Download this IT business assessment checklist

by Beth Blakely | Dec 11, 2001 8:00:00 AM

Takeaway: Consultants who take the time to understand their clients' total IT capabilities are more apt to deliver an effective solution. Get the facts about your clients' IT infrastructure with this IT business assessment checklist.

Within the workflow of every IT project, there's a period of discovery regarding your client's business needs and objectives. Part of that discovery process is uncovering the nature and specifics of the company's IT infrastructure.

Mike Sisco, an IT consultant and head of MDE Enterprises, provided TechRepublic with the checklist he uses to evaluate the IT capabilities of his current or potential clients. Download the checklist to use on your next project or compare your own evaluation tool to find areas you might have missed.

Why is conducting an IT business assessment important?
Due diligence regarding your clients' actual processes, procedures, software, and equipment can pay off in the long run. For example, in an article regarding workflow process, Greg Picarelli, technology director (CIO) of Electronic Ink, shared the story of one client whose systems didn't measure up to the software Picarelli's firm had designed. The content management system's navigation scheme was built four levels deep to accommodate the large publishing firm's needs, but the company's desktop computers and network infrastructure paralyzed the system.

Discovering potential issues like this—before they can cause a project to fail or be delayed—is the driving force behind an IT assessment. Download MDE's IT assessment checklist to help you identify your clients' strengths and expose areas in need of improvement. The assessment may also reveal gaps in perceptions of processes and procedures between users and senior executives. Once a project is complete or new procedures are implemented, the assessment can serve as baseline by which to measure improvement.

Do you have a checklist to share?
Do you have a resource document that has served you well? Why not share it with your fellow TechRepublic members? Send it to us, and if we use it as a future download, we'll send you a TechRepublic coffee mug.

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