One of the great IT challenges remains that of delivering on existing requirements and new projects in a timely and efficient fashion. Business processes are changing faster than ever before as connectivity offers new ways to cut cycle time and overhead. Managers are expecting more-efficient interfaces to let them see into business data. And users expect IT applications to be efficient, easy to operate and easily available. For IT leaders, delivering on these requirements is the single most important function. To do this, you must have project management in place and a team culture that does not permit individuals or projects to fail when others could have helped - the "that's not my job" syndrome, a disturbing artifact of the outsourcing age.

With these objectives met, business managers will license IT to deliver innovation that builds competitive advantage. Both are essential to long-term success, but without getting the basics in place, IT will fail.

Submit a Comment | Permalink

I absolutely agree that basics are essential. IT must gain confidence in its ability to execute. However, I think basics are necessary but insufficient to create a culture of innovation throughout an organization. IT must develope the ability to communicate the advantage of innovation to the business. Not innovation to solve any given problem, but the concept of innovation. If IT is truly innovative there will be failures, business must be conditioned to accept failures, garner lessons learned and apply them to the next innovative effort. Historically IT's rationale for an innovative approach has been too close to "because it's really cool technology." Businesses will have to accept the reality that an innovative approach may not result in an immediate return, but that innovative thinking and investment in innovation may ultimately be the key to survival.

I feel we need to be more specific on that. And if we are talking about technology as whole - ie hardware and software combined - The rate of change in technology vs rate of change in Business Intelligence - I think business intelligence evolves much faster and will continue to do so. Technology and related aspects will simply follow up and merely act as tool to deliver.
I do not think project management is going to do a great deal here - Not even being a team player holds much water.
Reason : majority of tech solutions nowadays are so much business centric - Its more of implementing a solution. If "being in team" had anything to do existing software installations/implementations wouldnt be success.
But again I still standby my point - rate os change in both spheres that is technology and business intelligence needs to be worked before anything.

Good Basics for the IT industry newcomers like me.Thanks for that. Do you know of a good open source desktop management system software product?
Thanks in Advance.
Shaun