IT ASSESSMENTS

If you’re an executive, and you’re not sure whether your IT Manager or your CIO is doing a good job for your organization, we can help.  We typically start by gathering your specific concerns, and in most engagements we talk to key people in your organization to get a better picture of the way your IT resources are deployed, and to document the results the IT department is getting.  We talk to the staff in the IT department, starting with the manager or CIO, and we examine documentation, the physical infrastructure, and the policies and procedures that are in place.

We put all this together in a report of our findings, and we provide our written recommendations for improvements.  This is not just a checklist exercise, because there are many ways to achieve excellence in an IT department— one approach does not fit every organization.  That said, there are certainly a number of non-optimal ways to conduct IT business, and we can help identify and correct those expensive or risky practices.  Typically we remain independent and only engage with you to write the findings and recommendations, but some clients ask us to assist in certain areas temporarily, and where appropriate, we’re happy to do so.

While most IT Assessments are initiated by non-IT executives who are concerned that their IT resources are not being managed efficiently or well, we also can assist the IT manager or CIO in improving the operation of the IT department before poor performance becomes an organization-wide issue. Sometimes an external party can extract better feedback than the department can obtain, because we're seen as neutral. We also distinguish between real technical issues and the perception of issues outside the department; we can help with both.

Give us a call and we’ll discuss your situation in complete confidence.  We’ve helped a number of organizations with this sensitive area, and we can help yours as well.

OTHER STUDIES AND IT DOCUMENTATION

Because of the many years experience that our people have in running IT departments of all sizes, we understand how to identify an appropriate level of documentation for your team.  We can help identify gaps in your documentation, and provide those missing parts, either writing the documentation ourselves or assisting your staff in bringing it together. Our documentation base includes many kinds of information technology policies and procedures, as well as custom software documentation.  We provide what’s needed to reduce risk in your organization, but we don’t insist on more documentation than is appropriate to accomplish your mission.

We are also available for other IT studies such as feasibility studies and outsourcing analyses, and if you’re developing custom software we can assist with software development processes, test plans, and independent verification.  Give us a call today to discuss your needs!

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER SERVICES

As part of every IT assessment that we perform, we look at the IT department from the view of an experienced, consulting Chief Information Officer (CIO). Having worked with numerous IT departments in a variety of client organizations, we are familiar with a number of valid technical approaches to delivering IT services. This includes technical infrastructure issues, help desk functions, and the acquisition of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) software or the development of custom applications.

More importantly, we understand that the role of the IT department is to deliver information in a way that meets the strategic needs of the organization. That means looking at the mission of the organization, and the way the other departments use information. The CIO must be an executive leader, not just a "gear head".

We can provide CIO leadership in a variety of ways. Although we are not an employment agency, we can assist your organization in locating, interviewing, and hiring a new CIO. Alternatively, if your organization has an IT department with an IT manager but is not large enough to hire a full time CIO, we can provide CIO expertise on a part time basis. Typically an engagement specifies one or more days per week so that the CIO can routinely meet with the CEO or Executive Director and the other executives, while providing periodic supervision to the IT manager. As your organization grows, this part time position can evolve into a full time position as needed, either by replacing the part time CIO with a regular employee of your organization, or by continuing to outsource this function, and possibly other IT functions as well.

Our goal is to provide whatever information technology services you need, up to and including your CIO.