The IMF Blog

IT’s Credibility: Shaken, Not Stirred

May 14th, 2012 by rschwarz No comments »

Stop for a second and think about your organization’s feelings towards IT. Are they more positive or negative? Some IT shops are seen as leaders in innovation and aligned with the business’s needs. Unfortunately, others have the reputation of being an over-promising, under-achieving, creative hindrance. Based on some of the articles I posted below, there seems to be a lot more of the latter. Which side of the tracks does your IT department fall on? More importantly, if “IT” has a negative connotation in your company, how can you restore its credibility?

I guess the answer really depends on what complaints are being hurled in the IT department’s direction. Do people feel as though you’re stifling innovation? In other words, let’s say the business comes to IT with an idea. In some cases, IT may shoot it down right away because of security concerns or systems compatibility issues. That’s not always the best approach when trying to polish your reputation. A better idea is having both sides collaborate in order to find a way to produce the desired outcome. Educate the business. Besides, IT working side-by-side with the business is a win-win for everyone involved and the organization as a whole.

What if your IT department is catching a bad rap for promising the moon and stars, yet falling staggeringly short of expectations? Maybe a project overshot its budget by a sizeable amount or took twice as long to complete. It’s also possible the end result just wasn’t up to par. These issues can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as:

- Poor project management

- Unrealistic expectations

- Strategy misalignment

- System constraints

- Unexpected complexity

- Communication problems

IT has to be relevant to the business and that’s the bottom-line. When an IT manager shows up to a meeting, you don’t want the response to be something along the lines of “oh here’s the IT guy.” Let’s be honest, there’s no doubt that IT is a huge asset but that value needs to be on display and promoted throughout the organization. How is your IT shop viewed and how do you plan to sharpen its image?

Here are some great articles on how to improve IT’s reputation and effectiveness:

5 Ways to Improve IT Effectiveness (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

IT’s Reputation Problem (Real User Monitoring Blog)

Improving IT’s Image and Brand (Processor)

Why IT Has a Credibility Problem (Information Week)

5 Ways to Improve Your IT Department’s Reputation (Agile IT Blog by Doug Luxem)

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Posted in IT Innovation, IT Workforce, Strategy

Tags: Bloomberg Business-IT relationship BusinessWeek IT Effectiveness IT Innovation IT leadership IT Workforce IT's Role

EPMO’s Can Make A Difference In Your Organization

May 9th, 2012 by rschwarz No comments »

“Implementing an Enterprise Program Management Office” is based on a presentation given by Ann Jacobs-Long at The IMF Sr. Executive Retreat back in February. Ann is a Group Vice President for SunTrust Bank. The banking industry’s unprecedented change and operating pressures will require SunTrust to manage a massive portfolio of performance improvement and regulatory reform projects. SunTrust has implemented an Enterprise PMO and Project Management Model to deliver the right projects, at the right time, for the right costs in the right way.

This report looks at the value of an EPMO with regards to things like organizational strategy alignment. It walks the reader through a deployment approach focusing on three phases: Intent, Implementation, and Realization. You will also get an in-depth look at the particular EPMO model SunTrust selected as well as some background around those particular decisions.

This section of the report talks about the value that PMOs bring to projects and their organizations (download the full IMF Report here):

“The value proposition of the EPMO is clear. There is a line of industry data that describes typical project performance and the influence that a PMO brings to the table. Generally speaking, project execution can be wrought with challenges. If you look on the right side of Figure 1, nearly ¾ of all projects fail or run into trouble. The majority are either failing or challenged, meaning they are not delivering on time, on budget, or within the intended specified scope. The size of the company does not seem to matter, with large, medium, and small companies alike are running into problems with their projects a majority of the time.

Just looking at the numbers in Figure 1, you can see that organizations cancel 25% of launched projects, with 10% of those being valued at more than $200k. That adds up to be a sizable amount of wasted capital. Two-thirds of today’s organizations have a PMO. Focusing on larger projects of $500k or more, projects are successful three out of four times when a PMO is involved. That statistic alone should demonstrate why utilizing a PMO is a great idea; PMOs bring value to the table. Two-thirds of companies that have a PMO in place also have a process for aligning projects with strategy. That is a very important component of an enterprise model. Nearly 70% of organizations implementing

PMOs reported that their project success rates have improved significantly as a result. The last bullet point in Figure 1 should really stand out:

“Companies with a mature PMO met expectations 90% of the time”

While a PMO does add value, it needs to mature in order for the benefits to come to full fruition. The statistics definitely bear out that notion…“

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Posted in IT Workforce, Member Identified Trends, Strategy

Tags: Ann Jacobs-Long EPMO IMF Reports PMO SunTrust Bank

BYOD Policies No Simple Matter

May 4th, 2012 by rschwarz No comments »

Consumerization is the big buzzword these days and consumer driven technology is running roughshod over the corporate landscape. Employees from the mail room all the way up the Boardroom are bringing their personal devices to work and using them for some sort of business related function. Blackberrys, iPhones, iPads, and Androids are entering the workplace at an alarming rate. As a result, many organizations are trying to implement Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies for their workforce. Typically, the number one concern surrounding a BYOD model is security, specifically device security with regards to data integrity and compromise. However, security aside, these policies can be quite complex and companies must take a number of considerations into account. Unfortunately, many of these factors can get overlooked, especially in the beginning. Here are some things to consider:

• Which types of devices will you allow?

• Will you provide a stipend to your employees for device purchases?

• How much support are you willing to provide for the devices?

• Should you set up restrictions around who is eligible for a personal device?

• What procedures are in place if a device is compromised, lost, or stolen? (Ex. Device Wipe)

• Which Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology vendor should you select?

• Does your organization have the necessary infrastructure in place for a BYOD model?

The factors above merely scratch the surface when it comes to creating an effective BYOD policy. Whatever policy you decide on, be sure to make it adaptable. Don’t assume that one policy size fits all users. Plus, at the rate new devices explode onto the scene, there’s no telling what your company will have to prepare for next. Consumerization and BYOD are realities and they are here to stay. Don’t put your organization behind the 8-ball. It’s time to get the right policies and technologies in place.

IMF members interested in learning more about BYOD policies are encouraged to attend our Innovation Forum taking place June 7^th - 8^th in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. NASA’s Adrian Gardner will speak on the topic and discuss the issues with meeting attendees. For more details, visit this year’s Innovation Forum meeting page on our website.

Here is a little extra reading on BYOD policies, concerns, best practices, and statistics:

BYOD or Bust: Survey Results Report (Software Advice)

Best Practices & Effective Policies in a BYOD Environment (ComputerWorld UK)

BYOD Best Practices: Three Pitfalls You Can’t Afford to Ignore (Trend Consumerization Blog)

More Than 12 Thoughts on BYOD Best Practices (MOBI Wireless Management)

Video: Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise (Avnet Inc. YouTube)

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