IT Depts: Upgrade yourself

I have recently been part of one big bang project. The project needed to go live in 12 months with everything to be put in place. When I say everything, it means the RFP needs to be floated, the vendor needs to be selected, the architecture needs to be defined, infrastracture needs to be identified, ordered and set up. Even the Data center's needed to be defined. The application itself was very large. One could imagine every problem and it would had manifested in the program one way or the other. 

The business mandated the tight timelines and schedules in order to beat the hell out of competition. The organisation IT dept did advised them not to go for a big bang.

In the end, the deadlines were missed and with the economic recession storm coming down, the business priorities changed, the program was put on a back burner with reduced funding and newer timelines.

My Qs, whom did the program helped ? Neither the organisation nor the your customers. Yes, the vendors did made the money selling hardware boxes and software licenses and services.

So, why do we keep going after these treasure hunts again and again.

So, why do not we identify the business priorities, look at the competitive and technology landscape and start working on creating value at a smaller pace but something more sustainable.

Most times, business has vague ideas about what they want, but IT can become an hinderance in the implementation (need for budgets, lack of people, need to buy newer stuff, build vs buy etc)

, so what it requires is IT dept to be more tuned to the needs to the business, be aware of the happenings in the market, keep an eye on which ways the applications are going and be ready to serve the needs.

Today, the people in IT dept are the biggest impedients to the adoption of new technologies. They have hundered excuses - need for budgets, lack of people, need to buy newer stuff, trainings and what not. 

Why do they not go that extra mile to constantly upgrade their skills, learn new technologies and be ready for next business requirement. 

Why do they not work like IT consultants who constantly keep upgrading themselves to stay above the curve and not make themselves redundent. 

Because if you do not, you will see your work getting outsourced to people who are far more hungry to prove themselves. Maybe they do not have 20 years of experience behind them,  but with every passing year, the number of experienced people are going up and soon you will not be able to hold on.