DocAndersen
My chosen profession is information technology, but I live on the far side of the tracks. I am a consultant. Often, like a seagull, I swoop in and grab something, then take off! Or worse, as my friend says about seagulls I swoop in, poop and then leave. Consultants are often like that. The reality of the IT workplace now, versus when I started is significant I used to complain about the reality of infrastructure expansion (what once was a project is now a required component of the organizational infrastructure), but I’ve moved past that complaint. Until the last six months or so I also complained about the reality of IT/Business separation, but I am giving that one up as well in 2018.
What once was can’t be anymore. First, the business and IT can’t be separated anymore. From automated payroll to hybrid cloud solutions IT is the business. Many organizations live in a world of providing services that are IT services. Most businesses use online payroll, online taxes and so on. Empowering their employees with more automated HR functions is a great boon. HR is a component of the business; it is part of IT.
That said, I know that the reality of what people do and say is often different than the reality of what is. IT is still perceived as a cost drain on the business. Look we are saving 20% moving to the cloud solution. (yeah but that is 20% less IT cost overall not 20% direct sales gains!). What used to be IT is still IT, but now so much more is expected. Time to ask the question of the business what doesn’t IT touch now? That answer is the reality of what IT doesn’t bring to the business. Certainly, IT doesn’t lathe the perfect bolt for a tire. But IT runs and manages the computers that manage that process.
IT is the business. Time to stop this discussion and fix some real problems!
