Familiarizing Your Admins with New Hardware?

HCIGuy asks: "I'm the technical communications manager for a company that sells and implements infrastructure for data centers. We often put in equipment and software that substantially change the environment, such as high availability clusters and enterprise data management. We've known for a long time that the critical post-engagement time for admins was one to six months, after which, even without help, admins are usually comfortable with the new stuff. We're concerned with those first few months, and asking both ourselves and the universe of admins what would help during that time. We already provide system configuration manuals, and of course there are manuals and training classes provided by manufacturers. But what else would help an admin during the "break-in" period? What's been of the greatest help in the past? What would be on your wish list?"

Comments

Named contacts and play systems

[Biolo]

Can't agree more with the above post, a system you can play on without any fear that breaking it will cost you your job - remember, these people will be new in the door, and aware that you could replace them without losing any of the company-specific knowledge they have. Ideally - have a system as close to your production systems as possible that they can play on, but also have a vanilla backup that they can use to rapidly completely restore said system to its correct state. Fixing problems themselves is great, but they could easily trash the system completely.

Second - have all your documentation in one (or a few) very easily locatable locations and provide them with details of how to get to those locations on day 1. Write it down, put it on a big poster, whatever, remember they will get a lot of info the first few days and will guaranteed forget 60+% of it in that same timeframe.

Third - do the same with all of your various procedures, who to contact to get stationery, business cards, new hardware, third-party support lines, escalation procedures, the works.

Fourth - and I can't stress this one highly enough, give them first point of contacts in all of the major departments of your organisation they are likely to need to talk to. There is nothing worse than asking someone (who is always busy) about an issue, to be told "to talk to someone in MES", when they haven't a clue what 'MES' is or how to track them down. The newby will feel stupid having to ask. Which brings me nicely onto

Five - you use company-specific acronyms, of course you do, everyone does, but they newby won't have a clue what they mean. Provide a list (and keep it up to date, it's not just useful for the new guys) of all the acronyms in use. Include generic acronyms from the industry your in, he may have come in from outside your specific industry.

Six - On day 1 give him a buddy, someone he will work beside (physically if possible) for the first few weeks. Don't pick the least sociable guy in your department, the busiest or the least knowledgeable.

Seven - and this may seem to run counter to your rapid familiarity thing but bare with me, have newbys work a day or two in each of the major areas of the company. Seriously. If its a manufacturing plant have him/her out there on the line making stuff, using (and seeing other people use) the system, let them hear the gripes that people have about the system. Remember, they are new in the door, don't have any personal feelings one way or the other about the way you work so are more likely now than at any other point to truly listen to the views of the users. It will give them a greater understanding of what the company does and so better able to provide solutions that are a best-fit for the company. Make sure they work in every major function (receiving, manufacture, test, shipping, marketing, finance, whatever) to get a true picture of things. This can get difficult in a large company but at least cover everything in the local area and have a company orientation video or something that covers the global company and where your department/office/division fits into things. This may be the best spent two or more weeks letting them get up to speed on the company before they get up to speed with the behind the scenes IT stuff.

There is more I'm sure, but give them those as a minimum. One final thing, ask them to write down all the problems they had every week, emphasise that you really do want to see them and that by being honest they are helping you out not highlighting any failures in themselves. Do this for the first month or two, then at 6 months ask them to look back and comment on how things went. Use their feedback to improve your new-start information pack or process.

Try and work with other departments on some of the above, there will be a lot of common ground, but never forget that its YOUR department he will need specific info about.