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by nigel.copley

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Hi,

I have recently set up an organistaion that specialises in managed training solutions for the corporate and government organisation.

The service covers everything from skills audits to administartion to management reporting with the aim ofreducing the underlying costs involved with professioanl development.

Bearing this in mind there will be a lot of data that needs to stored, exchanged and secured. Data is information such as company details, analysis reports, CRM Info, details of training programmes, delegate evaluations and evaluation reports with next stage development plans.

There is a growth strategy that means employment of 50 staff over the next twelve months and I need an IT solution to cover this and the above.
Any help would be appreciated.

8 replies

by lordinfidel

I'm not really sure what to say here except to hire yourself a dedicated SysAdmin.

You need someone to design and deploy your network for you.

It is not as easy as what you may think and can not be described in one discussion thread.

by oldefar

In theorey, a CTO or CIO would guide you through establishing your IT. The problem you can run into is that they get too close to the business at hand and lose their objectivity. This is especially true during start up of a new business. An internal only review of your business objectives and requirments will be biased.

I suggest you bring in an IT Architect under contract. His primary role will be to take your business objectives and business requirements and help you refine them to where a technical objective can be defined. This will determine your technical requirements which can then be implemented by an internal staff or contracted out with a reasonable expectation of success.

I recommend against trying to use a network orsystem engineer or administrator to do this. Their focus will be on technology rather than on business. Bring these skills into the picture once the technical objectives are defined and mapped back through the business side.

by nigel.copley

Thanks for the reply,

Ok so lets say that I decide to go the way of hiring a contracted IT Architect, what are the qualities that one would posess and how do you choose the right candidate for the job.

Would this option not be quite costly bearing in mind that the business is in start up phase and that at this early stage we are continuously strectching those budgets as far as possible anyway.

by mallardtooxx

Nigel,
To implement a new network with the type of gathering and storage needs you require is a job that will require a meld of what LordInfidel and Oldefar are suggesting. You ned to find someone who has implemented this type of system before. You also need to bear in mind since your business is a startup, that you need scalability and max ROI. To do this I would suggest you find a firm that you can contract to implement and then a dedicated Sysadmin/SysOp that can maintain what you now have. I also would recommend you shop around, there are literally thousands of firms that are qualified to do what you ask. It is not something you can plan out in one thread but it is something you can put together rather easily.
Your objective seems pretty standard to any company's infrastructure. You want to make sure whatever you implement will allow you the flexibility to grow with the project if need be, but not the need to grow right away. As for the qualities you should seek, well that is going to vary according to project, but I would say first and foremost experience, candor, and integrity are a good start. Remember, you are going to be working with this person in a close manner for sometime; if you don't like them when you start, you'll hate them when you end. If you feel you can trust the person then it will make your life much easier in the long run.
Most importantly, DO NOT BE AFRAID! Remember you are the master of the project not visa versa. When you are beginning to feel overwhelmed that is the time to lean on your contracted firm/sysadmin for support and results, that is why you hired them in the first place.
-duck

by oldefar

You currently have some degree of defined business objectives, and probably a significant portion of your business objectives. Chances are the two are intermixed. A common problem is to also begin tossing in technical requirements as if they were objectives or business requirements.

The first task of the IT architect is to organize what you have and to guide you through filling in holes. These require strong people skills and a logical mind. Visualization skills are a must.

Next is the technical objective. This is the translation of business requirements into technology. A solid background in IT is needed here. The focus is on what the technology will do, not how it will be done. An RFP can be written at this point providedyou allow respondents to determine how they would accomplish the what.

The success will hinge in large measure on the chemistry between the business management and the architect. You will be a team and if the chemistry is bad the results will reflect this.

by oldefar

There are a number of approaches to cost. The hourly rate is probably the poorest approach.

Consider that the IT architect will be a full partner in your business startup for the duration of the engagement. For budget purposes, put a value on apartner over the first two years. What sort of ROI should he expect? The IT architect will have around a 6 month investment, so think of his value as one fourth of that ROI.

Now look at cash flow. Paying that figure to the architect directly may be a killer. Can you cover some lower figure to offset his expenses and then match the rest after two years? You defer costs and he has a vested interest in your success. In return for the deferred cost, you might set this with a minimum plus apercentage of exceeded business revenue target.

The keys are flexibility and fairness. Keep in mind that he will have a minimum requirement since you can still fail no matter how well he delivers.

by nils

I don't think you can get by with an Arch, SA, DBA

You really do need someone who can examine your situation, recommend and build/buy the requsite systems, preferably, one who has acted in a similar capacity before. Admittedly this is more expensive than doing a "Deep Hire", but the value of a good CTO can't be overstated (it can be make or break).

Perhaps, if you budget is very tight you can look to sharing a CTO w/ another small company. My CEO expects me to "lend labor" on a regular basis, both to help our bottom line and help our smaller customers grow into bigger customers.

Good luck on you new venture

Nils Stuart
CTO IT4.com
WWW.it4.com

by nigel.copley

i would like to thank everyone for their responses - they have been a great help

Regards

Nigel Copley

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