The Keys to your Mansion

This is the age old question where does your business IT strategy lay. The IT section of business has held the keys to the IT strategy for a long time. It was the case of the black magic of technology could not be managed by anyone other than the tech heads. That was fine if your business was soley IT focused. The IT manager understoods your business and the direction you wanted to go. The only problem is a lot of IT managers use IT glasses. The other problem is they usally are not involved in the business strategy and its direction. Their understand of security issues and making it all workis fine, but what of productivity?. What of innovation? Where do they get these insights?

A lot of IT managment are pushed as it is to manage and maintain the systems, backup, security and implementation of windows and office and a number of standard products over a network. But where are the productivity tools and for the consultants. Where do they get the time to research and see that they are best of breed. How do they do this if they do not understand the use or application of the product. This is one of the biggest failings in the current IT model of the IT manager being the definitive place for these decisions.

Decisions on software products need to be made with background and knowledge in the areas that they will be required. This is the domain of the CIO (Chief Information Officer) of KO (Knowledge Office). We need to take some time and consider the role and maybe IT should be accessed more as a service provider to the organisation rather than the lead.

Marc Dimmick

Effective Training and Training Material

I have just started employment at a new company. Great I am finally back into a full time position. The first part of my job is to learn how their software works. I started with a couple of hours training with a member of staff. This was great, a lot went over the head but after a little percistance I started to understand their reporting module.

I have just started to work thorough their Accounting modules and finding the going tough. No due to the subject, but mind you a little dry. But the training material is very confusing.

Training is a pet hate of mine due to I want the information as quickly as I can get it. I have been involved in providing training and editing a training book for ColdFusion. ColdFusion from static to dynamic in 10 Steps, by Barry Moore. The important thing that I learnt from this experience was never to asume. I would have to say that this book is one of the best examples that I have seen in instructional design. When I was editing it I always took the position that the user or reader had no prior knowledge. In some respects that can be boring but you just never know where the reader is at.

Hopfully this will imporve with the material I am currently working with.

Marc Dimmick