I believe a path to resolving the bureaucracy resides in understanding the source of it from both an IT and a Business perspective. Let me start with the Business side. Business users (oops, now you know I am in IT!) get frustrated when they have IT needs that they cannot seem to get accomplished. In a large number of cases, there is no process for even getting a project "into the hopper". How many times do you ask for something and are told to complete a project request form that defines the value of the project, only to never hear back the status of your project from the IT department? Probably more often than not.
Now for the IT department. Requests for IT resources are coming in from all facets of the company, not necessarily being filtered in any way. Add the sales force and other field employees and now you are talking about a very overwhelming number. Not to mention, IT has their own "technical" needs (upgrading server software/hardware, training, etc.) that is in addition to the other requests flooding in. Sometimes it seems like people feel if they bug IT enough or go "up the ladder", their projects will get done quicker. Unfortunately, it is much easier for the people at the top of the ladder to tell IT to help the business user out than for them to be involved in justifying the value of a project.
The business users want their IT projects completed for the benefit it will provide their respective area and the impact that can have on the company while the IT department wants to work on the projects that have the highest value to the company with the least amount of complexity. What this spell? P.R.O.J.E.C.T. P.R.I.O.R.I.T.I.Z.A.T.I.O.N.!
A formal project prioritization committee can greatly reduce the perceived bureaucracy within a company. By defining and agreeing a methodology, the emotional aspect and uncertainty are removed from the project list. Additionaly, the estabilished priorities can facilitate resource scheduling.
Without priorities clearly established, IT may end up producing nothing because the constant changing of priorities is causing an enourmous amount of overhead. Due dates begin approaching rapidly and analysis/design phases are cut short. This leads to higher maintenance costs and therefore less resources for the IT department in the future.
Some recommendations:
Organized prioritization committee is required
IT must allocate a percentage of time for "small" projects that do not fit into the prioritization process
IT projects should be limited to those that support the company's strategies and goals
Business users must be able to provide as much factual information as possible regarding the value of the project when creating an IT request (we all realize their are "soft-value" that is not quantitative...those are okay too but may pose difficulty if IT reports to Finance)
Business users must clearly define the opportunity/problem they are trying to address versus proposing the solution (a solution in addition to the opportunity/problem may be useful in definition...just try to avoid a solution without an opportunity/problem definition)
IT must publish their work load for the organization
Slashdot Mirror
I believe a path to resolving the bureaucracy resides in understanding the source of it from both an IT and a Business perspective. Let me start with the Business side. Business users (oops, now you know I am in IT!) get frustrated when they have IT needs that they cannot seem to get accomplished. In a large number of cases, there is no process for even getting a project "into the hopper". How many times do you ask for something and are told to complete a project request form that defines the value of the project, only to never hear back the status of your project from the IT department? Probably more often than not.
Now for the IT department. Requests for IT resources are coming in from all facets of the company, not necessarily being filtered in any way. Add the sales force and other field employees and now you are talking about a very overwhelming number. Not to mention, IT has their own "technical" needs (upgrading server software/hardware, training, etc.) that is in addition to the other requests flooding in. Sometimes it seems like people feel if they bug IT enough or go "up the ladder", their projects will get done quicker. Unfortunately, it is much easier for the people at the top of the ladder to tell IT to help the business user out than for them to be involved in justifying the value of a project.
The business users want their IT projects completed for the benefit it will provide their respective area and the impact that can have on the company while the IT department wants to work on the projects that have the highest value to the company with the least amount of complexity. What this spell? P.R.O.J.E.C.T. P.R.I.O.R.I.T.I.Z.A.T.I.O.N.!
A formal project prioritization committee can greatly reduce the perceived bureaucracy within a company. By defining and agreeing a methodology, the emotional aspect and uncertainty are removed from the project list. Additionaly, the estabilished priorities can facilitate resource scheduling.
Without priorities clearly established, IT may end up producing nothing because the constant changing of priorities is causing an enourmous amount of overhead. Due dates begin approaching rapidly and analysis/design phases are cut short. This leads to higher maintenance costs and therefore less resources for the IT department in the future.
Some recommendations: