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Contact UsNot only is The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr an enjoyable read but it is also extremely pertinent in today’s IT world. The book reviews a paradigm shift which occurred through the industrial revolution where manufacturing facilities built and maintained their own power generation engines. This started with water-driven power wheels on the riverbank and evolved to pieces of machinery. In either case, these power generators were the life-blood of a factory.
Lose power and a factory went dark, in many cases there was no backup. Fast-forward only a few years and the idea of power (electricity) represented as a service was born. Edison and other revolutionaries transformed the way factories were run by providing this utility and reduced one necessary core competency of the factory. Many companies are experiencing this same shift in the IT thought process. The incumbent process is the Old Guard that builds in-house applications, is comfortable with its 15 gate reviews and is perfectly content completing a plan and design phase in as few as 48 months. The new paradigm on the block is Cloud Computing. Members of this revolution are young, eager and anxious to advance conventional thought and eliminate costly outdated processes. The problem with the ‘old’ IT thought process, in many cases, is that it is inefficient. Value is not being added quickly enough to the business they support and the organizations’ credibility may have taken a hit.
There is little debate now that eventually the Cloud Computing gang is going to displace the Old Guard. For some companies though this displacement is not going to occur without challenges. These IT organizations have been dominated by the Old Guard for decades. The Old Guard also has constituents at very high levels in the organization, including the C-Level boardroom. A CIO recently asked me, ‘How do I make the Shift?’. A challenge indeed, but here are some ideas that have been successful.
The first idea to help shift direction is to incorporate the fastest growing new technology innovation into your organization: The Smartphone or Tablet. As individuals, we all know how these Internet-connected and UI-enabled devices have changed our lives. Many of us would be lost without them. There are two reasons why these devices have swept us up: 1) They are efficient and make our lives easier and 2) They are engaging. Why would you not want to bring these characteristics to your organization? Every company can benefit from creating mobile solutions for either your demand (Sales) or supply (Operations) side of the business.
The second kick-start to a shift is collaboration. Social networking sites like Facebook have become pervasive in our society and, just like mobility, this concept is finding it’s way into the enterprise. Tools like Salesforce CRM incorporate collaboration functionality (Chatter) to connect employees and organizations like never before. Employees will embrace their new-found connectedness and will participate. This stepping-stone will help begin to change the way employees think about technology and it’s place in your organization.
The third innovation idea is that of enablement. Somewhere in the IT organization is a burgeoning star. This person is energetic, ambitious, anxious and even rambunctious. He or she wants very badly to make their mark on the organization through the use of new Cloud Technologies. They know all the benefits but they don’t know how to overcome the roadblocks, whether physical (existing technology stacks) or organizational (Old Guard management). As an IT leader it is your duty to enable one of these rising stars. Give them the budget and authority to work on their pet project, call it a pilot, call it a proof of concept, call it whatever you want; just let them do it. Not only will you keep a great resource happy and fulfilled but you will probably end up with a showcase solution that can be leveraged as you continue to make culture shifts in IT.
The last idea for pushing along the paradigm shift in IT is to communicate continuously the desire and necessity for the change. This communication has to be from the top down. If your leadership team is not on board with the philosophy shift, those lower in the hierarchy will not buy in. A great way for leaders to demonstrate their commitment is through the first idea above, collaboration. The characteristics of collaboration and top down buy-in can be tied together if the leaders in our organizations are active collaborators.
This shift in IT thought process and solution methodology is a challenge for many organizations to overcome, despite the desire. Businesses can reap measurable success by employing strategies, like the ones above, to begin momentum. By definition, once the shift gains momentum it is difficult to slow down. Leaders in today’s IT world want to add value to the businesses they support, in some cases their organizations credibility needs a win. The shift detailed above may be the perfect prescription for these objectives.