Why Technology Fails
by John Tredennick
I ran technology at Denver-based Holland & Hart for more than a decade, first as a guerrilla fighter and then as a C.I.O./C.T.O. Here are my irreverent thoughts on how to really screw up a technology plan.
1. Form a committee
One sure way to screw things up is to appoint a technology committee. Committees are guaranteed to study things to death and reach the wrong result at the wrong time. If you want a committee for "buy in" or window dressing, fine. But don't fool yourself into thinking a committee is going to make good decisions.
2. Hire a consultant
The first thing you do after you form a committee is hire a consultant. There are probably a couple out there worth hiring but I doubt your committee will find them.
3. Do a "Request for Proposal"
After you get your committee formed and your consultant hired, an RFP is the next step. Your consultant will charge you $50,000 to prepare the RFP, which will say, "Buy Microsoft Office for a firm word processor." At the least your consultant will get some practice using the search/replace function in his/her word processor. A great way to waste time.
| < Prev |
|---|