I work with executives who want to transform their IT projects from a pain to a competitive advantage. You may be interested in knowing what I mean by those terms. So here’s a quick summary of how things look…
… when IT projects are a pain:
It’s hard to define exactly what we need at the outset
There are too many choices to be made, and I don’t have the information I need to make them
I don’t have confidence that the project will be done in time or within budget
IT people don’t speak my language, so I have to guess what they mean in terms of impact on the business
There’s always a “gotcha” that I have to deal with after we commit to the project
IT projects seem to cost a lot compared to the value they deliver
IT gives me a choice between good service and good project work. That’s not fair.
I have a suspicion that the project won’t be finished – ever.
I usually have to settle for part of what I want, not all of what I want, because of cost overruns.
What I get never looks like what I expected.
I want the latest technology, but IT says we’re stuck with the old generation and can’t replace it.
I see our competitors doing things that I wish we could do
… when IT Projects are a competitive advantage:
Business–IT cross-functional teams work smoothly
Both IT and business are clear about the intended and needed results
Business and IT are willing to learn about the constraints the other faces
All projects are prioritized based on business needs (and ROI)
IT is empowered to focus on key projects without distractions
IT makes the impact of legacy systems clear when planning new projects
Business allocates a fair budget for upgrading of obsolete systems
IT evaluates the cost-effectiveness of new technology before proposing that we use it in the business
IT leaders study the business strategy and participate in planning
Business leaders have sufficient knowledge of IT to understand tradeoffs in IT systems and capabilities
I have confidence that IT is being run efficiently and effectively
IT explains to me what our competitors are doing with their IT
Now that you’ve seen how pain and competitive advantage look, you may want to continue by reading some Case Histories.