I just starting to consider putting an IT Roadmap/Strategy in place as part of a contract I'm working on.
Not necessarily a long term, but I'm thinking of the shorter term, maybe 1 - 2 years out.

Obviously thinking of the usual suspects:

LAN - WAN - Network - Servers - Storage - Desktops - Printers - Security - Wireless - Software blah blah blah.

I'm wondering if anyone has worked on something like this before, either has or knows the whereabouts of a sample document
or template for layout and content (that they could share) or even a URL link to stuff to get me going.

I haven't done anything like this myself before so starting the first step is always awkward and slow.

Any info or comments appreciated.

 

I am not an expert on specific hardware / software choices, but I am responsible for my company's IT. I could certainly offer my two cents on strategies for short and long term planning for a network which supports about 45 users. No written plan to share though. Email directly if you want to continue this.

 

I'll offer one bit of advice -- if you're starting from scratch, consider using Novell instead of Microsoft. Novell has firmly committed to Linux for it's server OS and desktop OS and, in my opinion, they are the better choice. In addition to the server OS, Novell's Groupwise email software is better and more secure than Exchange.

Basically, I recommend running as little Microsoft as possible -- you may even want to consider a full Novell Linux solution from server to desktop. If that's not practical, you can still run Novell's server software and use Windows and/or Mac desktops...

Good luck!

 

Specific to your reference to a lot of HW and SW choices, I would recommend NOT even thinking about this initially. Look at IT as the mechanic for your e60. Being aware of those items is good for managing decision making. However, the best practices would be to interview key players on the business side and fully understand why IT exists; what's missing from today's infastructure and methodology. Then once you have a firm commitment from the business saying "I cant do "X" and its important to our business..."; or "this "X" technology limitation is costing the company $$$" you have the makings of your governing mission statement.

Once you have the mission statement or "reason for being" agreed to by the business, you can get into the specific HW/SW choices to address the need. In terms of Rudys advice, keep in mind that MSFT is about 80% of the business in the marketplace (also, Novell SS doesnt play nice with many applicaitons - makes MSFT look pretty basic). What this means to any planning is that SW releases ALWAY lead with MSFT applications. Linux compatibility follows but it can often be months before you see it available. Also, as much as I hate to say it, MSFT is a real player with the new 64bit server technology. Finally, keep in mind that at the very least MSFT keeps Oracle from taking over the world (and probably keeps Larry up quite a few nights plotting).

IMHO - if you want to be truly successful, IT strategies often work best when simple governing principals are applied (you would be surprised how many DONT do these simple things):

1. govern every action against business requirements
2. form a competency center that measures - 1. where you are; 2. where you want to go; 3. options for getting there
3. identify business champions that can access budget (ITs biggest challenge)
4. best practice involves rock solid IT and business colaboration

Some fundamental issues facing IT groups today (that planning above can help you address):
1. IT justification - budget; manpower; project planning etc
2. information - what to do with it; how to get at it; what form it should take; why collect it; common definitions (MDM etc)
3. security - compliancy; governance; IP etc
4. outsourcing - quality control; costs; timelines; business requirements etc.
5. communication - "them against us"; IT vs Business is a REAL issue facing IT groups today - communication avoids assumpitons.

Good luck with this challenging task -

 

I totally agree that a thorough evaluation of the business process, etc. must be done before any decisions are made. That said, the reliance on MSFT for many applications is why we still use Windows on the desktops. The file and print servers, on the other hand, run Novell.

Also, be sure to consider OpenOffice.org for your office productivity suite...

 

Thanks Robq, Rudy and Matt. Some food for thought.
Thats the menu but now I have to get a chef who knows how to cook so to speak.

It's a small place of around 35 and budgets are under tight scrutiny. Unfortunately, I'm not starting from scratch. It's a Microsoft house from the administration side of things. There is also a VLA with Microsoft so I have access to Server 2003, Exchange 2003 and Office 2003. In this case, Novell would be a complete no-no from a file/print point of view. The only outsiders in this respect is Apple Mac's used for some external projects.

I think the concept of how IT has become part of the fabric of everyday operations has eluded certain people somewhat and don't give IT the credance or importance it deserves in planning for the future. It's deemed almost an un-necessary cost and with this sort of attitude, the role of IT becomes more reactive rather than proactive. Re the roadmap, IT hasn't featured on the radar other than when something stops working such as the mail or file server. Thats part of the challenge as well. There hasn't really been a 'Champion' as Matt indicates, to help the cause either.

Basically, what I have is a W2000 domain and Exchange 2000 with a w2000 file and w2003 application server. As part of the plan I want to move to W2003 at a minimum. But I need to take the current network infrastructure in to account and also decide on a DR policy and build that in at the start so it looks like it was cut from the same cloth. This would be a big part of the roadmap.

All I've done so far is to take the headings I mentioned in my original post and started to put some bullet points in to help me to try and see a bigger picture.
For example, under Servers, I'll have to consider consolidation, virtual servers, network storage, backup strategy, fault tolerence etc and out of this comes DR, security etc. It's a tangled web. I just want to go home.

And I agree with Matt regarding simple IT strategies. I prefer the KISS principle myself. Thats Keep It Simple Stupid.

Tea-breaks is over now so I'm back on my head.

 

I work with IT organizations regularly and this is a common challenge. As with anything that is miunderstood though, seek to understand why they feel that way with clear and direct communication (and make sure that it doesnt appear confrontational). Make their business challenges your mission and your street credibilty will benefit tremendously. This moment is the PERFECT time to make the connection between their problem and your contribution to the solution - a clearly defining moment of value.

When people are defensive of a situation its better that they feel you are acting on their needs rather than making assumptions (this is especially dangerous ground with IT - where every 3rd word you use has no meaning outside of the IT community). Governing your actions with an initial approach that involves more questions than providing answers and you are well on your way to changing their mindset.....liken yourself to a doctor - they see 100's of patient problems a year and chances are strong they can pick out your problem/solution in the first few moments of conversation. Nontheless, how likely are you to trust his/her judgement if they prescribe a solution before you have finished filling them in on your perception of the problem? Just as important, how likely are you to mis-diagnose before they have finished their overview...bottom line, basic communication will fix everything.

Finally, I see a need to reference technology in each of the responses in this thread...its a perfect example of 'what not to do' to fix a credibility problem and earn some quick wins. Technology is your 'check mate' move. As much as it pains you (and most with an affinity for technology) dont mention it for the first couple of meetings until you have a full understanding of the challenges IT can address with it. Govern the meeting with:

1. where you are (ie: profitability; manpower; financial visibilty; product quality)
2. where you want to be (ie: I want to increase...; We need to reduce returns by...)
3. how can IT be a part of taking you there - this is the tricky part of NOT referencing IT tools. instead seek to understand how they do 1 and 2 today...areas you can help in will begin to surface

Voila...your 1 and 2 year plan will quickly surface and the BEST part is that IT and Business will own it together.

 

What a question you asked. There is no simple answer but based on the size of organisation you are dealing with they are going to be very focused on the cost and the bottom line. Also an organisation of this size is going to have limited resources and time to implement anything that is too far outside their field of knowledge and comfort but at the same time it has to be aggressive enough to demand the attention of the company and your plan.



Having spent many years in IT from a suppliers point of view, I have witnessed many failures due to lack of time and commitment, the business always has another driver that is going to grab the attention of the senior team, so you need a robust strategy that adds value just not chasing technology, nobody buys technology (well maybe us BMW buyers) they buy "solutions", so don't get too wrapped up in jargon or futures, of course if your sponsor is the IT / CIO director you will have to look proficient in these areas.

These are going to be some of the questions that are in your clients mind:

What is the ROI

Can we achieve this based on our people and resources

What is the cost in respect of time and money

What benefits does this bring (i.e. single database, improved visibility, security, client records, billing, creditor days, reliability,etc, etc)

What about existing H/W or S/W


What about existing contracts / licences
Do we need this level of sophistication

Who will be the sponsor in the business

How will the strategy / project be reviewed and measured for success

Is our current data robust enough or do we need to refresh

Do we need to upgrade existing systems

Do we need to change to more integrated systems

Is the technology robust enough

Are support levels robust enough

What about outsourcing

Plus many, many other questions



One piece of advice that has served me well throughout my many years in IT is "keep it understandable and achievable and sell solutions, not dreams."



I am sure many other people will add their thoughts, mine are those of a business solutions provider and not a techie but the very best of luck and come back to us if you need to share or test any thoughts.



After a quick trawl of the web try the following (couldn't see any on EDS, PwC or IBM sites, think they make a living out of this stuff, in fact I know they do having worked along side them for years and by and large typically sell dreams and deliver very little else)



Try this it might help, there are some good things on this site http://www.cioindex.com/ITAlignment.asp

 

I'll second that, take a close look at MSFT's new licensing structure. I would recommend a Linux solution if possible but it depends on the application. OS X is also often overlooked but it's great for a small deployment that generally requires little desktop support.

 

Hey there,
I'm the whole I.T. department for my company in New York it's about 92 people in the company but about 64-68 users that I manage. Some of the users are local and some are external (Los Angeles, London & Paris), Our whole infrastructure is run on OS X. I won't necessarily say move your whole system to OS X, but it is a consideration alot of people overlook and for the most part intergrates well with AD (there are well known issues with Binding OD with windows computers & AD with OS X, but most of them can be solved when you plan ahead). Once you purchase a server, it comes with unlimited user license unlike MS's licensing scheme. I do control all aspects of technology for the company so if you want to ever discuss network, security e.t.c I'm more than willing to give a lending ear. And as everyone as been saying you should learn how to become more Microsoft independent, it will make you much happier and less stressed.