Building a solid IT department

[skyler]

Hey guys,

I've recently taken a job (for an old client) as IT manager. Whew! I still get to do all the fun stuff (engineering) because I have no staff, so it's not all managerial, in fact very little of it is.

I've been in that capacity for the last 2 months. I built most of the architecture here a few years back (web farm, firewalls, internal subnets, security, email, phone system) so everything is nice and familiar, that's good.

Here's what’s happening. I think that our IT department can be better. I think I can build a really SOLID IT dept. Seamless help desk, documentation that's accessible to those that need it, redundant networks services etc.

I'm starting this week with a reoccurring task for each day, to sit down, turn off my phones and email, and devote the time to creating my dream dept. This is a step in that direction.

Luckily, I have "free rein", a somewhat limited budget, but there's next to no friction in the politics department, which makes "change" of any sort all the easier.

I'm keeping this post somewhat vague, because I think the discussion will benefit from openness, the possibilities for building the perfect dept. are endless, and should not be limited to "help desk" or "printing".

I've looked for books on the subject, there are several that come close, but nothing really geared towards small-medium businesses (mostly govt. and fortune 500 case studies).

Anyone else have these thoughts? Want to make the sweetest IT dept. ever?

Where to start?
"Nuclear war can ruin your whole compile."
-- Karl Lehenbauer

 

[Albion]

1. When you hire people, hire them based on experience not certifications or education. Not like education shouldn't play a part in the hiring process, but I don't think it's as important as real work experience.

2. Always have a backup plan. No matter what you do, from replacing a printer to promoting an employee, never get caught with your pants down.

3. Practice your golf swing. You may think I am joking but would you believe that I got a $17,000 piece of software for $5,000 because I beat the salesman in 18 holes?

4. Be prepared to work at least 12 hours a day.

5. Never settle for second best, and don't be afraid to spend the money.

6. Never sell yourself short. Fight for what you want and need, after all you are the Admin, you must know more about the subject then the person handing out the cash.

7. Take a stress management class. It's part of the job, be prepared to deal with it.

There's more, but that should do for now.

-cm

 

[Kjonnnn]

Having the BEST IT department is probably all relative.

How about survey your clients for their wishlist of needs. Thats what its all about anyway right. No need to have some new fangled technology if your clients dont need or want it. What will all them to be the more effective in their work while at the same time balancing that so that you dont have a headache.

just a thought.

 

[Kjonnnn]

Having the BEST IT department is probably all relative.

How about surveying your clients for their wishlist of needs. Thats what its all about anyway right. No need to have some new fangled technology if your clients dont need or want it. What will all them need to be the more effective in their work while, at the same time find a happy medium between optimizing theirs needs vs. your running your IT department so that you can work "smart" not "hard."

just a thought.

 

[dkediger]

I'm not exactly sure about the user surveys or 12 hour days. The problems with a survey of that type is that suddenly you have 1001 different pet projects on the table - which leads to the 12 hour days.

Start with the basics and provide absolute rock solid bulletproof availability for the core network services. Expand this to the business critical applications and then branch out into the wish lists. Use the person to which you report to assist in identifying the business critical stuff and the wish list stuff. This may also involve an executive committee. Try to assemble an ad hoc group to examine long term wish list items, this group should represent most of the business units in order to "synergize" ideas.

Unless you are a 24x7 business, there should be limits on availability. I know you want to perfectly satisfy everyone, but limits on availability also command respect. I'm not talking being unreasonably available, but as long as the major items are addressed promptly, its reasonable to let the little things hold awhile. Important to this is knowing the users and helping them with training, materials, etc, to help themselves.

 

[skyler]

Awesome, thanks for your feedback.

I will probabley be dedicating a small site to this in order to achieve maximum peering with other IT managers.

I'll post its address once it's up.

G "Nuclear war can ruin your whole compile."
-- Karl Lehenbauer

 

[carp]

I would be wary about customer surveys - if you ask somebody what they want and they tell you, they tend to think that you've somehow promised it to them.

I think one of the most critical aspects of your job is to understand the company's business and figure out how IT can best help out. Too many times I've seen departments flogging themselves to death because nobody in IT ever sat down with them to understand what they do (I know - this is REAL close to asking them for their wishlist!). Consequently, a lot of work that could have been automated was being done manually. Result - everyone in the department was stressed out because they didn't have enough time to get everything done.

One other trap I've fallen into more than once is telling somebody that producing a tool should be "no big deal". No matter how trivial the task is, DON'T tell anybody it should be easy. Not only will you be deluged with other projects that suddenly make getting anything out the door impossible, but your customer will start stacking more requirements on you and then wondering why this "easy" project is taking so long! The end result is your credibility suffers.

 

[Kjonnnn]

A customer survey is for input from your customer, it doesnt mean everything they suggest will be implemented. It gives you and idea of their wants and needs.

 

[carp]

Yes, that is the intent. But unless you are very clear that their telling you they want something doesn't mean they'll get it, they often feel that some kind of tacit contract has been created. It's happened to me and I've seen it happen to others. In rereading my post, I realize it sounds like I'm discouraging customer surveys, and that was not my intent. But IT people tend to wander around in mine fields a lot - and customer surveys can be one of them if you aren't careful how you do it.

 

[Kjonnnn]

Your very true.

We had meetting here with every department and we had to make VERY CLEAR to them, we just picking their brains. The meeting didnt mean we would be able to implement their suggestions.