“Recharging IT”

Posted by admin on July 19, 2008 under Leadership, Technology | Be the First to Comment

This week, there was an interesting article on CioInsight.com entitled “Recharging IT to Make Your Business Unstoppable” that discusses 3 considerations in addressing lackluster performance in your business through an evanuation of the IT organization.

In reading the article, it occurs to me that there are several lessons to be learned from the experiences of the organizations highlighted:

  1. Scan the environment - constantly - for threats that make bold andor risky moves unnecessary. Granted, the pace of change in today’s world is fast and ever accelerating; however, with the wealth of information available (globally), there’s no excuse for not understanding the trends and threats that could otherwise catch you (and your business partners) off guard. Diligence and the discipline to keep your head up is all that is required.
  2. Talk to Customers - how many times have you heard this? So, how much time to you spend each week talking with, meeting with or just listening to your customers? They’re not psychic, and we are not mind readers but we sure act like it.
  3. Hire people that understand the industry. So many times, we “purchase” based on price alone. This behavior also often applies to the hiring of our staff; however, the hidden costs of training them in the ins-and-outs of the industry are often overlooked. To compound the problem, we overlook the missed opportunities to provide greater value to our business partners - and ourselves. Don’t be cheap - hire the right people.
  4. Outsource what makes sense. If you’re considering outsourcing (or have already taken steps to do so), assess the risks you’re taking by outsourcing the core competencies of the organization - risks to the IT organization as well as the business you’re supporting. Consider outsourcing the “commodities” - the back end, infrastructure stuff. Leave the technical support and functions requiring strategic understanding and strong business relationships in-house.
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