TOP things to address in managing an IT department

1. Ensure you have a data backup plan

Essential that you create a backup plan. This needs to identify all key data and how it is
backed up with frequency (daily, weekly), cycles and retention periods (eg.7 years) as a
minimum. Also where the backups are stored and how the data would be restored. The
backups and restores should be tested. Can't sleep at night without this.

2. Create a disaster recovery plan and test it regularly

Create a fully documented disaster recovery plan linked in with the organizations Business
continuity plan. Defines how the IT systems will be recovered in the event of a disaster.
Includes detailed instructions including provision of third party services. Must be tested at
least annually if not twice a year. Sometimes the test is done unannounced to create a 'real
as possible' situation. Links in with the data backup plan.

3. Develop an IT strategy aligned to the business

Review the business plans of the organization, understand the issues and directions. Review
the existing IT capabilities and then create a 3-year plan with the first year in some depth.
Get the strategy agreed with the business executives. See earlier post on this subject.

4. Define the IT policies

Ensure that you define what policies are required for your organisation that are IT related
and work with Human Resource department to get these written, approved and
communicated to all staff. Will include things like Data Protection, Use of Email and Internet,
Security, Data destruction and Disposal, Portable equipment, Firewall, Software licences,
Home working etc. etc.

5. Create a security plan and test it.

It is important in this technological age that the IT resources are secure. Apart from the IT
security policy, a plan on securing the IT environment should be established and
implemented. Consider using external organisation to audit the security and carry out
penetration testing on the external boundaries of your networks. Also consider complying
with security standards (iso/iec 7799 - ISO17799) that now exist to gain accreditation.

6. Establish governance principles and methodologies

Establish the principles upon which you are going to govern the IT function. In some cases
these may be forced upon you by the industry that you are in. i.e. Sarbanes-Oxley. There are
a number of established methodologies around from COBIT, VAL IT, ITIL, to specifics for
Development such as DSDM and for Projects such as Prince2 or PMI. Why develop your own
when all these 'best practices' are around.

7.Define the department structure

Document the department structure and communicate it. Look at structuring on functional
needs and look at the number of reports to each person. Somewhere I heard it should be no
more than 7 but also worry of it is one to one.

8. Create job descriptions

This means make sure everybody knows what they are supposed to be doing. Create a job
description for each person and look at using sensible industry standard job titles. Job
descriptions should be updated regularly and reviewed at appraisal time.

9. Establish an appraisal structure and object setting

Regular appraisals are essential and not just the once a year 'tick in the box' kind. Consider
object setting and roll this down from the IT Director so that there is some cohesion across
the department. Make time for appraisals and do them properly.
10. Set up a skills matrix
Find out what everybody's skills and skill levels are. Create a matrix of required skills and
get people to mark themselves against that using a scoring system to reflect level of skill
(i.e. 5 equals expert) Review that with their supervisor to ensure accuracy. Use in
conjunction with appraisal, project resourcing and training programmes to bring skill levels
up and assign the right people to tasks.

11. Define measurements

They say you can't manage what you can't measure. Determine the measurements needed
to ensure IT is delivering value, meeting key performance indicators and service levels.
Consider using a balanced score card approach. Measurements may be at monthly and
other intervals such as quarterly and annual. Communicate them to your team and within
the business.

12. Create a budget and budget process

You need a budget to manage IT and act as a guideline to the business on likely costs. A
budget is not an authority to spend and you will still need an approval process to acquire the
items within the budget. The budget is the framework and each year a key task is to define
recurring and new project costs. New project costs should be referenced against the
strategy. The budget process within a business will normally be defined, as it is not IT
specific. It will include an approval process where you may need to justify what you have
included.

13. Ensure new projects go through an approval process and are tied to business
benefits
Usually the demand is greater than the capability so it is important that resources are used
wisely to the benefit of the organisation. Create an approval process for new projects where
the need is clearly defined, the business benefits, cost and risks are stated plus any return
on investment projections. The project should fit into the overall strategy of the business
and ideally be in the budget. You may need a senior business executive or committee to
review and agree these demands as well as prioritising them.

14. Use project driven methodologies

Consider using dedicated project managers or people trained in a project management
methodology to lead the projects. Use a project methodology like Prince2 or PMI but don’t be
afraid to adjust them for the size of the organisation, as some can be a bit top heavy. Think
the word is Agile. Following this approach will help towards success because they bring
some key disciplines to the process.

15. Put projects under a programme plan

With many projects running across an IT department it can be difficult to keep track.
Consider using a programme plan approach to ensure visibility of all projects. Use a traffic
light (red, amber and green) system to highlight whether the project is under control or not.
Depending on size of the organisation consider setting up a project Management office
(PMO).

16. Do post project reviews

A lot of the time this is forgotten about. Project delivered so lets move on. However you are
missing a trick if you don’t take the time to review the project after completion. Did it
complete on time (improved estimating), did we achieve the costs and benefits (improved
costing/ budget amendments required etc), What went well/ what didn’t go well (lessons
learnt for future projects).

17. Define customer touch points and manage them (don’t be afraid of
complaints)IT is a service organisation and your customers are important. Find out who
they are. Not just the Department heads but also some of the key people are the next levels
down. Set up regular meetings to review IT issues. Don’t be afraid of complaints, tackle then
head on. Find out why there was a complaint, sort it out and communicate to the person
who complained. They will appreciate that they are being listened to.

18. Put in cost controls

You have a budget but you need to control your costs. Get Finance to send you monthly
statements of actual against budget. Drill down to detail if needed. Review the invoice
approval process and make sure correct coding and sign off. Get rid of surprises and come in
on/under budget.

19. Define the architecture

Define your IT architecture. This is the hardware and software platforms that you use to
support the business. Make sure they are consistent and complimentary in order to achieve
efficiencies and future positioning.

20. Use business analysis

This is about bridging the gap between business and IT. Understand the requirements and
benefits from a business point of view and then interpret those into an IT solution. Business
analysis should get you closer to the business and an understanding of how they operate
their processes and business rules.

21. Training and developing people

The IT people must be trained to the level you expect for the products they are using or
supporting. I would suggest that you create a skills matrix which shows the people in one
column and the skills (i.e. Excel) they need in the other. Using a score of 1 to 5 assess where
each person is against the specific skill. The skills should be defined against each job
function. The areas of weakness can then be identified and appropriate training planned.

22. BPI (Business Process Improvement)

Seriously consider business process improvement methodologies. This is about gaining
efficiency and improving quality both internally and more importantly for customers. This
involves studying specific areas of the business. They should involve a small number of
processes as large studies can be difficult to manage and deliver benefit. The areas chosen
should be able to demonstrate a number of issues that need addressing and the study be
supported by a senior executive. The methodology will consist of an ‘As-is’ phase (how do
we do it now) and a ‘to be’ phase (how we want it to be).
It is about seeking the inefficiencies, the rework, the issues etc. and designing an improved
process.

23. Research
Research your marketplace and find out what is happening. Read the magazines and
newspapers as well as subscribing to Blogs and web pages that are relevant. It can be time
consuming but you can scan them to get an idea of what's what and then home in on
interesting areas. You need to be informed.

24. Communication – every which way

This is such a key area and covers internal within your department, external within the
business and external with Clients, suppliers and peer groups. If you don’t do this then no
matte how good a job you are doing people wont necessarily know about it and could talk
your department down. Your clients wont think you are technology savvy and if your own
people don’t know what's going on then you will get duplication or complacency.
25. PR (Public Relations to us)
Consider proactive PR. Consider how you can communicate your successes and plans to the
wider community. This could be very key in a major business transformation project. Think
outside the box on this, from posters to videos, from t-shirts to mouse mats, from pod
casting to the Intranet. When you have completed projects with suppliers consider a press
release. Maybe enter some technology or business awards. No matter what - tell them!

26. Supplier relationships

This is worth putting some effort into. A good relationship with a supplier can pay back
handsomely. You should treat suppliers fairly, recognise that they also need to make a profit
and have a business to run and look for a win-win situation. If you ‘screw’ your supplier then
maybe you get some credit up front but when the chips are down that supplier is not going
to have you high on his list of buddies and he will look after those customers that are of
more value to him. Spend time exchanging information so you understand the supplier and
they understand your business. Have regular review meetings and create supplier records
so you and your team know who to contact, where the contracts are held, types of services
provided etc.

27. Supplier contracts

Don’t just accept the contract no matter how good the company that is offering it seems.
Contracts only come into their own when things go wrong and in most cases that won’t
happen but when it does you will wish you had spent some time on the contract. So assume
the worst and get your lawyer to go through the contract and ensure it’s fair and balanced.

28. Get to understand the clients (the value chain)

The customer is king was an old saying that still remains true today. In IT we have two
customers internal and external. All things that we do should consider the external customer
and ensure that we are adding value to the customer process. In order to do that we need to
understand what makes the customer tick. We can understand our internal process in some
detail but we also need to understand the ‘touch’ points where the customer process
interacts with our process. It would be even better if we could go beyond that and get
information on the customer’s internal process. Understanding that may provide an
opportunity to add extra value and get ahead of the competition.

29. Check out the competition

Find out what your competitors are up to. Attend industry conferences and special interest
groups. Exchange information with peers. Check industry web sites and magazines. Just be
aware don’t necessarily keep up with the joneses! But make sure you are not missing a
trick!

30. Change management is king

Protect the production environment at all costs. Remember issues and errors are often
caused by change so don’t let any changes into that environment without scrutiny. Consider
a Change advisory board CAB to review and agree changes. Make sure changes have a back
out plan and make sure they have been tested.

31. Review alternative methods of working (or else somebody else will)
Outsourcing, co-sourcing and other methods of working are out there, always in the press
and the board will read the articles and ask if one of them could save them money. It can be
effective for a number of reasons and in some cases not at all suitable. This can change year
on year as different business change comes into play. The key thing here is not to ignore it
but to review and be in a position to recommend a change or to show why it is not suitable
at this stage. I would look at this on a regular basis.
32. Know your support capabilities
It is extremely important to know what your support capabilities are and failure in this area
will catch you out at the worst possible time. Make sure you know what you need to support
in terms of system and Infrastructure, to what level and over what periods. Then assess your
existing capabilities and identify the gaps. Fill the gaps as soon as possible whether that’s
internally or using a third party to extend your own capabilities. You will sleep better.

33. Manage the minefield of software licensing

Don’t get into trouble over illegal licences. It is theft after all. Ensure you know what
software you are using. Consider a software discover solution. Lock down PC's so people
can't install software without approval. Have a policy that the staff are signed up to so it is a
disciplinary offence to install software without authority. Record your licences/ invoices so
you can prove ownership. Get somebody trained to understand licensing as some suppliers
make it complicated and you can find yourself in an illegal situation without realising it.

34. Recruitment plan with structured interviews

When recruiting create a plan. The plan should contains such things as Creating the Job
specification and personal specification, Defining the recruitment process (how and who),
Considering filter or pre screening of candidates, the interview process (stages/ interviewers/
structured questions etc), Testing (consider technical tests and/or psychometric testing),
Background and reference checking, Offer process. This should then lead into an induction
programme for the new recruit.

35. Retain your staff

It’s a bit like customers. It’s cheaper to keep your existing staff than recruit new ones. You
don’t just have to pay them massive amounts of cash but you do need to treat them well.
Some key things to consider are frequent communication (people like to know what is going
on), Regular Appraisal (Listen and give feedback on performance), Training (give people the
skills and keep them up-to-date), Working environment (make it a great place to work), Fun
(bring some fun into work with sports and social type activities), Rewards and Recognition
(not necessarily expensive but recognising achievement or going that extra mile is worth a
lot to the individual)

36. Audit
Auditing gives the opportunity to check that things are being done as expected. Consider an
external audit but if not you could do it internally. Obviously not as good as it is hard to be
objective when you are amongst it. Create an Audit plan starting with the scope and
objectives. Who is going to do it, what are they going to look at and how. Something’s to
consider auditing are the DR plan and tests, Backups, Change control process, Any of your
documented processes, SLA compliance and process etc.

37. Succession planning

No matter how good you are at looking after your staff people will leave and it is important
that you think about who would take over. Sometimes you just have to go external to bring
in the right experience but that shouldn’t be the plan. You should plan to have somebody
moving towards the ability to take over a position if the current incumbent leaves. Yes there
is a danger that you train people and then they leave because the position isn’t available
when they feel ready for the next career move but that is better than having no people
coming up within the organisation.

38. Production environment

Keep it safe. Build the moat! Make sure your production environment is separated from the
test environment and protect it well with technology and process. Also protect it from attack
both deliberate and accidental.
39. Testing
Test, test and test again. Testing is the key to a successful implementation. There is a whole
career to be made in testing and it is a vast subject with tiers of testing types from ‘unit’ to
full ‘integration’ testing and also lots of software to automate the process. Some people will
see it as overkill but ignore them and insist on a test plan that is rigorously followed. It will
pay off.

40. Innovate
Keep ahead of the game (and the competition). Encourage new ideas from the business and
from IT. Create an Ideas bank so it is easy for people to define their thoughts. Link it from
the Intranet. Develop a new product development process to make sure that ideas get
reviewed and there is feedback to the contributor. Also it is important to identify the need
and the value of the idea. Try to get some Research and Development funds in the budget.

41.Push for Data Management

Data is the lifeblood of many organisations but it is not often looked after very well.
Define the data owners and push for the physical stewardship of data to ensure its
coherence, availability and accuracy.
Give them the tools to audit and manage the data. Get them involved in system change,
data migration, system modifications and the data impact of those events. Build the
validation at the gateways and try to keep the rubbish out!

42. Organisational awareness

This is a bit more sophisticated than item 17 where we talked about the customer touch
points. That was more specific to the IT service.
Organisational awareness is a bit fluffier but is essential to the well being of what is
achieved in IT.
This is about understanding the culture of the organisation so you can swim with the tide. It
is about being politically aware of who are the real decision makers and influencers; it is
about networking with those people. Create yourself a stakeholder map of the business and
use it to your advantage. You and your organisation will be stronger for it.

43.You need a Quality Plan

Quality should be in everything you do but it is an important subject often taken lightly.
Quality is about the use of best practice, adherence to standards and ensuring fitness for
purpose. Having a quality plan will help you think about how you are going to deliver quality
in all projects. It is effectively the instruction manual for achieving quality.

44. Model the Business

There is some advantage in considering tools that allow you to hold a model of the business.
Often known as Case tools these hold company organisation/ structure/process etc. They
provide a total picture of the business and can be useful particularly if making change and
ensuring you understand the impact of that change (scenario planning). This is a time
consuming and detailed piece of work and you should only consider this if you are prepared
to invest the manpower not only in doing it but also in maintaining it.

45. Consulting
Become the consultant to the business on technology and process. To do this you need to
get closer to the business and get involved in business decision making and client reviews.
You need to input your ideas and thoughts in a positive and professional manner to ensure
the business leaders recognise the value of your contribution. Eventually you will be called
on to contribute as a natural part of the business process.

46. Maturity Models

Maturity models can be useful. They attempt to define different levels of maturity for
different processes such as software development, project management etc (in fact I saw an
article where somebody said there were over 30 different models!). By answering the
questions for each level it determines your position within the model and then you can move
up the maturity levels by implementing the missing pieces. A good way to determine where
you are and to progress.

47. Remote and Mobile working

Make sure the business can operate externally whether that is from home, internet café,
hotel or clients premises. Look at delivering a secure access solution to the business
systems. The workforce is becoming more and more mobile and flexible working is
becoming popular so this facility is a must in most businesses.

48. Gateway Reviews

Gateway reviews are a key management tool and decision point. They are used a lot by
government and local authorities. Use them at various points in a project. They allow a
review of the status of the project by peer groups who can question the value and potential
success of the project. Because the peer group are not directly involved in the project they
can often see things that the project group cant. If used properly they can halt a bad project
or help to put it back on track. Beware of the politics.

49. Knowledge
As they say Knowledge is power. Look at your knowledge management strategy.
All businesses have masses of information often locked up in separate systems. This
information is extremely valuable if used properly. There are a number of ways of seeking
this out from specific products to using enterprise search tools. It could save your business
time and also increase your competitiveness particularly if you consider sharing some
knowledge with your clients.

50. New Ways of working

Keep up with new ways of working and review if they can benefit your business. Consider
pilots/trials. Everything from Hotelling/hot desking to home working but maybe more
obscure ideas. Be an innovator!