March 03, 2010, 11:52 AM — This collection of IT management resources offers career advice for IT managers (and aspiring IT managers), strategies for addressing common challenges, and helpful tips to make the job easier.
IT management strategies
M&A Mistake: Too Many CIOs Arrive Late to the Dance
With a few exceptions, CIOs are still playing the part of Cinderella at the M&A ball, relegated to mop-up duties, writes analyst George Lawrie. And IT's presence typically vanishes like Cinderella's pumpkin.
IT management aided by new appraisal technique
CIOs and other IT leaders have long struggled to measure and then demonstrate the business value of IT investments. A relatively new approach for making IT investment and operating decisions and then proving their value to shareholders, called the IT Capability Maturity Framework (IT-CMF), can offer IT leaders some help.
Company Saves Millions By Ending IT Outsourcing Deal
In the realm of IT outsourcing, disengaging from a multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement can be so difficult and costly for customers that it makes a Trump divorce seem like a tea party. But that's exactly what Kellwood did last year, despite the upheaval the company anticipated from ending its 13-year IT outsourcing arrangement with EDS.
Managing software legal compliance
In the age of open source and large-scale outsourcing, ascertaining the legal compliance of software is just as important as assuring the quality before pressing it into production.
IT Outsourcing: Why It Pays to Appraise Your Contract
Everyone knows a good outsourcing relationship needs to be actively managed. So does a good IT outsourcing contract.
IT management tips
Understand and reduce your IT costs
Many organizations are making decisions to cut IT spending with little or no insight into whether they're making cuts in the right areas.
IT management: Building IT credibility
Be a leader of the business, not "The IT Guy"
Estimating programming time
Accurately estimating programming time is a process of defining limitations -- experience, domain knowledge, speed vs. quality. Expect it to take 6 months before your team is estimating close to actuals.
Benchmarking for performance management
Don't be fooled, benchmarking is a challenging effort that will require you to commit time and effort, says Robert Ryan, co-author of 'The Business of IT'. Here are Ryan's 3 rules for success.
Developing an IT scorecard
6 must-dos for successfully developing an IT scorecard for your organization.
Prioritizing IT projects
Every IT project has ROI. Calculate it out.
IT management career advice
Want to be CIO? Forget about being just one of the guys
The lesson isn't groundbreaking, but it could cost you that hard-earned promotion.
IT career advancement: Learn how to negotiate vendor contracts
Providing this career-enhancing opportunity -- without taking unnecessary risk -- takes some care both on the part of the CIO providing it and the IT manager taking advantage of it.
How to become a data center top dog
If you're in IT today, no matter what level or discipline, you can set your sights for top-level data center management and, with the right career moves, achieve your goal. Here's where to begin.
