Channelled obsession can give you business edge and help
you sharpen key processes within IT governance frameworks, says
Stephen Dance.
Obsession is assumed to be a negative word. It conjures
up someone blind to practicalities and totally consumed by their
passion. Nevertheless, to paraphrase Gordon Gecko, “obsession is
good”, but only if it is appropriately focused.
Some firms have turned their obsessions into leading businesses.
Starbucks, the global chain of coffee shops, obsesses about decor
and product consistency. Its obsession is consistent product
quality in familiar surroundings, regardless of whether you are in
London or Beijing. Similarly, Prèt a Manger has built a global
business based around an obsession with product quality.
Google is obsessed with search speed and relevance. This guides
the company in everything it does and influences every decision it
takes. This has not only facilitated Google’s ascent to the
position of the search engine of choice, it has shaped its other
services, such as image searching and the runaway success of
Adwords.
Obsession targeted at the right things can be a positive rather
than negative force. An important lesson to be learned from these
examples is that obsession has positive effects when it is focused
on something that is relevant and important to the ways customers
experience a product.
What can we in the IT industry learn from these companies? What
might happen if we became obsessive about key processes within IT
governance frameworks?
Reliable hardware and software asset data generates not only the
cost savings from better asset utilisation, but also offers
significant productivity gains for helpdesk staff. For example, if
helpdesk staff are given access to accurate information, they can
troubleshoot problems quickly.
With the potential for cost savings from better asset
utilisation and an increase in helpdesk productivity, accurate
inventory data may well be worth obsessing about.
Perhaps we should become obsessive about configuration and
change management when we see the productivity improvements that
can be obtained from world-class release and incident management
approaches.
We might see improved infrastructure availability but also
radical productivity improvements due to vastly improved
“sysadmin”/server ratios. The IT department need no longer spend
most of its time diagnosing and firefighting erroneously configured
servers and routers.
Going the extra mile is the difference between merely fixing an
immediate problem and creating real business benefits. The key is
making the decision to be obsessive about the right things and, in
many cases, that means having a clear and detailed insight into the
real causes of problems and the best solutions.
The examples given – asset management and configuration change
management – can be done pragmatically or exceptionally well. When
performed pragmatically, they are often addressed with a “point
solution” rather than by a wider-ranging initiative that takes into
account their relationship with other areas of the IT function.
Performed well, benefits are promulgated to other IT processes
within the organisation and can result in significant cost savings
and productivity gains. A little intelligently directed obsession
can go a long way.
What do you think?
Is obsession beneficial to the enterprise?
Tell us in an e-mail >>
ComputerWeekly.com reserves the right to edit and publish
answers on the website. Please state if your answer is not for
publication.
Stephen Dance is a senior consultant with
chartered accountants RSM Robson Rhodes