ISBN 1-883422-07-8

"When the technological means for conducting a business change sufficiently,the resulting business is itself transformed, and how you manage it has to adjust accordingly." (2020 Vision)

Manage IT was written to teach department managers and small business owners how to manage a business "transformed by technology". A comprehensive systems resource manual, it's designed to help the reader to select and integrate new computer technology into their business and to keep it running, smoothly and securely with minimal time and resources.

Are you a department manager, frustrated and dependent on overextended MIS departments for computer support? Do you feel totally at their mercy for software changes, systems advice, or repairs? Or are you a small business owners totally "locked in" to an outside system vendors, or one inside "techie for sole support because only they know your system? When your system is down, are you always waiting on someone to do something? No more. This book empowers managers and business owners to take charge of their system resources (1) to minimize downtime from computer problems and (2) to maximize profits, performance and productivity by properly selecting and integrating appropriate system tools in the business.

This book applies to all types of computer configurations in all types of industries:

A mixture of PC's and workstations networked in a growing mail order business. A network of 20 personal computers, printers, with a file server in a CPA firm. A small to mid-size distributed computer system in a childrens hospital A client serve network in a consumer manufacturing firm. A distributed system for a large corporation A stand-alone computer system in a home office

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN.

"The value of information processed and stored in a (computer) system is the value of the business itself. Without that information the business can't operate." (from Cheryl Snapp, Beyond Computing)

Based on 15 years of hands-on experience installing, support, and using small to mid-sized systems in businesses across the country, the author identified and provides in this book, seven practical and proven success factors for managing this critical resource:

Hardware Management Software Controls Power Protection and Supplies New Roles, Responsibilities and Rewards Problem Prevention Problem Solving (More) Security Safeguards

Manage IT takes the learning process to a new level. At the end of each chapter, tools are provided for capturing critical information about your business, your computer system, and your staff. Therefore, when you've completed the book, not only will you understand the principles of small systems management, but you will also have developed an invaluable, customized systems management guide for your specific business. Call it your "insurance" against costly downtime, disruption and disaster.

HOW IT'S DESIGNED:

"A company's ability to find and implement appropriate business solutions is critical to survival in today's global, interdependent and highly-competitive arena." (from Paul Olson, EDI Forum)

Section I presents information that may be new to someone not familiar with computer systems--Hardware Management, Software Control, and Power Protection and Supplies. system concepts are presented in non-technical, easy-to-understand language. Simple visuals and graphs are used to illustrate and simplify key concepts. And, although it is designed for the individual with no systems background, the book contains valuable, practical information for the more computer-saavy individual as well.

Armed with a good foundation of computer systems, in Section II, the manager learns how to apply this knowledge to some basic management practices which will equip you and your staff to "take charge" of keeping the system up and running and protecting your data. In other words, this section addresses the "human aspects of systems management". Why? "Introducing technology means introducing change. And change is about people." (Dublin)

More importantly, in Section II, you learn how to become a leader, promoter, monitor and visionary of system technology for your business. You become the type of leader corporations are looking for to help take businesses into the 21st century. "With so much technology available, the successful professional is the one who can spot something valuable andput it to use," says David Burrus, technology forecaster.

Finally, Section III addresses some newly-emerging technology available, affordable (and proven) for small businesses and corporations, such as Electronic Commerce, EDI, and the Internet. You will learn how other companies are benefitting from these new tools and how to get started using this technology. Section III also contains a glossary of key computer terms and a duplicate set of forms.

THE AUTHOR.

"I recall the moment I was rivetted to publish this book and put it in the hands of department managers and business owners. I had suggested to a friend of mine, a computer supplier, that he "bundle" my workbook (a manuscript at that time) with new computer systems as a value-added service to his customers. He let out a laugh,"You must be kidding?! We don't want our customers to become self-sufficent! We want them depedent on us." And so they are." (Mary Kelly)

Mary Kelly has over 15 years in the small to mid-sized business systems arena with specific expertise in the areas of installations, training, troubleshooting, software development, operations and management. She has installed and supported systems across the US for a wide range of businesses--CPA firms, retirement home chain, one southern "mega church", pediatricians, paint manufacturers, banks hospitals, credits union and even the corporate headquarters of a well-known television evangelist.

Working for such companies as EDS, General Data Consultants, AMCA Corporate Computer Services, Union Planters Investment Banking Group, she has developed proven methodologies for installing, supporting and managing small to mid-size systems on a variety of hardware platforms--IBM, DEC, Data General, Unisys. She has brought together the best of proven methodologies and practices in this book.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Masters of Science in MIS and Education. Currently, she is implementing new customer service technologies for the Thompsons Group of Sherwin Williams Corporation in Memphis, TN. She can be reached at MDKelly@compuserve.com.

High Tech Businesses Buying Low Tech Books to Manage Their Computers

There is a booming business in high priced books that help companies manage their small computer networks. "It is ironic that we are using low-tech paper to manage high-tech networks," says Alan Canton, a California based systems consultant.

In large companies, the Information Technology (IT) department manages the enterprise network and the corporate system. But most often they abdicate management of departmental computer networks to the department manager, who often assigns the role to an administrative assistant. In small and midsize firms where there is no IT department, management of the computer network often falls to a clerical worker. And most often, neither the big company department manager or the small company administrative assistant has the first idea of what procedures to follow, when they should be done, or how to prevent disasters from happening. Thus, there is an increasing demand for many of the guidebooks and manuals on the subject.

Managing a small or midsize computer network should not be a full-time job or a stressful one according to Mary Kelly the author of "Manage IT: Managing the Departmental or Small Business Computer Network - A Workbook and Training Manual," [www.adams-blake.com] one of the more popular (and expensive) books used by small businesses and corporate departments. She says that system administrators need a step-by-step guidebook they can use everyday. "It is important that a systems guide be in non-technical, easy-to-understand language, and that it present practical and proven success factors for keeping a system up and running." A good manual helps business owners and department managers to understand the technical side of the business enough to manage this vital resource without taking them away from what they do best—growing the business.

Take the case of Tricia Morgan at Mobile Process Technology, a midsize Memphis-based company that provides waste water purification technology to manufacturing industries in 33 states. Administering the computer system for MPT is just one of several responsibilities that Morgan has taken on. Without a technical background, it is her job to ensure that the Novell network is available daily for 25 end-users. Using Manage It and other books, she has been able to maintain MPT's network, and perform all the necessary system administration procedures without any outside training.

System guides like "Manage IT" consist of easy to understand text references that provide the administrator with quick answers to common problems. They become a bible for those who have to manage a small system, add equipment, do backups, and keep track of the inventory. In addition, books like Manage It provide procedures for tracking, maintaining and restoring software, quickly resolving system problems, proposing and implementing new technology to often reluctant users, and monitoring outside systems support. Most books like Manage IT also contain a multitude of forms that can be copied and used to log equipment, keep track of when backups are made and record problems. "It is like a personal planner and Farmers Almanac for the person with system management responsibilities," says Kelly.

"Having key system information at my fingertips has helped the company save time and money in the face of a system problem," says MPT’s Morgan. "For example, an employee was having difficulty using his modem. I looked in the Manage IT manual to see if the system was still under warranty. It wasn't; however, the Service Call record in the Manage IT manual indicated that I had installed a new modem two months ago. Quickly, I was able to get a new modem en route and at no expense."

Canton is a big believer in how valuable these books are. "People are used to using workbooks and following instructions from manuals. I can’t imagine installing a departmental or small business computer network without giving the new administrator a good workbook like Kelly’s "Manage IT. It may be low tech, but it gets the job done and keeps my phone from ringing with users asking basic questions."

You Bet Your Net (and Your Job and Your Business!)

A greasy, sinister-looking gambler stands straddled in front a roulette wheel. He eyes his prey, beckoning all suckers to take "The Network Downtime Gamble". Take a chance on "disk crash", "programming error", "virus infection", "user error", "site disaster", or "database corruption". What’s at risk? Your mission critical data. What’s your bet? $5000 to $50,000 per hour!

This advertisement for data management software hangs on the wall strategically beside Mary Kelly’s computer. The edges are curled and the paper is gray from wear and age, but the message is as clear as it was six years ago, when she clipped it. It is a reminder of how vulnerable we are when we don’t take the time to perform a backup, when we leave our desk without logging off, when we request a software change during year end, when we disregard occasional error messages&ldots;and the list goes on and on. It’s a reminder of the cost as well—cost in lost sales, unproductive time, and unhappy customers. We take such risks in our nonchalance toward what has become as standard a telephone or a fax. No matter how affordable, how accessible, or how portable they are, business computer systems are not to be taken lightly.

She ought to know. For ten years, she installed and supported small to mid-range business systems in hospitals, banks, credit unions, grocery store chains, mega-churches, and even in the corporate office of a television evangelist. And, she witnessed every type of system disaster listed above and helped clients recover. Not that her clients were at fault. Working for companies such as EDS, General Data Consultants, Union Planters, Kelly trained her clients thoroughly in system backups, maintenance, and procedures. Clients understood well what had to be done and when and how to do it. But, they didn’t understand why.

And why should they? As technology became more affordable, anyone could purchase powerful computers to automate their businesses. And, as PC connectivity improved, networks evolved moving powerful computing resources from corporate MIS shops to employees’ desks. Ten years ago, experts were quick to point out that computers were only tools—not the means for doing business. However, we’ve moved far beyond that. Business is being transformed by technology. Therefore, the way business should be managed must change.

This is why Kelly has written Manage IT, a workbook and training manual for managing the departmental or small business computer network. In non-technical, easy-to-understand jargon, she presents seven practical and proven success factors for keeping a system up and running with minimal time and resources. This manual helps business owners and department managers to understand the technical side of the business enough to manage this vital resource without taking them away from what they do best—growing the business.

Section I provides an overview on hardware management, software control, and power protection. However, it is Section II that addresses the most important (and the least recognized) component of computer systems—the people who use them. Section II relates what is learned in Section I to some basic management principles, such as new roles and responsibilities, problem prevention, problem-solving, and security safeguards. More than 60% of all lost data is a result of end user error. As a workbook, valuable tools are provided at the end of each chapter to help you gather key information abut your system resources. By the end of the book, you will have developed a customized systems management guide for your specific business—a guide that becomes your insurance against system disaster.

Small Businesses MANAGE IT in a Big Way.

The fastest growing market in the United States is the small business segment. Of those small businesses, the fastest growing ones are those who are the biggest technology believers. They are racing down the information highway with the same enthusiasm as big corporations did a decade ago. However, unlike corporate America, they don't have big coffers of time, people and money to devote to keeping a systems technology up and running full time. So what do they do?

Take, for example, Mobile Process Technology, a Memphis-based emerging technology company that provides waste water purification technology to manufacturing industries in 33 states. One hundred and fifty customers using MPT equipment and technology are supported by a small staff of engineers, chemists, and field technicians. Technology has leveled the playing field for MPT. MPT depends on technology to provide a key service--that is, to monitor water purification equipment at customers' sites via telecommunications.

Keeping systems technology up and running for MPT is just one of several responsibilities that Tricia Morgan has taken on. It is her job to ensures that the Novell network is available daily for 25 end-users. Using MANAGE IT for over a year, she's able to track and maintain MPT's network, quickly and economically. And this has been no easy task - they've grown from 10 to 25 users in little over a year and are now looking to upgrade their system once again. "MANAGE IT has provided me with an excellent way of keeping up with inventory and tracking maintenance on our computer hardware."

"Having key system information at my fingertips has helped the company save time and money in the face of a system problem. For example, an employee was having difficulty using his modem. I looked in the manual to see if the system was still under warranty. It wasn't; however, but the Service Call record in the manual indicated that I had installed a new modem two months ago. Quickly I was able to get a new modem en route and at no expense."

MANAGE IT also provides tools for: tracking, maintaining, and restoring software, quickly identifying, reporting and resolving system problems training, coaching and rewarding staff to become systems-saavy researching, proposing and implementing new technology, monitoring, maximizing, and controlling outside systems support and the list goes on and on. The bottom line is MANAGE IT improves the bottom line for small businesses like MPT. Technology levels the playing field for small business and MANAGE IT helps small businesses manage and maintain the technology. It truly is the small business systems survival guide.