The Way to Get I.T. Right

TLDR: In this article, the authors argue that the separation of function between the business unit and the IT may prevent the project from working successfully, and that the problem can be that the different departments fail to communicate and mutually manage each other's expectations.

Abstract: IN today's highly competitive markets, the difference between success and failure often comes down to getting major new initiatives right, first time round.This is especially important as far as information technology (I.T.) projects are concerned. Get your new computer system up and running before your competitors, and it may not be long before you are hoovering up their customers! The critical importance of 1 making IT projects run smoothly, and delivering a new computer resource that works properly first time round, derives from the fact that technology can offer enormous benefits in terms of costsaving, increased speed-to-market, accuracy, reliability and the sheer power which automation generally brings.I.T.? Bound to go wrong...isn't It?Yet information technology initiatives are notorious for going wrong. Indeed, they are equally notorious for failing to be completed at all. Reliable industry research suggests that about 70% of I.T. initiatives do not deliver what was expected, with a substantial proportion of these failing to be completed, while a recent survey, and previous research* by Cranfield University School of Management concluded that the quality of IT investment appraisal in many UK organisations is poor, and that there is frequently little focus on real business value delivery.These are - to put it mildly - disturbing findings, especially for an organisation which is aboutto authorise a substantial spend on I.T and wants that investment to generate a significant return on investment (ROI). Given the widely-accepted difficulty of making I.T projects work properly, it is hardly surprising that many organisations have drifted into the mental habit of adopting a laggardly approach to LT. and prefer to avoid expenditure in this respect where possible, especially on major new initiatives. After all, who wants to take a flight in a plane where there is a 70% likelihood of the plane crashing?So what can we do about it?Avoiding or delaying expenditure on IT. is no solution. It is far too much like burying one's head in the sand, and that is no more beneficial for an organisation hungry for market share than it is for ostriches.Because organisations have targets to achieve, it is essential they have a decisive and effective approach to planning an IT initiative. This means adopting the correct mindset for this preliminary planning, as well as for executing the project successfully.A fundamental problem facing many organisations planning an information technology initiative is that the separation of function between the business unit and the IT. unit may conspire to prevent the project from working successfully. The problem can be that the different departments fail to communicate and mutually manage each other's expectations.Why? Because the two separate units inevitably each have a different agenda. The business unit will tend to be focused on the organisation's commercial imperatives, even if translating them into IT. terms is, in a practical sense, difficult or even impossible. The IT. department will be focused on the technology itself and will have its own set of imperatives. Perhaps understandably, they will advocate the best options available and recommend state-of-the-art technology.Integration is not easy...but not impossibleAny organisation, where this polarisation between the business unit and the IT. unit is strong and decisive, is almost by definition likely to face a problem from the outset in meshing the two departments. This does not mean that the task will be impossible, but it will certainly be difficult.One of the reasons why organisations are often so ready to use consultants in these situations is that they will typically bring a combination of business expertise and IT. expertise that is in practice difficult to find in the competencies of many salaried people. Consultants with this dual business unit and IT. background may also be better placed to avoid the typical departmental blame scenario if things start to go wrong. …