking too much. To help...

Template/Policy

Unscheduled moves, adds, and changes (MACs) to desktop systems can lead to a drain on resources and inefficiencies. Draft a move/add/change policy to help you control the process, reduce IT support costs, and increase end-user satisfaction.

(By Info-Tech Analyst Howard Kiewe - Printed with permission from Processor magazine www.processor.com). I hate paperwork, even if I'm doing it in electronic documents. You know, those administrative tasks intended to track, measure, and...

Any successful Electronic Document Management (EDM) initiative develops gradually, according to a defined business strategy. Determine business requirements for EDM to establish a deployment strategy that addresses current needs and lays the...

The interview process is two-fold. Just as an organization is eager to find out what you are about, you must also be keen to understand the role and the organization. Leverage the interview process to be sure this is the job for you, and be sure...

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Just as the organization is eager to find out all about you, the job candidate, the interview process also provides you with a unique opportunity to understand the role and the organization. Leverage the interview process to be sure that this is...

While cost savings are touted as a major benefit of outsourcing, these savings are often elusive. Understand the organization-specific factors that reduce the amount of potential cost saving achieved through outsourcing. And understand why some...

Asset retirement can be a risky process associated with devastating fines and lawsuits. Companies can avoid such risks by proactively strategizing for the retirement of their technology. Not only can planning for retirement mitigate risks, but...

Template/Policy

Asset retirement can be an extremely risky process associated with potentially devastating fines and lawsuits. Companies can avoid such risks by proactively strategizing for the retirement of their IT technology. Part of this strategizing...

By the time end users turn to self-help documentation they are probably already confused and frustrated. Ensure help documentation solves more problems than it creates.

An enterprise security policy is a document of too much importance to be without. It defines not only the overall stance that the enterprise will take in protecting its assets, but also the methods it will use to enforce that stance. The...

Spreadsheets are commonly used in enterprises and frequently misused. IT management must hedge the dangers of spreadsheets by providing policies on their use and creation.

Template/Policy

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are integral to effectively managing IT processes. Flowchart SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are best suited to procedures that involve a higher level of detail and describe complex tasks that require a...

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are integral to effectively managing IT processes. There are different approaches to recording SOPs. Consider the type and complexity of the individual process before deciding which method is most suitable.

Template/Policy

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are integral to effectively managing IT processes. Utilize this template to help write a hierarchical-style SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) which outlines the procedure for writing enterprise-specific...

Template/Policy

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are integral to effectively managing IT processes. There are different approaches to recording SOPs. Consider using a Step-by-Step SOP to describe the simplest of processes or to outline sub-processes within...

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are most commonly associated with military or manufacturing operations; however, they can be effectively utilized by any enterprise. Nail down the basics by understanding the what, why, and when of SOPs.

Template/Policy

Trying to manage unscheduled moves, adds, and changes (MACs) to desktop systems and user accounts can be one of IT's biggest headaches. Use a move/add/change request form to help you control the process, organize your IT resources, and increase...

Moves, Adds, and Changes (MACs) can be a big hassle if managed poorly. Control the process to reduce IT support costs and increase end-user satisfaction. Use these tips to help control and enforce MAC best practices.

Quit reinventing critical steps in high-pressure situations. Instead, start creating runbooks to capture the enterprise's valuable process information.

Note

Creating a feasibility study is a daunting task for newcomers and for companies that lack experience in developing feasibility studies. Use this checklist as part of a quality assurance process to ensure the feasibility study document meets...

Runbooks provide current system documentation for data center processes. Move the IT operation toward thorough documentation and knowledge continuity by implementing runbooks.

Gliffy is a free Web-based diagramming tool that can greatly assist IT departments in preparing software and network documentation. Investigate Gliffy as a free and practical alternative to Microsoft Visio.