CIO Priority is Cost Control - Driven by Infrastructure
In order to manage IT costs' effectively CIOs need to review their existing IT operations with an eye towards doing more for less. The first areas to review are:
- Utilization (Equipment and Personnel) - IT utilization typically measures the capacity of the physical hardware that an organization is using to support its business. Generally, the most common metric is server utilization. Despite only using a portion of the server resources, organizations are still paying for and supporting the entire device. The same is true of personnel. Charge back systems should be set to cover 100% of the cost of all resources. If a CIO sees that only 10% of a resource is utilized then that can be a candidate for consolidation.
- End-user support - Enterprises typically have an internal help desk. Generally, this internal help desk is responsible for supporting end users' client devices. When IT budgets get cut, one area that usually comes under investigation is the internal help desk. However, the internal help desk can be essential to providing support for the end users and marinating employee productivity.
- Maintenance and support budget - By far the largest component of the IT operations budget is for external support services. In many cases, organizations are either under or over supporting their IT environments and adding additional costs.
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IT Records Management
Current Rules and Regulations Regarding the Protection and Destruction of Confidential and Sensitive Documents require that any person or company that possesses or maintains such information to take reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of the information in connection with its disposal. In addition Sarbanes-Oxley requires that records be retained for all audits and legal proceedings.
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IT Hiring Kit Updated to Meet Mandated Requirements
Business realities drive CIOs to Keep Job Descriptions Current
Detail job descriptions are a starting point for defining what is expected of position and how you measure performance. The Internet & Information Technology Position Descriptions HandiGuide - Edition address all the pressing needs of the day - including PCI-DSS, SOX, and HIPAA compliance requirements.
A well written job description provides both the enterprise and the employee with a blueprint for success. It is the basic tool you use to hire, measure, and manage each employee and the IT function as a hole.
The Internet and IT Position Descriptions HandiGuide® was just completed and is over 600 pages; which includes sample organization charts, a job progression matrix, and Internet and IT job descriptions. The book also addresses Fair Labor Standards, the ADA, and is in a new easier read and modify format. Also included with the HandiGuide are tools to help you expand, evaluate and define your enterprise's unique additional required. Those tools include:
- Job Evaluation Questionnaire Position Description Questionnaire
- Job Progression Matrix (Job Family Classifications)
- Sexual Harassment and other key employment issues
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