Expectations regarding the function of IT personnel have grown significantly, and big data has introduced a new paradigm to which is notably difficult to adapt. Before large-scale data analytics became a new norm, data was often siloed based on origin or function, and analytical functions were specialized based on the inherent systems. Now, the volume and variety of data has increased, and companies want to be able to leverage all of it to draw conclusions even if the current physical barriers create a notable challenge.

IT environments can involve thousands of servers, when both in-house and cloud options are examined, with even more containers separating information. As data users begin to have expectations regarding how business intelligence systems should respond, IT professionals are tasked with locating problems across ever growing systems, many of which feature different technical frameworks and far-reaching connections outside of the physical purview of the business.

How to Prepare for Tomorrow’s Demands

To ensure that IT departments are prepared for the changes that big data has spawned, a new approach to data management is required. Tech teams, and businesses as a whole, must learn to exercise greater control over their data centers and institute the technological solutions that are designed to manage these shifting demands. A move away from siloed environments will be a necessity to make information accessible across the board while multi-datacenter support must be available to ensure the continuation of operations.

Businesses need to be open to innovation. Improved real-time anomaly detection will become critical to spot issues before they produce problems while stream processing needs to be implemented for increased performance of custom analytics. The institution of direct programmatic access using tools like SAS and R will also be valuable for data maintenance.

It also means companies need to hire the right the right IT professionals with the necessary skill sets to manage the tasks. Without a strong tech team to drive change, many organizations will find themselves battling legacy systems and old ways of doing business. If you are looking for skilled big data professionals to join your team, ITStaff can help you find the right candidates. Contact us today.

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Java

When it comes to programming languages, you simply can’t go wrong with Java. It is still one of the most widely used options for back-end operations and e-commerce, making it a staple for a range of businesses. In fact, Java is often considered a required skill for professionals interested in landing coveted software developer and engineer jobs at top are companies. Since Java is so incredibly versatile and can be used on a range of platforms and devices, having this programming language in your skill bank is a smart move.

Python

With big data and analytics still making headlines and web applications remaining strong, Python is another programming language that can open doors for IT professionals. It is a primary language used for data science objectives, making it a requirement for many of these lucrative positions, but can also be popular for workers who want to focus on web-based development.

Javascript

You would be hard-pressed to find a web developer who doesn’t work with Javascript. This mainstay in the field is one of the easier languages to learn, making it an ideal starting option for those looking to try their hand at programming, but still offers a lot of power in the business world. If the idea of developing for the web appeals to you, then having Javascript under your belt is the key to career success.

Matlab

A language that once fell out of favor, but is seeing demand increase, is Matlab. With big data being a priority for many companies, Matlab is being used more widely to support these projects. Plus, since it hasn’t been back on the radar for long, professionals who have experience in this area may be able to set themselves apart from the competition with greater ease.

SQL

With the relational database playing prominent roles in almost every major business, it’s no wonder that SQL skills remain in high demand. IT pros who have the experience to run queries, create reports, and provide key insights into critical operations can see lucrative opportunities to advance their careers.

If you have some of the skills above or would like the chance to explore positions in these areas, the recruiters at ITStaff can help connect you with local employers looking for workers like you. Contact us to discuss your skills and how they can support the next step in your career.

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Scope Management

The scope can determine the success or failure of a project before it even gets off the ground. Failing to define the scope well means the objectives are unclear, opening up for scope creep and increasing the risk of falling off target. Being able to gather the necessary information and create a comprehensive statement regarding what the project will or won’t entail is an essential skill all IT project managers need to develop to be successful in the role.

Communication

Project managers will spend time working with a wide range of team members and stakeholders, all with different levels of technical experience. Being able to effectively communicate with everyone involved, including breaking down complex technical ideas into plain English, is often critical to a project’s success, making it a must-have skill.

Team Selection

Some professionals working in project management are surprised to find that core human resources skills can be vital to the success of the venture. Being able to vet potential team members and determine which will help move things forward is a necessity, so learning how to evaluate a person’s skills and experience in relation to the project is valuable.

Time Management

Most projects must adhere to strict timelines, and creating the schedule is often a duty placed squarely on the project manager’s shoulders. Understanding how to coordinate efforts, delegate tasks, and keep everything on target can be another factor in the group’s overall success.

Risk Management

No project has a guaranteed outcome. Being able to analyze the potential risks and take action to prevent those that can be while preparing for those that can’t is important. That way, should things begin to go awry, you’re ready to intervene.

Budgeting

Project managers are often responsible for cost management and budgeting, being given a specific amount of funds to complete the work. Understanding cost estimation, budgeting, and cost control are all vital skills, as well as being able to make adjustments should something come out other than how it was originally expected.

Procurement

If a project involves working with vendors to obtain necessary materials or third-party assistance, then knowing the fundamentals of procurement is also important. Being able to identify low-cost suppliers who provide quality products and services can help keep the budget in line while ensuring you have everything you need to succeed.

Quality Control

A project isn’t a success if the results don’t meet quality expectations. IT project managers need to be able to monitor the progress of the outputs and ensure everything meets the necessary standards. Often, this is an ongoing process that must be integrated into the larger schedule. Then, if something is determined to be subpar, changes can be made as necessary.

Adaptability

At some point in the timeline, something isn’t going to go to plan. Additionally, you will spend your time juggling priorities and often making decisions on the fly. Being able to roll with the changes and handle issues as they arise can ensure the project remains on track even when the unexpected occurs.

Technology

IT project managers need to be familiar with the technologies involved in the project as well as those used to keep the plan moving forward. Being up to date in both areas ensures you have the knowledge base to see everything through from start to finish. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending more time on research than actually keeping things moving along.

If you are interested in learning more about IT project management roles, the team at ITStaff can help guide you forward. Contact us to discuss your career goals today.

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Competent Leadership

Much of an organization’s success rests on the shoulders of the leadership team. Being able to create a central mission while keeping an open mind in regards to the need to adapt are vital for long-term success. Without leaders who embrace innovation, stay aware of changes within the industry, and remain ready to act in the best interest of the whole, no business can guarantee its future.

Company Culture

The value placed on corporate culture has continued to grow as job seekers give it more priority when selecting potential employers. However, it is also a reflection of how an organization manages its business, and a toxic culture is a sign that a company isn’t well positioned to change when the climate calls for it.

Respectable Values

Another point that employees place significant value is the values that guide a business’s actions. Having a mission they can get behind is a major motivator, leading to increased productivity as well as higher amounts of loyalty. When a company has questionable or ill-defined values, it can be challenging to garner support for their workers and the larger community, making it harder to succeed over time.

Strong Relationships

In the age of technology, many companies and people have begun to discount the value of interpersonal relationships within the organization and in regards to their customer base. However, neglecting the human factor in business often leads to an unsustainable model.

Sense of Inclusion

Diversity in the workplace is recognized as a method for increased innovation and financial success, making it critical for many businesses in the long run. Having policies that don’t support inclusion or allowing unconscious biases to create an unfavorable status quo can cause long-term damage, making it harder to locate and retain skilled workers and leading to missed opportunities to improve operations.

Companies that embrace technology are more likely to be exposed to new opportunities to grow their business and increase the efficiency of their workforce in comparison to their less tech-adept counterparts. Being open to new developments gives your organization a chance to take advantage of what technology can offer your company and may even alleviate the strain placed on employees whose jobs can benefit from the advances.

If you are interested in locating top candidates with the skills necessary to make embracing technology a norm, the recruitment professionals at ITStaff have the experience to find the workers you need. Contact us to discuss your hiring needs and see how our services can help future-proof your organization.

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While these advances aren’t entirely based on increased access to open source software solutions, they have driven more businesses to realize the value of software-based delivery of their products. And companies looking to develop solutions quickly are turning to open source software to accelerate their timelines.

Understanding Open Source

Open source software is defined as code that is accessible to anyone interested in using it. It is available for public viewing, can be contributed to and altered by anyone, and redistributed for the use of others. In cases where new solutions must be developed to keep a company competitive, open source removes the need to start a project from scratch. The foundational code can be found that meets certain needs. Then, it can simply be adjusted to achieve more specific goals.

This approach to development can be ideal for companies that can’t locate off-the-shelf solutions that contain all of the features and functionality they desire. Often, packaged products provide limited, if any, capacity for the business to make changes on their own, as the source code is owned by another party. Open source solutions remove this barrier.

Accelerated Development

In a time when unemployment among IT professionals, and software developers specifically, is especially low, using open source software can allow a business to do more even if the number of skilled staff members is lower than ideal.

While open source-oriented developers still require a high level of skill and experience, it removes the need to start the software development process from the beginning. Additionally, less time has to be dedicated to building a framework, allowing more attention to be directed towards details and customization.

Developers can also create closed source features associated with open source foundations. This allows proprietary developments to be constructed, and even monetized, without having to create the entire solution internally.

Digital Disruption

More companies are striving to create solutions that allow them to be the next Amazon, Netflix, or Uber. These companies created digitally-oriented offerings that changed how goods and services are accessed, and many of their followers fail to reach the same level of success. Open source solutions can allow more companies to explore new solutions, positioning themselves to be the next company to change how certain industries function on a large scale.

If you are interested in building a software development team that can leverage open source software to advance the goals of your business, ITStaff can connect you with the right professionals to further your efforts. Contact us to see how our services can accelerate your hiring efforts today.

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The segmented approach lacked a sense of efficiency and had the potential to delay portions of the product lifecycle. This means it took longer for goods or services to get to market, potentially leading to lost profits or even risking being outpaced by a competitor.

Rising technologies in the areas of mobility, big data, and cloud technologies have already changed how many information-oriented workers do their jobs and have the potential to improve product lifecycle management processes regardless of the types of goods or services involved. To see how these technologies can increase the efficiency of product development, here are some key areas to examine.

Improved Information Capture and Data Analysis

Instead of housing a Lab Information Management System (LIMS) internally, cloud-based implementations can increase the rate of capture for critical information throughout the product development lifecycle. While it is widely understood these systems can be accessed by authorized personnel from any location, allowing work to be completed regardless of where the employee is or when they choose to perform the task, there is potential for much more.

Cloud solutions also create a new paradigm for ensuring ideas that were once scribbled down on scrap paper or lost in a sea of emails can be recorded in critical systems at any time and from any device. This limits the risk of a new innovation from being forgotten or misplaced as it is conveniently kept with other related data and project notes. Instead, professionals working on the product can access the appropriate files from any desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet and record the information whenever an idea strikes.

Additionally, the centralization of the information makes the data more accessible for advanced analytics. The cloud can help eliminate data silos that make comprehensive analysis especially complex, allowing more value to be derived from the information that has already been collected.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Centralizing operations in the cloud can also allow more employees to participate in the development process. Access can be granted to relevant workers in areas outside of the lab including manufacturing, sales, and logistics. This invites greater cross-departmental collaboration while ensuring critical personnel involved in the successful development and launch of a good or service can manage their tasks earlier in the process. This approach has the potential to speed up the product lifecycle based on increased efficiency, getting the product to market more quickly.

In the end, your company can see accelerated product development, higher levels of innovation, and increased productivity by bringing the latest technologies into your product lifecycle management strategy. If your business is interested in bringing these advances into your workplace, ITStaff can help you find the technical professionals you need to implement these solutions. Contact us to see how the right employees can bring it all together.

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Hadoop provides a mechanism for sorting through the information collectively referred to as big data. It provides the ability to increase data transfer rates while limiting risks associated with expected system failures and data loss through the use of a hardware-oriented node structure. The sheer capacity of Hadoop makes leveraging large influxes of data related to IoT more manageable in business environments of any size.

However, your organization’s use of Hadoop is only as strong as the strategy behind its implementation. To help make navigating big data easier, here are some tips CIOs can use to improve the strategy behind their solutions.

Avoid Silos

Hadoop is most successful when data is fully accessible. Structural silos restrict data access across the system, making it more difficult to perform a thorough analysis of all of the information being collected. When you are dealing with the quantities of data IoT has the ability to create, anything that prevents the free flow of information throughout the data analytics systems will significantly slow the process, making it harder to leverage data effectively in a rapidly changing informational landscape.

Utilize Automation

CIOs and IT teams alike will appreciate the benefits of automation in big data projects. Automating certain functions increases productivity by increasing the speed at which certain processes complete while eliminating the need for human intervention on routine tasks. This frees your data science professionals to pursue work that actually requires their attention, and can even lower the number of team members that are needed to complete various forms of analysis. Overall, automation has the ability to increase efficiency while lessening the demand placed on your employees.

Plan for Change

Big data analytics is not a fully developed field. Technologies are changing, and new services and solutions become available often. This means you need to build in room for flexibility and adaptation over time, allowing you to implement new solutions that can improve efficiency and speed production times.

IoT is also continuing to evolve. As more products come online, new sources of data will be created. By staying apprised of new development that could be leveraged within your company, you can position your business to quickly take advantage of those that offer clear benefits.

To be prepared for change and to ensure your systems are properly managed, you will need a team of highly skilled tech employees focused on big data, Hadoop, and IoT. The recruitment professionals at ITStaff are experts in providing professionals who specialize in big data analytics and the IoT space. If you are looking for strong candidates to join your team, allowing you to make the most of the data you have today and will have tomorrow, contact us and let us put our expertise to work for you.

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Now, product development enters the into the purview of CIOs much earlier. Products require a greater level of integration into enterprise systems at more initial stages to ensure the project is successful, making the CIO an active part of the larger product development process. As a result, three trends have emerged that are changing when CIOs get involved in these efforts. Here is an overview of what is changing and how it impacts your responsibilities.

Increased Back Office Connectivity

Products are becoming more connected, enhancing the user experience but taxing back office operations through comprehensive enterprise integration. While the ability to obtain real-time reporting data, monitor configurations and make remote adjustments, and send updates automatically provide significant value, they also require more from IT departments managing back office systems.

These changes require CIOs to be involved in requirement creation and identification, ensuring the IT staff participating in the integration and support of the product are fully aware of the goals, and internal systems are prepared to manage the associated tasks.

Proliferation of Software

More products are dependent on software to manage their operation. This means CIOs will be responsible for resource allocation in regards for development professionals as well as acquiring new talent for a limited talent pool. The use of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and DevOps tools are also reaching into the product development realm to facilitate the creation of goods featuring significant amounts of software during earlier stages.

As more products rely on software to manage their operations, CIOs will be more involved with planning elements as well. It will become more common to be tasked with determining potential features and providing input regarding current technological capabilities and whether future development goals are achievable within the project’s overall timeline. Since product development is often accelerated to help companies remain competitive, being apprised of the current state of technology will continue to be a critical part of a CIOs job.

Advancing As-a-Service and Internet of Things Markets

The addition of software-based operations and the desire to connect products to devices like smartphones and tablets has advanced growth in fields including As-a-Service offerings and IoT. In some cases, CIOs will need to be advocates for the use of As-a-Service solutions to alleviate strains on internal IT teams, bolstering a newer industry along the way. IoT has increased the production of associated applications designed to leverage the power of the new products, creating new user capabilities through companion products which can also be managed by the company.

As a result of the trends above, CIOs have become an integral part of earlier product development efforts, allowing the seamless integration of advancing technology into goods designed to meet the needs of users today and tomorrow.

If you’re a CIO looking for the right employees to make product development efforts more efficient, ITStaff can make the process of finding great candidates faster and simpler than ever before. Contact us today to see how our recruitment expertise can help your business move forward in today’s product development landscape.

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Job Satisfaction

A big component of being happy in the workplace is job satisfaction, and data scientists are considered some of the most satisfied employees within the IT field. But not everyone understands what goes into being happy with your position, so some clarification is in order.

Often, job satisfaction requires a combination of factors to come together. This includes feeling well equipped to manage assigned tasks, as well as feeling their work provides value to the organization or even the community at large. The fact that the work can present new challenges can also help keep workers engaged and can be a critical component to their overall satisfaction with the work.

Data scientists are likely satisfied based on performing critical roles that help move a business forward due to their efforts. There is also the knowledge of performing tasks that assist in resolving problems for the company and the company’s customers. Knowing that your work makes a difference can provide significant intrinsic value to those looking for more than strong compensation packages.

Additionally, the level of commitment many companies have toward the data science field means they are open to investing in high-quality tools to make a data scientists work possible. Even though many platforms have become more user-friendly over time, that hasn’t eliminated the need for skilled data scientists who can work with raw data effectively. Instead, it has improved how their tasks are completed, and may even remove some of the more tedious aspects of the work entirely.

Further, salaries in this field are also highly competitive, providing extrinsic value to those concerned about maintaining a living. Considering that many working in the field have advanced degrees, knowing that the investment results in higher pay can be a relief.

Employment Opportunities

Data scientists are also positioned well when it comes to finding new employment as well as having a sense of job security. Unemployment among IT professionals is currently lower than the national average, now sitting just below 3 percent. That means skilled tech workers are generally in demand across the sector.

However, data scientists may even receive more benefits from the current landscape, as their specific skills are highly desirable to companies throughout the nation. Data science and analytics are valuable to businesses of all sizes and in most, if not all, industries. This means opportunities abound for those interested in a change of pace or a chance for a promotion. Further, those who enjoy their current duties and work environment are typically pretty secure as long as they meet performance standards.

If you are interested in finding opportunities to work in the data science field or are looking for a talented data scientist to join your team, ITStaff Technical Resources has the recruitment professionals you need to explore your options. Whether you are a job seeker or an employer looking to hire, contact us and see how we can put our experience to work for you.

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Transitions related to new technologies means more companies are going to experience skill gaps within their IT teams. Finding ways to anticipate these shortages can help a CIO reach the goals associated with their larger agenda while also lowering stress on tech professionals that are currently working as part of the team.

To help you anticipate where your CIO would like to take the company during 2017, consider some of these common top priorities as a starting point.

Cloud Solutions

The cloud continues to be a major agenda item for CIOs across multiple industries. And while the available experience within your current workforce is likely more experience than when this technology first began to affect standard infrastructure planning, you might not be as well covered as you need to be.

Regardless of whether your current team is resistant to the transition, it is likely a wave that simply cannot be stopped. This means either the team needs to be open to learning new skills related to supporting the transition or additional employees may be required (often at the expense of existing ones) to provide the necessary capabilities. When possible, focus on training and education, especially among top performers who are motivated to change with the industry. But, if those efforts aren’t sufficient, be prepared to recruit the skills you need.

Leadership Development

CIOs are acutely aware of the retirement intentions of many members of the Baby Boomer generation and may consider themselves to be one of those people. However, there are concerns about the readiness of younger workers who may ultimately need to step into these positions. This means leadership development efforts will be a priority for many companies who intend to get ahead of any anticipated retirements.

Training and mentoring opportunities are going to be a valuable part of the business landscape and will lead to promotions and other forms of career growth. Creating these options will be a key to long-term success, as well as identifying those who are most likely to excel when given a chance to participate in these programs.

Security

Security is always on a CIO’s radar. Questions about privacy and compliance can complicate these efforts and can lead to significant change. Couple that with the increased use of Security-as-a-Service options and the IT security landscape is going to shift even further.

In cases where a shortage of IT security professionals makes hiring difficult, more CIOs will become open to the idea of outsourcing the activity. And that decision will change the number of security professionals that will be required to maintain a suitable standard.

However, like leadership development, offering training and educational opportunities to current employees can be a method for closing skill gaps and may justify keeping security in-house. Depending on your CIO’s general stance on outsourcing, it is important to be prepared to support efforts in either direction.

If you are looking to fill skill gaps with new IT employees, the professionals at ITStaff Technical Resources can help identify the candidates you need. Contact us and speak to a recruitment specialist today to see how our services can help support your CIO’s agenda through 2017 and beyond.

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