One-day projects to improve your business network

Many frustrations and failures in business computing come from things that ought to be simple. The problem is, it’s easy to focus on big, showy, chewy problems and neglect the little things that can have a big effect on overall productivity. With a little planning – and sometimes a little user participation – there’s an awful lot you can achieve in a single day, with minimal disruption to the business and no need to book in expensive consultants or advisers.

Aside from the direct object of a project, there can be a cultural benefit, too. IT departments are largely reactive, but a one-day project gives them a chance to demonstrate proactivity and forward thinking, without completely rewriting their role. Involving the users encourages self-reliance, too – an increasingly desirable trait as working away from the office becomes the norm. Ultimately, the odd one-day project can only be positive for the relationship between IT staff and the rest of the business. Here are some ideas to start you off.

Fire-drill day

This is the granddaddy of one-day projects – when you take an afternoon out to pretend that there are flames shooting out of the back of the server and spreading around the building. The experience can be both hilarious and chastening, with lessons that go far beyond the IT department as it sinks in exactly how