Basic management (ok, shortcuts) learns us:
- assess requirements/budget/goals
- make proposal/pilot/planning
- (produce) roll out
Before you touch these subjects there is one important thing that has often been forgotten: support. Gather support. From anyone interested to listen. Management will *need* to show it's support in words, writing and action. Ppl on the workfloor don't need to be attacked with another-something-new-look-what-mgmnt/IT-brought-in. Listen to their needs. Show interest. Show what Linux would make their task easier to fulfill/faster/better etc etc. in other words: Linux Advocacy to the max.
Wot requirements?
IMNSHO I wouldn't give the marketing guys a Linux box. Nor the presidents secretary. Meaning? For everyone who has his/her head elsewhere (job wise, that is) and has to fulfill tasks in an instant w/o hesitation using tools they're used to for yrs will have a hard time adjusting. (For marketing there are other rules, involving upgrading of brain, downgrading of mouth and a severe lashing with the phone and gas expenses ledger to make 'em see "sense" doesn't mean "I'll sell 'em sense" but more like in "I need common sense").
OTOH, the peeps in the cellar marked "webfarm" would prolly have less probs with it due to technical prowess and background, even familiarity with it. In fact, anyone who is interested and willing to try should be a tester.
So what you could do is setup a pilot project. Let's have some volunteers test the waters. Troubleshooting/noting down what they haven't got a solution for will get you part of your user requirements.
Evaluate your budget and goals.
Why would you (be forced to) use Linux? If it's only presented as lower TCO aka budget slashing, forget it. For instance part of the money you save in licensing and 3rd party servicing will have to flow back into education ppl using Linux and education of admin staff. If it's presented as higher ROI, think again. It's not the investment you make in hardware and software, but what you *achieve* in comparison to another setup. In other words, does it make your business more responsive to changes in the market? Does it make your computing needs manageable, modular, flexible to cope with expansion of people, offices etc etc?
And does it affect the quality (control) of your product(s) easier to reach, better manageable?
So, what goals has the company set that Linux can excell in and so help you excell at your job?
After you evaluate, present and evaluate again, draw up a proposal, make a planning and you're good to go.
Just my ^[ ]\{2\}.* amounts of jargon editing
*Of course basic mgmnt learns us it won't go down easy this way in Real Life, but the basic circle is right: assess, evaluate, plan, produce, etc
Last edited by unSpawn; 09-13-2002 at 12:45 PM.
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