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15 Proven Ideas to Make Your Next IT Project a SuccessHave you ever been unhappy with a network install? A Web page project that took too long and looked too ugly. An accounting system that didn't meet your needs. A wide area network that didn't? It doesn't have to be that way. I'm going to show you 15 Killer Ideas to get a fantastic payback on your IT investment. Killer Idea Number 1 - Plan. If you do nothing else, at least know where you're going and the steps you're going to take to get there. Killer Idea Number 2 - Use a checklist. These projects are usually so complicated that following a checklist is the only way of being reasonably sure of accounting for everything in the first wave of the project. Killer Idea Number 3 - Consider the impact. Information technology projects can have remarkably good effects, or they can be disasters. If you don't carefully evaluate the impact of the project, you'll blow not only a lot of money, but also a great deal of your employees' time. Killer Idea Number 4 - Check references. They should all be similar to you in terms of size and type of industry as well as the technology you're considering. Try to get local references, as opposed to companies with home offices on the far side of the moon. Visit them. Killer Idea Number 5 - Meet the "big dog". This might be the CEO, general manager or branch manager, depending on how big the vendor is. Having this august personage's business card in your Rolodex can make your project much smoother. And if there are problems, you'll be able to call her directly and get them resolved. Killer Idea Number 6 - Document everything. Accept no verbal promises like, "Oh yeah, that's included in the price. I didn't put it on the quote? Sorry. But trust me, it's in there." Does this kind of conversation ring a bell? You need to have documentation of ALL - I repeat, ALL - of the commitments the vendor is making. Killer Idea Number 7 - Use professionals. Don't use family or friends unless they are experienced professionals. Everyone in this business can tell you horror stories about an owner who let their buddy create a key database, then moved to Alaska, never to be heard from again. Killer Idea Number 8 - Plan for failures. The system will fail. Find out what will happen when it does and what kind of support you'll get. If you're buying a service, such as Web hosting, what contingency plans does the vendor have for power and communications failures, etc? Killer Idea Number 9 - Keep it simple. Don't try to do everything at once. If your eventual plan is to have a local area network, an MRP system with an integrated extranet Web site, frame-relay connectivity to all of your offices, an email and scheduling package, brand new desktop computers, new word processing and spreadsheet software, and video conferencing, you might want to start with the network and desktop software. Killer Idea Number 10 - Meet the tech. Consulting firms will tell you that you're hiring the firm, not the individual. But the work will be done by warm-blooded technicians and engineers, and you should be comfortable with who you're getting. Killer Idea Number 11 - Keep your options open. Beware of solutions that lock you into a specific and narrow technology path. A key question to ask the vendor is, "if this doesn't work out, can I use this stuff with another solution?" Killer Idea Number 12 - Shop around. Don't look for the best price, you should be looking for the best solution. Thoroughly review at least three alternatives. Use them as points of comparison and to get ideas that the other vendors may have missed. Killer Idea Number 13 - Watch the prices. When evaluating your costs, be careful about using the lowest bid. If they're really low, why are they cheaper than the other companies? On the other hand, what does the highest bidder know that the others don't. Killer Idea Number 14 - Train your staff. Otherwise, instead of a powerful three-dimensional data analysis tool, they have a spreadsheet for making lists. Instead of a multi-media publishing package, they've got a word processor for writing letters. Instead of powerful groupware, they've got email. Killer Idea Number 15 - Beware bad advice. Advice is important. But look for it from people who not only are familiar with the technology through training and study, but who are also experienced in the real world. Experience is what counts - LOTS of experience. Technology truly can make your company more profitable and improve the lives of you and your staff. But if you cut corners or take shortcuts, you'll dramatically reduce the effectiveness of the system until it becomes more of a millstone around your company's neck than a profit enhancer. These 15 killer ideas are not flashes of brilliance that only I have been privy to. They are basic techniques that most of us, unfortunately, have not executed. But if they are done well, the results will be wondrous to behold.
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