Comments on: Does IT get in the way? http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:28:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dennis McDonald http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/comment-page-1/#comment-14462 Dennis McDonald Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:32:53 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/#comment-14462 I agree with what is being said here about the 80/20 rule and how IT has to pay attention to keeping what it already has running. But I also think that IT departments need to do a much better job of explaining the benefits of standard and secure infrastructure to people. Many of the benefits of the newer tools that focus on collaboration and knowledge sharing will be lost if they are not implemented across the board. That's what might happen if individual departments go off and purchase their own -- potentially incompatible -- remotely hosted solutions. I agree with what is being said here about the 80/20 rule and how IT has to pay attention to keeping what it already has running. But I also think that IT departments need to do a much better job of explaining the benefits of standard and secure infrastructure to people.

Many of the benefits of the newer tools that focus on collaboration and knowledge sharing will be lost if they are not implemented across the board. That’s what might happen if individual departments go off and purchase their own — potentially incompatible — remotely hosted solutions.

]]> By: Zia Zaman http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/comment-page-1/#comment-14453 Zia Zaman Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:07:34 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/#comment-14453 Joe, yes, it's true, IT has to play the 80-20 rule and sometimes wait for technology to prove their worth but it also has to be able to occasionally seize the day, and allow the user to do what they ought to be doing, whether it be on the Web, via SaaS, or via innovative licensed software. And a brief point to Lynda, her most useful tool isn't necessarily Google, but it is <strong>search</strong>. Joe, yes, it’s true, IT has to play the 80-20 rule and sometimes wait for technology to prove their worth but it also has to be able to occasionally seize the day, and allow the user to do what they ought to be doing, whether it be on the Web, via SaaS, or via innovative licensed software. And a brief point to Lynda, her most useful tool isn’t necessarily Google, but it is search.

]]> By: Lyndar http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/comment-page-1/#comment-14343 Lyndar Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:16:59 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/#comment-14343 It's difficult to see how IT is going to lead the adoption of useful business applications especially when most of them are on the web. For instance, ask any sales person what her most useful tool is and she'll say Google. After that it's Hoover's. What *can* internal IT do? 1) Make sure the network is running so that people don't have to work from home where their cable access is faster than the office network, 2) make sure their firewalls aren't blocking the most useful productivity tools on the web and 3) report directly to their line-of-business managers who have a better sense of what's important than the centralized IT staff. It’s difficult to see how IT is going to lead the adoption of useful business applications especially when most of them are on the web. For instance, ask any sales person what her most useful tool is and she’ll say Google. After that it’s Hoover’s. What *can* internal IT do? 1) Make sure the network is running so that people don’t have to work from home where their cable access is faster than the office network, 2) make sure their firewalls aren’t blocking the most useful productivity tools on the web and 3) report directly to their line-of-business managers who have a better sense of what’s important than the centralized IT staff.

]]> By: Tac Anderson http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/comment-page-1/#comment-14099 Tac Anderson Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:01:25 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/#comment-14099 I think that this has been a major factor in the growth of the SaaS model. Departments can usually afford the lower pricing without going to far up the command chain AND they avoid IT, which is usually too busy (according to them) supporting the existing systems than to try and integrate one more system. I think that this has been a major factor in the growth of the SaaS model. Departments can usually afford the lower pricing without going to far up the command chain AND they avoid IT, which is usually too busy (according to them) supporting the existing systems than to try and integrate one more system.

]]> By: Joe McKendrick http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/comment-page-1/#comment-14051 Joe McKendrick Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:29:42 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/06/01/does-it-get-in-the-way/#comment-14051 Agreed, IT needs to play a proactive partnership role to move these new approaches forward. Individually, IT professionals probably "get" new technologies and concepts before anyone else. But collectively, IT only has a very limited amount of time and resources, and therefore must focus on that 20% of projects that deliver 80% of the results. Many are mired in maintenance and administration. New technologies and methodologies need to prove themselves in terms of paybacks, and this takes time, and a strong, supportive constituency within the organization. Agreed, IT needs to play a proactive partnership role to move these new approaches forward.

Individually, IT professionals probably “get” new technologies and concepts before anyone else. But collectively, IT only has a very limited amount of time and resources, and therefore must focus on that 20% of projects that deliver 80% of the results. Many are mired in maintenance and administration. New technologies and methodologies need to prove themselves in terms of paybacks, and this takes time, and a strong, supportive constituency within the organization.

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