IT Manager: Prioritizing Projects

Let's face it, process owners(department managers) always demand deadlines like it's supposed to be finish yesterday. It's a good thing though because you know that they appreciate what IT is capable of. They sometimes initiate some automation tasks and IT projects.

One of the challenges IT Manager face is, which will be first in the queue when it comes to resource allocation? If you ask the process owners they tend to be subjective and wants their initiative to be done first.

What IT Managers can do is to ask the question: What are the most important processess of the company? Then rank it.

Sample Processes:
- Sales
- Inventory
- HR
- Shipping
- Marketing
- Accounting

Sample Ranking and its justification :
1. Sales - Where our salary will comes from
2. Marketing - Where leads will come from that will eventually becomes a sale

3. Inventory - Products/Services that we sell
4. Shipping - Fulfillment to the sale

5. Accounting - Know if the business is doing great
6. HR - Where we ask for increase :)

If you notice, I segregate it to three major sections which are:
1. Customer Leaning processes
2. Fulfillment processes
3. Reporting/Admin processes

For most companies I've worked with, Customer Leaning processes are the most important and has to be prioritized. This is because customer experience can affect the bottomline of the company.

Fulfillment processes also plays a vital role, we have to be able to deliver the products and services we sell.

Reporting/Admin processes should have been established even before the first customer transaction occurs because it's the foundation of all major processes. All sales and inventory transactions integrates to the Financials, People are hired before they sell. This means any projects involving Reporting/Admin Processes should just be minor modifications.

In prioritizing project, updating the process owners where they are in the queue has to be done regularly in order for them to feel they are being attended to.