Testing Out Websites IT Pros Should Know

NetworkWorld posted the following websites that IT pros should know for 2009 so I thought I would give them a try and then give my 2 cents.

NetworkWorld.com says that savvy IT executives need to connect to the latest innovations on the Internet if they want to keep up with their 20-something employees and improve business performance. They suggest:

1. Linked In, the de rigueur Web 2.0 site for IT professionals that has 30 million members and a host of new features that make it the most productive networking site on the web. JDW Comment: A must have service for any business professional wanting to keep in touch with colleagues and business contacts.
   
2. Google Apps for Business, a software-as-a-service or cloud computing option that's the future of enterprise IT departments. JDW Comment: A very nice solution for small business that want to minimize costs to their startup and on-going IT costs.
3. VMware Communities - Chances are you’ve already embarked on a server virtualization project, and continued consolidation of your servers is a key money-saving goal for 2009.
4. Secunia.com, a site that aggregates security vulnerability information from leading vendors, providing you with one-stop shopping for the latest news about security bugs and the software patches available to fix them.
5. Green Grid, a website that offer advice to make sure your data center is energy efficient and saves money.
6. Twitter, a real-time messaging service that provides an easy way to keep your staff and co-workers informed about where you are and what you're doing. You can also sign up for the latest technology headlines from Wired, Slashdot and others. JDW Comment: Still trying to figure out the attraction to this service but I am willing to give it a try.
7. Yammer - If Twitter seems too frivolous to you, try Yammer. It’s essentially Twitter for the office. The benefit of Yammer is that it’s a private communications channel for coworkers to share quick messages about what they’re working on, get questions answered or blast out news.
8. Ruby on Rails - Ruby on Rails is one of the best open source tools to appear in recent years. This Web development framework lets you create working applications in a matter of hours.
9. Enterprise Mobility Matters - Like it or not, the latest smartphones – the BlackBerry Storms and Apple 3G iPhones (Slideshow: Smartphone showdown: iPhone vs. BlackBerry Storm) – are headed toward your corporate network.

   
   

Seeking Information

As part of an organizational development this week, I participated in a discussion on how to improve communications within our department. One of the feeback pieces from staff was that general organizational information is not readily shared with front line managers and staff. It was determined that the organizations managers don't regularly attend company organized meetings where such information is shared.


This discussion spurred the following thought:


How do you encourage people to seek out the information they desire?


In doing some quick research on the subject, I was able to determine that: 1. Some people are inately driven to seek information and 2. Some people have to be led by example.


So the question becomes, how can leaders of organizations lead by example to encourage their staff and peers to seek knowledge?


That is all for this week. There will be more on this subject next week.


Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed

New Direction

It a been awhile since I have posted anything to my blog so I thought
it was about time. I have decided to take a different direction with
the blog. Instead of being focused in a resume format, I will provide
updates/comments on my current areas of work.

With that being said. Currently, I am working IS leadership in the
areas of process improvement with a specific focus on Baldrige and
ITIL best practices. Additionally, I am working with Clinical IS and
clinicians to identify the correct/best bedside technology solutions
to assist clinical workflow. Finally, I continue to do research
oriented projects with the current one being Mac Enterprise
Integration.

That's all until next week. Have a good week

--
Jeremy Windmiller
jwindmiller@gmail.com
Blog: http://jeremywindmiller.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremywindmiller

Welcome

Welcome! This blog will be used to record projects/initiatives that take place during my career path. The goal is to provide insight into my career by journaling each major milestone by logging goals, challenges, and knowledge gained along the way.

You will noticed that I have posted several projects now to the blog. Each one will have a brief commentary and a Project Management Process breakdown. These details are required for PMP certification for which I am now in the process of obtaining.

In addition to the project list, I have also added a Healthcare News section that will provide relevant links to national and local healthcare news.

Thanks,

Jeremy

EMR Implementation for Minor Care Clinic

02/01/2007 - 05/31/2007
As the Director of Information Technology for Corner Care Clinic I chartered the initiative to implement an Electronic Medical Record for the company. The goal of implementing an EMR was to provide the clinic staff (Nurse Practitioners & Physicians) with a user-friendly, streamlined application that adhered to the companies business policies. The project entailed vendor/contract negotiation, application design & testing, roll-out strategy development, training guide development, report development, etc.

Challenges that existed included: inclusion of medical billing business rules, insurance eligibility rules, business performance reporting, and user acceptance. These challenges were overcome through effective communication with the respective teams involved with the project.

Overall, this project was a success for the company by allowing for the clinic practitioners to examine and document a patient visit in a timely manner while maintaining the business rules/procedures required by the company.

Project Mgmt Process Breakdown
Initiating: 40
Planning: 80
Executing: 120
Monitoring/Controlling: 40
Closing: 40
Total Hours: 320

Company Website Implementation

08/15/06-10/01/06

As part of promoting any new business, especially a startup, it is important to have a presence on the Internet. In reviewing various websites it was our goal to have a very simplified yet informative website for our customers. This was achieved by presenting a very clean and organized feel so that the consumer could easily find our services, locations, and promotions as well as review more behind the scenes details of the company. The site creation was an educational experience that allowed me to brush up on my development skills plus utilize some new tools. Provided below is a snapshot of the company's home page.



Project Mgmt Process Breakdown
Initiating: 2
Planning: 8
Executing: 120
Monitoring/Controlling: 8
Closing: 2
Total Hours: 140