Banner IT project: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
A fine principle; a forlorn actuality. "Banner" IT Projects thrill middle managers and terrify everyone else. They tend to get described with aspirational adjectives: “Transformational”. “Paradigm-shifting”. "Game-Changing". They are usually accompanied by scores of enthusiastic, [[powerpoint]]-toting [[business analysts]].
{{a|tech|}}A fine principle; a forlorn actuality. “Banner” IT Projects thrill middle managers and terrify everyone else. They tend to get described with aspirational adjectives: “Transformational”. “Paradigm-shifting”. “Game-Changing". They are usually accompanied by scores of enthusiastic, [[powerpoint]]-toting [[business analysts]].


Measured against their original [[terms of reference]], there is no such thing as a complete or successful banner IT project. Usually they continue in perpetuity and, like chronic fatigue syndrome, you just have to live with them. Occasionally they are (finally) implemented, but even then limp along unsatisfactorily without delivering a tenth of their original promise. A successful banner IT project is simply one that is not so catastrophic that it doesn't need to be immediately replaced (or worked around using excel spreadsheets, hand-filled forms and a scanner).
Measured against their original [[terms of reference]], there is no such thing as a complete or successful banner IT project. Usually they continue in perpetuity and, like chronic fatigue syndrome, you just have to live with them. Occasionally they are (finally) implemented, but even then limp along unsatisfactorily without delivering a tenth of their original promise. A successful banner IT project is simply one that is not so catastrophic that it doesn’t need to be immediately replaced (or worked around using excel spreadsheets, hand-filled forms and a scanner).


The more ambitious an IT project is the more poorly will its accompanying business analysts understand it, the organisation or the basic tenets of human nature needed for it to be a success, and the more it will cost in terms of direct expense (hiring business analysts and IT licence fees) and indirect expense (otherwise useful employees being diverted, distracted, disenfranchised and ultimately eaten by the project).
The more ambitious an IT project is the more poorly will its accompanying business analysts understand it, the organisation or the basic tenets of human nature needed for it to be a success, and the more it will cost in terms of direct expense (hiring business analysts and IT licence fees) and indirect expense (otherwise useful employees being diverted, distracted, disenfranchised and ultimately eaten by the project).

Latest revision as of 12:20, 23 December 2020

JC pontificates about technology
An occasional series.
Tell me more
Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

A fine principle; a forlorn actuality. “Banner” IT Projects thrill middle managers and terrify everyone else. They tend to get described with aspirational adjectives: “Transformational”. “Paradigm-shifting”. “Game-Changing". They are usually accompanied by scores of enthusiastic, powerpoint-toting business analysts.

Measured against their original terms of reference, there is no such thing as a complete or successful banner IT project. Usually they continue in perpetuity and, like chronic fatigue syndrome, you just have to live with them. Occasionally they are (finally) implemented, but even then limp along unsatisfactorily without delivering a tenth of their original promise. A successful banner IT project is simply one that is not so catastrophic that it doesn’t need to be immediately replaced (or worked around using excel spreadsheets, hand-filled forms and a scanner).

The more ambitious an IT project is the more poorly will its accompanying business analysts understand it, the organisation or the basic tenets of human nature needed for it to be a success, and the more it will cost in terms of direct expense (hiring business analysts and IT licence fees) and indirect expense (otherwise useful employees being diverted, distracted, disenfranchised and ultimately eaten by the project).

See: IT strategy Published on LinkedIn