IT Manager's Handbook: The Business Edition

Bill Holtsnider is an experienced writer, educator, and software professional with more than 26 years of experience working in the computer industry. His IT expertise includes working in such diverse areas as stock portfolio management, identity management, and software development. He is the author of six books and a wide range of technical and marketing documentation. Brian D. Jaffe is a seasoned veteran in the IT community. As an IT professional, he has worked for several Fortune 500 companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Time Warner, Philip Morris, and The Interpublic Group of Companies. Currently he is Senior Vice President for Global IT at McCann Worldgroup in New York City, one of the country’s leading advertising agencies. His articles have appeared in Computerworld, InfoWorld, eWeek, and The New York Times.

"The role of IT is changing as businesses depend more and more on technology as a critical component to their success. This Business Edition of the IT Manager’s Handbook series is targeted to help IT leaders make this transition possible, and provides new guidance on how an IT leader can help transform into a business partner." --Jim Chilton, Chief Information Officer, Americas - Dassault Systemes"After learning how to manage a team of developers the hard way – making my share of mistakes in the real world – I now wish I had read some books on management before entering the workforce. This book provides a clear, easy-to-use resource for a technical person who is moving into management. It weaves in new concepts such as Web 2.0 and social engineering in a way that communicates in a straightforward manner to both technical and business people. This text should be required reading for technical staff to communicate the needs of a business – and it will be required reading for my development teams." --George M. Stragand, Director of Software Development, ClickFox"Overall, the IT Manager Handbook, the Business Edition, is a good introduction to the many challenges of management...The book provides the reader with a realistic approach to managing IT teams and a dozen of useful checklists, giving the new managers the necessary foundation to establish good practices and the business acumen they need to be successful in their careers." --ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes

• 1. The Role of an IT Manager 1.1 Just Exactly What Does an IT Manager Do?1.2 Managers in General1.3 The Strategic Value of the IT Department1.4 Develop an IT Strategy2. Managing your IT Team2.1 Keeping Employees Focused2.2 Avoiding Burnout2.3 Employee Training2.4 Performance Reviews3. Staffing your IT Team3.1 Why IT Managers Need to Deal with Hiring People3.2 Write a Position Description3.3 Recruiters3.4 Selecting Candidates3.5 Outsourcing and Offshore Outsourcing4. Key Principles of Project Management4.1 Projects and "Project Management": A Quick Overview4.2 Phase One: Scope the Project4.3 Phase Two: Develop a Project Plan4.4 Phase Three: Launch the Project4.5 Phase Four: Track the Project’s Progress4.6 Phase Five: Close Out the Project4.7 Decision-Making Techniques4.8 What to Do If/When the Project Gets Off Track4.9 Useful Project Management Techniques4.10 Funding Projects4.11 Multiple Projects: How to Juggle Well4.12 Dealing with Non-IT Departments on a Project5. Changing Companies5.1 The First Day5.2 The First Month5.3 Two IT Departments: What Happens if Your Company Merges with Another?6. Budgeting6.1 The Budgeting Process6.2 The Difference between Capital vs. Operating Expense Items6.3 Lease vs. Buy: Which One Is Better?6.4 Other Budgeting Factors to Consider7. How to Deal with Vendors 7.1 Dealing with Vendors7.2 Key Evaluation Metrics7.3 Getting Current Information7.4 Purchasing Sources8. IT Compliance and Control Issues8.1 The Importance of Compliance to IT8.2 The Rules8.3 How to Comply with the Rules8.4 Hidden Benefits of Complying with the Rules8.5 Methodologies and Frameworks8.6 It’s Not Just Regulatory Compliance8.7 Additional ReferencesBibliographyGlossaryIndex