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Technology at Your Fingertips
Chapter 1: Knowing What to Do

Chapter 2: Knowing What You Need

Chapter 3: Knowing What You Have

Chapter 4: Knowing What to Get

What Kinds of Things Should You Consider?

How Do You Decide What to Get?

How Do You Analyze Costs and Establish a Budget?

How Do You Document You Decision?

Chapter 5: Knowing How to Implement Your Solution

Chapter 6: Knowing How to Train Users

Chapter 7: Knowing How to Support and Maintain Your Technology Solution
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Chapter 4: Knowing What to Get


How do you document your decision?
It's now time to document the recommended technology solution that has emerged as a result of your thinking and analysis. The purpose of doing this is to present to the key decision makers in your organization (or to consider yourself) enough information for them to approve, modify or reject your recommendations. (If you feel that the likely outcome is rejection, then you are better served by developing a stronger case before presenting it.) Even if the decision making process is very informal, or if few people are involved, it is usually still a worthwhile exercise to document your plan as a check on its viability and your own thoroughness. If you can't articulate it, you may be missing a key element.

A business case is the most useful format in which to prepare such documentation. It not only includes a description of your recommended solution, but also documents the anticipated costs and benefits. In short, it should give key decision makers all the information they need to make an approval decision.

See Figure 4.4, Business Case Suggested Table of Contents


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