Value of Technology Part 2 – Corporate IT’s True Business Is Not Your Business
Business value is not an adequate measure of the value of corporate IT work. As described in Part 1, business value is great for gauging the value of an investment in technology, but should not be applied to gauge IT’s contribution to your business. It would make sense if your corporate IT team was spun off […]
Value of Technology Part 3 – Corporate IT’s Value Is in the Crafting
Using business value as a gauge of performance is not only wrong, it is too advantageous for corporate IT teams. What a predicament: to be measured on something that you have little control over and is created by others! As long as the other party performs well, you get a free-ride to prosperity. Everyone that […]
Do Not Assume Anything From IT Solutions That (Always) Work
This is where we start: an initiatory revelation that will help you understand many of the everlasting issues plaguing corporate IT. This truth is one of the most important drivers of lower quality in the work products of the corporate IT function. Business IT solutions are mainly made of software, and software is highly flexible […]
Joseph’s Machine and the Unnecessary Complexity of Business IT Solutions
The best non-technical analogy to explain the extent of the complexity of corporate IT assets, and by the same token why a working IT solution doesn’t prove anything about its quality (the subject of a previous article) appeared on my LinkedIn feed last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auIlGqEyTm8. After watching this two-minute video, your first reaction is probably like […]
The Tactical Steps Sideways That Keep You On the Sidelines
Things happen in IT projects. At times, some quality elements will be sacrificed in order to offset the vagaries of the project delivery scene. A solution that works of course. But as discussed in a previous article, a working solution brings no comfort regarding its quality, since almost anything can be done in the virtual dimensions […]
Perennial IT Memory Loss
There is a strange thing happening in corporate IT functions; a recurring phenomenon that makes the IT organization lose its memory. I’m not talking about a total amnesia, but rather a selective one afflicting corporate IT’s ability to deal with the current state of the technical assets it manages. This condition becomes especially acute at […]
Designing Your Stairway to Heaven
Standing the Test of Time I’ve been an unflagging fan of Led Zeppelin since my early teens. I’ve been a worshiper of their founder and lead guitarist Jimmy Page. That’s probably why YouTube’s algorithm presented me this 17 minute video from the BBC where Mr. Page describes the intent and the result of Zep’s most iconic composition: Stairway […]
The Latest Change in Vocabulary Doesn’t Turn Liabilities into Assets
In last week’s article we saw that you should be very prudent concerning IT Tactical Solutions. They are often presented by your IT teams as temporary situations; sidesteps that must be taken before the envisioned strategic situation can be reached. But more often than not, these patches are permanent. Since these dodged solutions work, most business people aren’t […]
Innovation: Where IT Standards Should Stand
The use, re-use or definition of standards when implementing any type of IT solution has very powerful virtues. I’m going to outline them here so you can see how these standards play into the (often misunderstood) notion of innovation in corporate IT. We’ll then see where IT innovation truly happens in this context, while underpinning […]
Small, Autonomous and Fast-Forward to Lower Quality
I am a jack-of-all-trades. Admittedly — and proudly — I realize that a lifelong series of trial and error, crash courses, evening reading and incurable curiosity have resulted in this ability to do many things — especially things involving some manual work. I feel self-satisfaction to think about all the situations that could arise in […]