Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology

by CJ Rhoads

Overview

Software. Hardware. Networks. Wireless. Entrepreneurs face a bewildering array of choices and decisions when it comes to incorporating technology into the fabric of their businesses. Yet nothing could be more important these days. Aligning information technology (IT) with business strategy is essential to meet and beat the competition. As business strategy and technology expert CJ Rhoads shows, managing information technology effectively is an essential skill that all entrepreneurs must develop, just as they develop skills in sales or finance. However, due to the immaturity of the IT industry, making good decisions about information technology is very difficult. Reliable and unbiased information is hard to find, and technical people are often unable to convey information in a way that makes sense to entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology to the rescue! Reading this book could mean the difference between having reliable, effective systems that help your business flourish--or stumbling into hidden sink holes that drain employee motivation and hack away at profits. In addition to helping you level the playing field with technology salespeople hawking everything from handheld devices to complex networks, Rhoads answers the following questions: -How do I get the promised benefits of information technology? -How do I avoid the risks? -How do I plan for the information technology that I will need as the business grows? -How do I choose wisely from the plethora of platforms, products, and services that are available? -How do I avoid wasting money on technology that won't work for me? -How do I implement and coordinate technology so that it runs smoothly?-How do I manage the people, processes, and systems for the best value? Understanding the answers to these questions and putting them to work could mean the difference between success and failure in any entrepreneurial venture. Readers will learn to recognize hype when they see it, and they will focus on how to profit the most from IT. At the very least, readers will avoid thousands of dollars in lost costs by avoiding risky technology projects. The knowledge contained in this book separates the winners from the whiners in the quest to better employ information technology. Which would you like to be?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275995461
Publisher:	Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/30/2008
Series:	The Entrepreneur's Guide Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	734 KB

About the Author

CJ Rhoads is a well-known guru, speaker, and author on making better decisions about business strategy and technology. Rhoads is the founder of ETM Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in enterprise decision making, management, and technology. She's also an Associate Professor in the College of Business at Kutztown University, as well as the author of over a hundred published articles, dozens of manuals and whitepapers, and two books.

Table of Contents

Illustrations     vii
Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xiii
What Information Technology Is and Why We Need to Map It     1
Pounce Like a Panther     17
Why Non-IT People Find IT So Difficult     39
Why IT People Are So Difficult     52
The Essential Balance: Matching the Process     66
Why IT Vendors Are So Difficult     85
The Inside Secrets of Software and Hardware Vendors     104
Getting the Most from Networking     130
Appendices     157
Technology Map Examples     157
Common Technology Issues Most Business Leaders Experience     173
Basic IT Ability and Experience Sample Assessment     175
References     177
Index     179

What People are Saying About This

Bill Bauerle

"The ideas are timely and in tune with the challenges most business professional face when trying to understand the IT complexities affecting today's bottom line decisions. My sense is that the scope is about right to effectively address how to better deal with the thesis, i.e. that business owners and Entrepreneurs are often at a disadvantage when making technology decisions because the playing field is bent toward the IT vendors and consultant. This book can help business and IT professionals better navigate through the hype and confusion that is too often intermingled with IT communications, and as a result make better tactical and strategic IT decisions."

—

Bill Bauerle, CIO Lockheed Martin

Skip Torresson

"The Marriage Of The Hedgehog And Panther Will Produce Powerful And Significant Offspring."

—

Skip Torresson, CEO, The Stewardship Group

Laura Donovan

"The combination of thorough research and personal experience make this a very credible read. The casual writing style makes the statistics and references quite easy to digest."

Molly Tremblay

"Inviting and nonthreatening for the novice IT purchaser. Easy to grasp analogies utilizing everyday language."

Bill Bauerle

"The ideas are timely and in tune with the challenges most business professional face when trying to understand the IT complexities affecting today's bottom line decisions. My sense is that the scope is about right to effectively address how to better deal with the thesis, i.e. that business owners and Entrepreneurs are often at a disadvantage when making technology decisions because the playing field is bent toward the IT vendors and consultant. This book can help business and IT professionals better navigate through the hype and confusion that is too often intermingled with IT communications, and as a result make better tactical and strategic IT decisions."

Skip Torresson

"The Marriage Of The Hedgehog And Panther Will Produce Powerful And Significant Offspring."

Conrad Karlson

"Just reading Chapter One, CJ Rhoads has helped me to make my plan for the future a more calculated and informed one."

Laura Donovan

"The combination of thorough research and personal experience make this a very credible read. The casual writing style makes the statistics and references quite easy to digest."

—

Laura Donovan, Director of Publications, Klee Associates, Inc.

Conrad Karlson

"Just reading Chapter One, CJ Rhoads has helped me to make my plan for the future a more calculated and informed one."

—

Conrad Karlson, Karlson Photography

John McNamara

"Very informative and entertaining. It kept my interest and I am not a technology person. I liked the way the information was presented, and the examples that were used kept me reading. This book is right on. The author offers practical advice and information that can be very valuable to Entrepreneurs!"

—

John McNamara, CEO, McNamara & Associates, Inc.

Fred Beste

"This book is the IT Bible for non-technology managers or corporate America. CJ Rhoads has distilled her decades of experience as a manager and consultant into an eminently practical IT management guide."

—

Fred Beste, CEO, MidAtlantic Venture Fund.

Molly Tremblay

"Inviting and nonthreatening for the novice IT purchaser. Easy to grasp analogies utilizing everyday language."

—

Molly Tremblay, Behavioral Medicine Center, Reading Hospital

John McNamara

"Very informative and entertaining. It kept my interest and I am not a technology person. I liked the way the information was presented, and the examples that were used kept me reading. This book is right on. The author offers practical advice and information that can be very valuable to Entrepreneurs!"

Fred Beste

"This book is the IT Bible for non-technology managers or corporate America. CJ Rhoads has distilled her decades of experience as a manager and consultant into an eminently practical IT management guide."

Editorial Reviews

Information Technology (IT) refers to the people, processes, hardware, and software that determine the flow of information within an organization. Companies today can achieve competitive advantages only by ensuring that their IT strategies align with their overall business strategies and propel their businesses forward. The task of formulating technology plans is a complex endeavor, however, and it is further complicated by the tendency of ineffective IT strategies, including badly timed implementations, to jeopardize current and future income and opportunities and hamper the viability of new entrepreneurships. Rhoads (business, Kutztown Univ.), president and CEO of a technology consulting firm, uses stories from her experiences and quirky language-e.g., "pounce like a panther," "the hedgehog concept," and the "bleeding edge"-to stress the importance of executives continually reexamining their IT strategies, and she provides them with practical guidance and methods to minimize risks and maximize benefits. This book is an essential read for business professionals at all levels and can be used as a textbook alternative for an introduction to the management of technology in academic business programs.
—Caroline Geck

Library Journal

"Information Technology (IT) refers to the people, processes, hardware, and software that determines the flow of information within an organization….This book is an essential read for business professionals at all levels and can be used as a textbook alternative for an introduction to the management of technology in academic business programs." - Library Journal

From the Publisher