The IT Manager's Handbook: A Guide for IT Professionals and Students [Spiral-bound]

Ever wondered how to carry out business planning, deal with customers, analyse business requirements, design IT systems and manage finance and property? This handbook will provide you with systems for dealing with all of these potential problem areas in a logical and systematic manner. Conforming to UK National Management Standards and meeting the requirements of NVQ Management Levels 3, 4 and 5, information Technology manager David Miller has brought together checklists aimed at anyone managing customers, projects and staff. From professionals with a good knowledge of the processes involved, to students starting out, 'The IT Manager's Handbook' is a valuable resource accessible to non-IT organisations, colleges, businesses and other organisations. This is a fully portable, readily available and comprehensive source of reference material to help you meet the increasing demands placed on today's IT Manager.

Ever wondered how to carry out business planning, deal with customers, analyse business requirements, design IT systems or even manage finance and property? This handbook will provide you with systems for dealing with all of these potential problems in a logical and systematic manner.

Conforming to UK National Management Standards and meeting the requirements of NVQ Management Levels 3, 4 and 5, Information Technology manager David Miller has brought together checklists aimed at anyone managing customers, projects and staff. From professionals with a good knowledge of the processes involved, to students starting out, The IT Manager’s Handbook is a valuable resource accessible to non-IT organisations, colleges, businesses and other organisations. This is a fully portable, readily available and comprehensive source of reference material to help you meet the ever-increasing demands placed on today’s IT Manager. This volume includes checklists and systems for the following: BUSINESS PLANNING
CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION
PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
BUSINESS ANALYSIS
SYSTEM SPECIFICATION AND PRODUCTION
PACKAGES, TENDERS AND CONTRACTS
STAFF MANAGEMENT
ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE AND PROPERTY
NATIONAL MANAGEMENT STANDARDS
ACCOUNTANCY TERMS
IT TERMS

The IT Manager’s Handbook provides information technology managers and staff with a comprehensive and practical tool for their everyday activities as suppliers and purchasers of IT services and products. It contains over 300 checklists for carrying out business planning, dealing with customers, planning and managing projects, analysing business requirements, specifying and designing IT systems, evaluating and purchasing IT packages, managing staff, managing one’s own career, carrying out administration and health and safety procedures, and managing finance and property. In addition, there are sections outlining the UK’s national management standards and defining accounting and IT terms.

The handbook does not replace the need to read around subjects in detail but brings summary guidelines together into one place. It is a document that is easy to read and contains in a concise form much of the detail needed to carry out the daily tasks of IT management. As with any set of checklists, problems should be thought out first and the lists used to pick up missing points. Some of the lists are in a logical sequence for carrying out tasks; others are in alphabetical order. The handbook will be of assistance to anyone involved with customers, projects and staff, not just those employed in IT and many of the guidelines apply equally to non-IT organisations.

The handbook can be used by students to assist with IT and management courses and will be valuable to colleges, businesses and other organisations as a teaching aid resource, to assist with the production of training materials and as a guide for discussion workshops.

The handbook incorporates my 30 years’ experience as an IT manager. During this time I observed many occasions when individuals re-invented the wheel when asked to carry out a task. Sometimes this was valid when carrying out new work or reviewing existing methodology but often it was routine work such as recruitment and procedures were already established which should have been used as a basis for further improvement. Occasionally not using tried and tested methods led to disaster when some vital activity was forgotten or an incompatibility emerged. I found it better to document successful methods wherever possible without stifling the need for innovation where appropriate. In addition, written business procedures form an important element of quality service delivery.

In designing the handbook consideration has been given to the UK’s National Standards for Operational and Strategic Management and the requirements of NVQ Management levels 3, 4 and 5 including the management of activities, resources, people, information, projects and quality.

David Millar