Or “Everything about IT services that I think is important for CFOs to
understand while still speaking English”
Disclaimer“I am not a consultant.”There is no magic bullet to solve issues. It
takes bright people from many disciplines within an agency to work hard over a long period of time
The following information presented is my own. It is not my employer’s or the PCCYFS technology workgroup.
StereotypesWhen you think of IT
staff, what one word comes to mind
When you think of Fiscal staff, what one word comes to mind
Business ContinuityWhat do we mean
Disaster RecoveryChanges in ManagementChanges in program FundingChanges in reporting requirementsImplementation of mandated external
reporting systemsIt could be any of these things…
IT MantraAny time, any place any platform
All solutions have to follow the three S’s
ScalableSecureSustainable
ScalableAll projects have to be expandable as
programs or service offerings grow and contractable as the business changes directions.
SecureAll solutions must adhere to the policies
approved by the agencyFiscal PoliciesHIPAA privacyHIPAA securityOther Agency or Funder policies
SustainableSupport and resources for all projects must
be available after the initial project is completeUpdates and PatchesTrainingChanges in process flow
Once you provide a resource or deploy a asset, it is difficult to that resource away.
Current Views of CFOs and ITComputerWorld 1-2011
You can't run a company without technology, but you can't invest in technology without the blessings of the finance department. And thanks to the stagnant economy, the pendulum of power between Finance and IT is swinging decidedly toward the chief financial officer's door these days.
"The power dynamic in the C-suite really does change when the economic times are difficult,"
This is more true in the social service field as funding decreases or is stagnant
Bells and WhistlesThe cake analogy… IT and Fiscal are on the same
page. We want cake… It is filling and makes us feel better.
Users want ICING. Lots and lots of icing…
Technology envy
IT supported systemsFinancialTime and AttendanceHuman Resources and PayrollReportingCase Management (internal/external)BillingOutcomesAssessment
Other systems IT supportsOperating Systems…
Windows (7, Vista, XP, Server 2008 ,server 2k8sp2)
Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu, RedHat, SUSE)Apple (ios)
Unified Patching (WSUS – Windows Server update services)ITM – integrated threat management…
AntivirusAntispamContent Filtering
Current BuzzWords and VocabularySaaS – Software as a serviceThe CloudThin clientVirtualizationSANGoogle AppsWeb-based
SaaS – the CloudPublic cloud – Amazon, MicrosoftWhy CFOs may like it
Better cash flow – pay as you go… There is no big expenditure up front
Pay for what you useFinancial visibility – cloud providers can
quantify the cost to add a process or userNo depreciation
Not all processes are ready to be moved to the cloud
Thin ClientDesktop box only exist as an entry point for
dataDollars go into the infrastructure not onto the
desktopAll data stays in the Datacenter and can not
reside on the desktop/laptopThin client technology allows for remote
accessWhen a data link is down, everything is down
in a remote office
VirtualizationA technology that uses software to emulate
hardwareOne physical server – many virtual servers
insideSome of the technology is freeIt is greener… You must manage licensing since
provisioning servers is very easy
SAN – storage attached networksMany sizes and varietiesIn the past were very pricy but there are new
initiatives to bring them to small and medium sized businesses
It creates a smaller datacenter footprint. It is now usually paired with virtualization
Web-based vs. browser basedIf it is hosted externally then it is web-basedYou don’t have direct access to the dataBrowser based simply means that you use
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or Safari to access the data. You have a server that runs the webservice (IIS or Apache)
Business AgilityDoes your solution allow you to adjust with
changes in service delivery?Buy vs. Lease vs. Accepting donated
equipment
ReportingHow easy is it to get meaningful information
outAre your applications user friendly when
data mining
Data
?
Business ContinuityHow does your business survive
disruptionsNatural Disaster – Fire, Power Outages,
Wind, WaterStaff turnover – loss of business processFiscal climate – loss of referrals
Where is your data?
Web 2.0Are people using it at work?Are people using it for work?PodcastsFacebook, Twitter, Linked IN, Jumo, KivaHow do we know if it is effective or not?
What are your IT staff’s skillsAs technology becomes commoditized IT
soft skills become more importantProcess reengineeringInstitutional knowledge
Google PhilosophyWork on things that matterAffect everyone in the world (in our case,
everyone at our company)Solve problems with algorithms where
possible (automate)Hire bright people and give them lots of
freedomDon’t be afraid to try new things