[TriLUG] [OT] What's the value of IT?

[Phillip Rhodes]

Matt Frye wrote:

> The question of the value of IT is really pretty elastic.  It's
> connected, at the very least, to the mission of the parent
> organization and how well (or badly) IT is integrated into that
> mission, and more directly, to the way the IT organization is
> "designed" around the needs of the organization (the focus of my
> book).
> 

So the core thing I'm trying to sort out - which I don't think
I've articulated well so far - is this:

How to explain to a small business owner, who isn't particularly tech 
savvy, and who's business isn't inherently technology oriented at all, 
how IT / high-tech can assist them in making their business more 
successful (eg, growth, productivity, profit, whatever metric you like).

I'm thinking about things like a flower shop, construction company / 
general contractor, bakery, etc.

I'd like to think it would be possible to distil out a core set of basic
principles regarding how IT is used to improve the performance of 
companies, and turn that into something understandable by anybody even
if they don't have a lot of existing "tech savvy."

> The tricky thing about value, especially in IT, is that it's relative.
>  What the IT Director sees as a valuable pursuit may be seen as a
> waste of time by a CEO.  Does the CEO know what he's talking about?
> Maybe not.  Ok, probably not, but of course he's the boss, so no
> matter how much of a wacko he is, his opinion matters.


Good point!

> I look forward to seeing more discussion on these matters in a wiki, etc.
> 

The wiki I have setup is at http://itbook.wikidot.com/  feel free to 
check it out.  There's not much there yet, but I have high hopes...  :-)



-- 
Phillip Rhodes