Elements of IT Strategy
/Type "IT Strategy" into Google and the search engine will return over 140 million entries. These results indicate there is no single way to draft an IT Strategy.
Read MoreMeasuring IT Success by Business Outcomes
/...This was a different time. A time reflective of the technological challenges and complexities that were embodied in computers. Reflective of the high degree of skill required to keep the technological heart beating. A time when working with computers was akin to weaving magic among your peers. A time when the best minds in the business thought the world as a whole would need no more than a handful of computers...
Read MoreEdge of IT
/Several months ago, I was introduced to the concept of differentiating IT into "Core" and "Edge" functions. This very useful construct has significant implications to the way that you think about management and leadership of an IT department...
Read MoreCelebration of Shadow IT
/All those of you who have participated in a Sarbanes-Oxley audit hold up your hand? Good. Now, how many of you have been involved in documenting the processes under scrutiny by the Act? I see fewer hands up. For those of you with your hands still up, do you notice something interesting in each of these processes? Thats's right, there's a healthy dose of technology inside these processes - and a healthy percentage of this was developed by people who don't work within...
Read MoreUsing IT (Or Not)
/...In order to meet this need, IT organizations are built around managing volume, oriented around large-scale initiatives, and work within defined processes and methodologies to prioritize among the enormous number of items competing for attention, and do so while minimizing the risk to all.
Read MoreIT Cost Management via Your Ecosystem
/"Cut your costs by 15%, I'll need your report on how you will do this by Friday." Ominous words, but words which are all too common these days. People are stretched pretty thin as it is and if your company is like most people, the work being done isn't going away. How will you do this?
Read MoreGrowing Pains
/When companies are young, there is often abundant enthusiasm, and a scarcity of funds. From an IT perspective your decision horizon is also not too far out. You will typically have comparatively few users for the systems you have to build (or buy, or rent, or...). The criteria that you have to work with will typically be very basic functionality, low volume, and little interaction between functions. Given that the expectation that you will pull off minor miracles with two quarters and a dime, the best and easiest answer is to develop point solutions with minimal investment in the software platform. If you have enough foresight to the types of applications required ahead of time you may even invest time in an application and system architecture. Congratulate yourself if were able to pull this off in the typical start-up organization.
Read MoreVoices and Messages
/If you have developed your culture where there is a healthy sandpaper to challenge ideas, there will be no shortage of voices to listen to. Are they all equal in volume? Are they all equal in critical thinking? Are they all equal in importance? The obvious answers are no, no, and no.
Read MoreAttraction of Identity
/As an organization, who are you? What is your internal and external story? If you cannot crisply define yourself in a few words you likely have a problem on your hands.
Read MoreThe Inflection Point
/As organizations grow the technology needs of an organization change - and sometimes change quickly and profoundly.
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