Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Keep up with change by aligning your IT Agenda

A New IT Agenda

In it's recent research, The New IT Agenda, Booz and company advocates that IT teams focus on capabilities the business needs the most, aligned with the core of how the business creates value. 

Their recommended approach has 3 steps
  1. Analyze current value that IT provides to the business
  2. Better understand the business' strategic direction
  3. Develop agenda to maintain strengths AND enhance new areas

Do you really know Your business?

Does your company have a clear purpose and mission? As an example, Tom's Shoes does. After visiting Argentina the founder, Blake Mycoskie, realized that availability of shoes was a real problem. For kids, having shoes affected their ability to get  to school, getting foot infections and being able to work.

Their mission is simple. One for One. To provide one item for free, for every item purchased. This started out with shoes, and is now expanding into glasses.

Has your IT got an agenda?

After understanding your core capabilities in IT, that the business relies on, develop an approach that retains he core and enhances areas that would enable the business to implement it's vision faster and better.

To keep it simple, Booz has identified 5 types of agenda
  1. Value driver - simple, basic, cost effective services
  2. Operator - high quality, scalable, and risk free
  3. Technology leader - leading edge support for innovation and differentiation
  4. Service broker - consistent integrated services at scale
  5. Capability builder - strategic partner to CEO and business team

What are you playing at - Get Aligned!

Based on Tom's strategy, an aligned IT function could well be a "Value Player".
  • Service standardization at lower cost and minimize risk.
  • Basic enabling services for efficient business function.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Can ONE coin Make or Break the Bank? YES

If ten coins are not enough to make a man rich, what if you add one coin? 

What if you add another? 

Finally, you will have to say that no one can be rich unless one coin can make him so.”

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-happiness-project/201303/do-you-make-excuses-yourself

And Yes - ONE more Application or Change can affect IT budget!!!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Innovation @Facebook

Signed up for the new timeline - can't wait to see it

The hints at design work look tantalizing

Want to know their keys to innovation ... try this for size

  1. Involve everyone
  2. Core and Context
  3. Yes - your work environment matters
Read more at blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/03/inside_facebooks_internal_inno.html

Big data. Huge results. 70yrs ago

Patrick Blackett used Operations Research to analyze raw data resulting in

- Reduced shots required to down a bomber - from 20000 to 4000

- Estimated time for aircraft to mount an attack after U-boat detected them - 15 seconds

- Optimized setting for depth charges - 25 feet

- Fewer serviceable airplanes and keep them airborne

- Increased convoy size from 24 to 45 - reduced sink rate 50% to 1.1%

- Moved armor to untouched areas of bombers which DID return

Not to be outdone - BestBuy changes Work@Home

http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/05/technology/best-buy-work-from-home/index.html

What's most interesting is that this is a cancellation of their pioneering Results Only Work Environment.

Under this model employees were paid for results (output) rather than specific work hours.

Unlike Yahoo's complete cancellation of work from home, some Best Buy employees may still be able to telecommute - but now they have to do it with manager approval.

It's all hands on deck at Best Buy to drive collaboration on how to improve the business.

Quantified team??? Marissa Mayer outsmarts the Yahoos!

Love it or hate it - Marissa Mayer used hard data to decide it was time to bring remote workers back to the farm.

It's hard to argue with data

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-marissa-mayer-figured-out-work-at-home-yahoos-were-slacking-off-2013-3

Monday, March 4, 2013

Good advice from (former) P&G CEO


Mistakes leaders make --
they "...don’t think they need a strategy, or their strategies are flawed. They think they have a hot product or hot service, and these don’t last forever."

As a manager --
"your colleagues and your team watch what you do; they don’t just listen to what you say."

Source Wall Street Journal:
http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/03/04/former-pg-ceo-what-companies-get-wrong