Video

Understanding the business goals and objectives is critical to creating a business linked IT strategy and increasing alignment between IT and the business.

Note

Meet with the senior business team and interview them about their specific plans. Understanding the business goals and objectives is critical to creating a business linked IT strategy and increasing alignment between IT and the business.

Template/Policy

In order to set an IT strategy, it's critical to understand the strategy of the enterprise in which IT is operating.

Tool

In order to set an IT strategy, it's critical to understand the IT implications of the business goals and objectives.

Template/Policy

In order to set an IT strategy, it's critical to understand the strategy of the enterprise in which IT is operating.

Solution Set

Real corporate strategy is often either undocumented, may be in distinct business unit or departmental strategies, or is stated at such a high level that it is not possible for IT to take action.

Solution Set

Adoption of the cloud has seen incredible growth in the last year, and has passed a tipping point. The impact of adoption will be experienced throughout IT.

Tool

A data center relocation project is a risky endeavor that requires rigorous planning and attention to detail. Practicing good project management processes and understanding the tasks involved for planning the relocation will keep the team on...

Solution Set

To achieve greater likelihood that your project will stay on track, watch out for the four big pitfalls: Scope Creep, Failure to Obtain Stakeholder Commitment, Inability to Assemble a Team, and Failure to Plan.

Note

Fewer than 15% of projects deliver all requirements, on-time and on-budget. Avoid four common project pitfalls to greatly increase your chances of project success.

Tool

Use this tool to assess project vulnerability related to four critical challenges that sink many projects. Based on your answers, the tool will indicate which pitfalls threaten your project and what you should do about it.

Tool

Use this tool to track on-going project issues relative to four typical project management pitfalls. As problems arise, related to these pitfalls, track who will handle the problem and when.

Video

Use our strategies to avoid, detect, and mitigate four critical project management pitfalls to help keep your project on track.

Last week's Special Letter by Randy Foutch led to requests by many members to see the actual solution set, put forward by the CTO Advisory Board, regarding how to avoid catastrophic climate change. You said you wanted the answers, so, this week,...

Note

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) exists in every enterprise. It is often a low priority for IT managers until changes to the business make a very real, and very expensive, project. The real cost of a failed ERP initiative is IT careers.

Solution Set

IT leaders and senior executives often have tremendous fear of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). There's a good reason; ERP is a complicated technology with many moving parts.

Note

Most organizations have some level of disaster recovery capability, but not all organizations have formalized Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP). Creating a DRP requires is a big time investment and is costly; these are the main reasons that...

Video

A data center move requires minute-to-minute planning as well as complex logistics and communication. A table top planning exercise is a dress rehearsal for the move that will help to identify holes in the plan, clearly define roles and...

There is more to disaster recovery planning than protecting against hackers and floods.

Note

A Security Plan is the formal document that indicates both the security solutions that the enterprise will deploy to protect its information assets as well as the order in which they will be deployed. Building Security Plans is shown to increase...

Tool

A Security Plan is the formal document that indicates both the security solutions that the enterprise will deploy to protect its information assets as well as the order in which they will be deployed. Building security plans is shown to increase...

Solution Set

This solution set will guide you through the process of developing a formal plan that outlines and guides security infrastructure acquisitions.

Note

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) often instil fear in the hearts of IT leaders, who wonder what will become of their people, processes, and technology in the new organization. Use this storyboard to align IT with M&A goals, plan for the new...

Solution Set

IT must determine the business goals of the M&A, while also reviewing and revising its current staffing, applications, and infrastructure to address the needs of the post-merger organization.

Tool

Deciding on a post-merger target technology environment is a crucial planning step for IT professionals who are about to go through a merger or acquisition (M&A). Use Info-Tech's Merger & Acquisition Target Technology Environment Selection Tool...

Solution Set

Knowing when and how to invest in a significant infrastructure change rather than a minor incremental purchase is difficult.

Note

Actively engage business stakeholders to secure the funding, resources, and project sponsorship that IT needs to provide quality service. This storyboard will help you master techniques for establishing effective and productive two-way...

Note

Windows 7 is beginning to replace the aging Windows XP as the de facto standard enterprise desktop OS. In fact, more than three-quarters of organizations will migrate to Windows 7 by 2012. Preparation, planning, version selection, and deployment...

Tool

In order for demand to be adequately managed, IT leaders have to know what staff is working on. This tool keeps track of what projects and non-project requests staff are assigned to as well as how closely projected, actual, and required staff...

Tool

Without long-term planning, balancing staff availability with demand becomes a nightmare. This tool provides recommendations on changes to be made to existing staff planning processes.