CIO in Action
CIO in Action offers best practices for furthering IT's role in the enterprise from a CIO who is immersed in the job every day.
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Preparing for the CIO track
Jay Rollins provides tips about how to prepare for the CIO position, including the top 10 undergraduate courses to take to become a CIO. He also offers insight about the evolving role of the CIO.
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Implementing help desk software: IT exec offers a firsthand account
If your organization is in the market for new help desk software, read Jay Rollins' detailed account of selecting and implementing a new help desk system. His insights into the process may save your company time and money.
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IT project management tips about centralization, alignment, and more
In this roundup of project management tips, Jay Rollins covers centralization, alignment, prioritization, PM groups, and hiring the Super Project Manager.
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Don't let standards impede employee innovation
If users want to use one-off software tools or hardware, IT pros might want to think twice about saying "no." Jay Rollins says being too standards driven can be counterproductive to employee innovation.
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Why SMBs should formalize IT governance processes
Want to get the benefits of IT governance without dealing with all the layers of the onion? Jay Rollins outlines what SMBs need to do to start formalizing the IT governance process.
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Let employees select trade shows to attend (but retain veto rights)
With tighter travel and training budgets, many IT leaders are being more discerning when approving employees' requests to attend trade shows. Jay Rollins discusses the process he uses to help employees decide which trade shows to attend.
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BI systems failure: Is the CIO to blame?
Jay Rollins comments on a recent discussion about whether a CIO could be faulted when business intelligence systems projects fail. He breaks down the two sides of the argument and offers his take.
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Responding to IT mini crises involving KFC, Lotus, Adobe, and a contractor
Business lessons can come from the most unlikely of sources, as evidenced by a mini work crisis because of this week's Kentucky Fried Chicken promo. Jay Rollins outlines the five stages of a mini crisis and describes four situations that he refers to as geek social fodder.
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Hiring independent contractors to help with small projects is a win-win
Now is the perfect time to hire an independent IT contractor to work on small projects that are on the back burner. These projects can lead to small wins that make users happy and provide the contractor with some much-needed income.
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Stepping into a leadership vacuum shows initiative
Take charge of your career by stepping into a vacuum and taking ownership of it. Jay Rollins discusses potential pitfalls you may encounter and explains why confidence is key in this leadership role.
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Seek out difficult customers to gain valuable insight
One of the best things about difficult customers is that they care enough to complain. If you're discounting these customers' opinions, you may miss opportunities to gain valuable insights about your service or product.
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A funny thing happened on the way to selecting software
Actually a few funny things happened during phase one of Jay Rollins' software selection process. Find out how a pushy vendor, Thomas the Tank Engine, and a pizza party factor into the process.
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Built-in change processes increase chance for IT project success
Don't get complacent when things are going well; you run the risk of overlooking a problem or an opportunity for change. Jay Rollins describes what he likes about the built-in change process his company uses and explains how it compares to the traditional project management approach.
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HIMSS09: Greenspan's thoughts on economy and health care IT generate a buzz
Jay Rollins offers a recap of the last day of this year's Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference. Find out why he thinks Alan Greenspan's comments lead to more questions than answers.
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HIMSS09: The gold rush is on for health care IT
Jay Rollins notes that the $19 billion open to health care IT has had an effect on the exhibitions and offerings at this year's Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference. Read some of the startling statistics presented at the event.
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7 things to keep in mind during a merger or acquisition
Occasionally, if you're lucky, in a merger or acquisition, systems are looked at with an eye toward the company's long-term growth. Demonstrating this willingness to look for a solution that will enable the company to grow faster or become more efficient goes a long way in securing your future in the new company. Here are some things to keep in mind.
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Creating an IT strategy: Presenting to the executive team
This is part 2 in how to create your IT strategy. In this part, Jay Rollins talks about how to present IT information to the executive team.
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How to prioritize your organization's projects
Here are some tips for how to successfully prioritize your organization's projects with management. I also include a sample PowerPoint presentation you can use to communicate your concepts.
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Implementing help desk software: IT exec offers a firsthand account
If your organization is in the market for new help desk software, read Jay Rollins' detailed account of selecting and implementing a new help desk system. His insights into the process may save your company time and money.
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Help Desk Implementation Diary: Week 1
Jay Rollins takes you step by step as he spearheads the implementation of his company's new help desk system. In this part, he talks about choosing the best software.
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A roadmap for asking for more headcount
Jay Rollins presents a road map to prepare you for the task of asking executives for more staff in your IT department. The better prepared you are, the better your chances for success.
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A funny thing happened on the way to selecting software
Actually a few funny things happened during phase one of Jay Rollins' software selection process. Find out how a pushy vendor, Thomas the Tank Engine, and a pizza party factor into the process.
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A look at Contact Center technology
The contact center may be the most complex, technically, but one of the easiest to succeed at. But, if you don't do it right, it can also be one of the most visible mistakes. Here are some tips for setting it up right.
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BI systems failure: Is the CIO to blame?
Jay Rollins comments on a recent discussion about whether a CIO could be faulted when business intelligence systems projects fail. He breaks down the two sides of the argument and offers his take.
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Can telecommuting work?
With gas prices at record highs, telecommuting is being attempted again and again by companies across the country and around the globe. But is it something that small and mid-size enterprises should attempt? Here are some thoughts.
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Built-in change processes increase chance for IT project success
Don't get complacent when things are going well; you run the risk of overlooking a problem or an opportunity for change. Jay Rollins describes what he likes about the built-in change process his company uses and explains how it compares to the traditional project management approach.
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CIO modeling: The evolving role of the CIO
Research indicates that the CIO's role as the functional department head is becoming less important to organizations, especially SMEs. Jay Rollins offers CIOs advice on how to transition to being more of a business strategist.
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Anticipate problems when requesting more staff
If you're one of the fortunate few companies that continue to grow through even this economic mess, justifying additional headcount can be tricky. And when you are transitioning from a small company to a mid-sized company, you need to be able to combat the sticker shock management will inevitably experience.
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CRM via snail mail: Things IT needs to look for
The key to good one-to-one marketing via the postal system or post card sign-ups is linking the outbound campaign data with the inbound data captures.
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Creating an IT Strategy: Information gathering
When creating an IT strategy there are a few rules of thumb that will help, but the course you take is usually dependent upon the industry you are in.