Crossposted to IBM-MAIN, VSE-L, VMESA-L, LINUX-390 I'm writing an article on "Running A Lean IT Organization", describing how data centers work efficiently (using appropriate resources, eliminating waste) and effectively (doing the right things).
This is for a newsletter on "IT cost management strategies"; the audience is mid-level and senior executives looking for strategic advice. They're not necessarily too technical and they're likely *not* directly oriented towards finance/accounting. While dot-com companies crashed after 2000, IT -- corporate data centers -- have been getting leaner for even longer. On-site vendor staffers vanished, hardware/software supplier handholding mostly ended, everything's billable. IT became a means to an end requiring disciplined budgeting, no longer a black hole to be unquestioningly filled with money. Headcounts shrunk, functions have been outsources and offshored. So, questions: What are best IT practices for surviving these and future changes? How are computing platforms chosen for new applications? When are legacy apps ported to newer platforms? What processes keep IT plans and activities aligned with organizational goals rather than drifting? How are internal/external feedback generated and prioritized to keep user requirements centered in IT management's thinking? Etc. This list isn't exhaustive -- what other issues enter into "lean thinking" for IT? I'll appreciate comments/insights and pointers to resources for this. Be brief, articles are about 1000-1500 words each. Please respond directly to [EMAIL PROTECTED] since I get this list in digest form and the deadline for the article is real soon. Thanks. BTW, for people who have responded to earlier queries and have asked to see the resulting articles -- I'm working with the publisher to make the articles available, we just haven't worked it all out yet. -- Gabriel Goldberg, Computers and Publishing, Inc. (703) 941-1657 6580 Bermuda Green Court, Alexandria, VA 22312-3103 [EMAIL PROTECTED] <http://www.cpcug.org/user/gabe>
