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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Over the last 20 years and with technology becoming much more complex the generalist IT Manager has been replaced by the technical specialist IT Manager.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.

Last updated: 23 August 2011