Many if not most businesses do not
get good value from their investment in IT...
Back in
the 90's most businesses had technically unsophisticated but typically
good value IT related business solutions tailored specifically to the
needs of their users, today many if not most have complex technical
solutions but poor value and under-delivered business solutions.
The demise of the generalist IT Manager is key to this problem.
The generalist IT Manager
had one objective (and budget) and that was to design, implement and maintain a
IT related business solution covering technology, applications,
data/information, standards, procedures and working practices, and end user
training.
Their role was a broad one which utilised their skills and
experience and covered both the functional and technical sides of IT. They were the
keeper of the big-picture and the co-ordinating if not necessarily the
controlling mind who pulled together all aspects of the business solution; made
it coherent; and made sure everyone involved knew their role in it and how to
succeed. They had enough knowledge to keep their suppliers honest to
make sure what was bought was both appropriate and good value. They also had the
job of turning the generic into the business specific. They worked in the space
between technology and users and could communicate with and understand both. The
loss of these people has led to over-engineered and over-priced technical
solutions and under-delivered, inappropriate and poor value business solutions.
Over the last 20
years and with technology becoming much more complex the generalist IT Manager
has been replaced by the technical specialist IT Manager. These people do not
tend to have the business and functional skills and experience so they can only
replace part of the generalist IT Manager role. Many of them believe their job
is to design, implement and maintain a technical solution only - so who's doing
everything else? Sadly for most businesses the answer is no-one, nonetheless small fortunes
have and continue to be spent on ill-considered technical
solutions. In our current difficult economic situation how can it make sense to
spend a lot of money on unrealised business solutions? And it will get worse as
more and more businesses outsource their IT services, when this happens many
businesses will not even have a technical specialist IT Manager. That will put a
lot of onus on the IT services providers and let's be candid their emphasis is
on sales and profit not business solutions.
There is little
doubt that if businesses are to get good value from their investment in IT and
have fully integrated and appropriate business solutions they do need access to
something similar to the mainly defunct generalist IT Manager. The IT industry
has conspired to make these people redundant, they would rather sell technology
to technologists but that is not to the benefit of most businesses. The IT
industry or perhaps we should call it the Tech industry has lost its integrity
and it has forgotten why it exists; businesses need to say it is not okay, we
will not spend even more until we start getting value from what we have.
Craft Way
Consulting's mission is to provide the missing elements of the
generalist IT Manager function as shown on the
Services page. The objective is
initially is to help each client get value from what they have and then
make sure they get at least good value from any future investments in IT.
This will involve working with business leaders and managers, IT staff and IT
suppliers and essentially filling in the gaps between what they can do
together and what needs to be done to help them develop their fully integrated
and cost-effective business solutions.
Prices are
very competitive and reflect a
policy of clients paying only for what they use.
If you are a
freelancer or small business and are of a like-mind please check out the
Collaborations page, there may be opportunities
for us to work together.
