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Written by David Torre
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The Inherent Complexity of IT
The information technology department is an inherently complex and chaotic place. Never-ending torrents of projects, demanding customers, and armies of staff (many of whom may be offshore) are all expected to work in highly orchestrated synchronicity to produce technology solutions on time, and on budget. Yet in this age of cloud computing, outsourcing, and "agile IT," how is it that statistics continue to show failure on an epic scale when it comes to implementing large, complex projects? For example, a series of reports consolidated by ZDNet shows that CRM and ERP projects have, at best, about a 50% success rate.
Recall that an information system is comprised of not only hardware and software, but also people, process, and data. Given the textbook example of Moore's Law which states technology doubles every two years, one can't help but contemplate whether people and processes are keeping up with technology. In my experience, the answer is a resounding: no.
In today's IT environment, differences in technical infrastructure, culture, time zones, and even experience all play a factor in amplifying confusion. When a strategic initiative or request hits the IT department, it is typically assigned to an IT executive, who then breaks the problem down into smaller, more manageable segments which are then handled by individual teams or divisions. Unfortunately, I continue to see these divisions function in a vacuum-like fashion. Often oblivious to the high-level desired result, these groups produce outputs at an atomic level: A network change. A server build. A code enhancement. These are all individual trees in an overall forest which is rarely visualized at the tactical level. When these micro-level project outputs roll up to the larger initiative, there are often misalignments and ambiguity around what was actually being requested. Depending on the scale of the initiative, making sense of the situation by getting everyone back on the same page can take anywhere from hours to weeks.
Symptoms of Enterprise IT Confusion
Confusion is the distorter of truth. It muddies the waters we must navigate, and cripples the decision making process. At the strategic level, symptoms of confusion are slipped project deadlines, scope creep across numerous initiatives, constant budget overruns, and misalignment with business needs. At the tactical level, a key indicator that confusion is rearing its ugly head is when staff engage in finger pointing, the inability to persevere through and support a managerial decision, and perhaps the most tell-tale sign of all-- constantly changing requirements.
Solution
The traditional solution to reducing confusion and aligning enterprise IT with the rest of the business is to impose large and often complex frameworks such as ITIL or TOGAF, and to manage projects and programs through a highly structured project management office or "PMO." While perhaps a decent long-term solution, such a solution obviously takes time, effort, and money to implement. Furthermore, as IT continues to become more fragmented through outsourcing and cloud computing, these traditional approaches aren't always feasible when dealing with offshore talent and remote computing resources managed entirely by third parties. The solution to resolving today's enterprise IT confusion is a two-pronged approach which first focuses on holistic orchestration, and the second being the activity around continuous fact enumeration:
Holistic Orchestration
It's simply not feasible for everyone to know every aspect of an initiative at any given time. This notion is even more pronounced when utilizing contributors who work beyond the boundaries of your immediate organization. That being said, it's imperative that divisions and other various teams work in tandem towards a common goal; focusing not on minute outputs but rather on the end-result. This means keeping your staff "in the know" at all times, and holding your contractors and consultants accountable for results; not just deliverables.
Continuous Enumeration of Facts
Put simply: "when in trouble, check your facts." From post mortems of failed projects to the examination around initiatives currently in jeopardy, I've been in countless situations of analysis whereby I determine that "facts" are actually assumptions, and more often than not, those assumptions are of course incorrect. You cannot conquer a problem until it's defined, and if the facts defining your problem remain elusive, you're doomed to a perpetual cycle of inefficient trial and error. Never build on a foundation which isn't factual.
Being problem solvers by nature, we as IT leaders want to jump straight into solutions; perhaps so we can quickly move on to the next problem which inevitably lurks right around the corner. Keeping your teams properly aligned with strategic initiatives and incessantly scrutinizing existing facts will help you keep your problem-solving bearings in this ever-changing landscape.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 06 November 2011 12:28 |
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