Posts Tagged ‘Managing IT’
Copier Buying Tips
While at the NACBA National Conference last year I was talking with Rob Leacock, Christ Church Fort Worth’s business administrator. We were talking about his recent decision to replace their copier, and his process was impressive and effective! Especially how much money he saved!
Read MoreStrategic IT Outsourcing
Recessions are uncomfortably challenging in many ways. However, they also help us improve our organizational health and mission focus. We find ourselves having to analyze and justify our expense choices, and when doing so the term outsource becomes a major part of our analysis. While we see it as a cost-cutting opportunity, it is really much more than that. It improves organizational health tremendously.
Read MoreProtecting IT from Disasters
“Only the flexible survive.” It’s a phrase we’ve heard– and possibly said– many times. Life is unpredictable, and challenges do come our way, so how should uncertainty affect the way we approach information technology (IT) in our churches and ministries? We are dependent on our computers today in ways we might never have imagined. We rely on them to store contact information, process financial transactions, communicate– many of the nuts and bolts that enable and hold ministry together. Therefore we should do all that is reasonable and cost-effective to protect our organizations from being shut down by a disastrous event. Planning now gives the flexibility needed for ministry survival. And in the ever-changing legal and financial regulatory landscapes, IT disaster recovery plans are even more necessary.
Read MoreThe Sky Is– er… Cloudy!
The company that created the software that makes it possible to have virtual computers running on servers, VMware, sponsors an annual conference called VMworld that draws thousands of geeks from across the globe. This year it was in San Francisco, and more than 17,000 attended! What were the takeaways that are– or will– impact churches and ministries? Here are a few of my thoughts.
Read MoreThe Mac’s Amazing Reputation
The Mac has an amazing reputation. I agree with some of it, but most of its reputation is pure myth.
Read MoreThe Inseparable Bond of Technology & Mission
In a recent conference about technology in church ministry, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) said, “Every time there is an advance in technology, The Kingdom advances.” Technology has a huge impact on our mission– not the ‘what’ of our mission, but the ‘how’.
Read MoreIt’s Spring Cleaning Time!
It’s Spring, and to many of us that means “Spring Cleaning”. Computer data is one of those areas that needs constant grooming, and the payoff is big! But to some just thinking of it feels like a chore. In this article I’ll help you organize your data and delete unnecessary files easily.
Read MoreMaximizing Your Network– Virtually!
There’s a new technology in town, and it’s a pro at helping you maximize your network– budgetarily and operationally. But there’s one catch: it’s free. Yup! Free! The first time I heard about it I asked, “Can it possibly be any good?” I think you’ll be just as surprised as I was.
Read MoreInternet Stability in 2009
It’s only February, and we’ve already seen more Internet problems this year than I remember in all of 2008! Yet many churches and ministries are deciding to put their most important data on the web… data that, if unavailable, could shut them down. Let’s talk about how to protect your ministry from Internet outages and the havoc they can wreak.
Read MoreManaging IT in a Tight Economy
The economy has taken a serious downturn. There’s no more disputing that fact, and it’s affecting church and ministry budgets. Are there some things you can do to keep your computer system stability and reliability growing when finances are tight? I think so. It’s true of churches and ministries like it is everywhere else: when budgets are growing, waste is more prevalent. That’s not a judgment on our stewardship; it’s just that we’re focusing on tasks that sometimes keep us from being able to look for the best economic strategy. The good news is that in this tight economy there are some ways we can cut expenses without cutting quality, reliability, or impact.
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