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On small businesses using open source
In response to the debate on the advantages of Linux and
Microsoft Windows (Computer Weekly, 7 September)
Open source could be a more viable option for small businesses if
more contacts were made to the open source community.
Software released under the General Public Licence is free.
Meanwhile, commercial software is being crammed with features that
are of little use to the small business.
The problem that small businesses face is support for open source
software. But the open source community is usually on hand to
answer questions and help via forums.
Linux user groups are a good way for small businesses to get
involved with open source. At your local group you can investigate
open source through their discussions and presentations and also
get help from the people who live and breath Linux.
Another issue for small businesses is training. There are numerous
providers offering training for the Microsoft platform, but open
source is not so well covered. If small businesses could access
training at reasonable prices, open source would be a viable option
in an office which uses standard software packages.
Matthew Saunders, Systems and infrastructure technical support,
Writtle College, Chelmsford
On smoothing the way for outsourcing
In response to news that IT staff are striking over a
proposed outsourcing project at Swansea
Council
The Swansea Council strike exemplifies one area where organisations
are currently failing in their outsourcing projects: the
post-contract disconnect.
In my experience, organisations have successfully nailed the
contract process to achieve significant financial and resource
benefits. However, this almost blinkered focus on initial contract
procurement is detrimental for longer-term business benefits that
include the general satisfaction levels of the service users and
managing their expectations.
To tackle these people issues and manage the post-contract
disconnect, an experienced and independent third party should be
available to keep the contract on course. As the customer's
requirements change throughout the outsourcing process, someone
with a track record in mediation should be on hand to follow things
through with the supplier. Performance and satisfaction can thereby
be monitored and corrective steps taken before things go
awry.
The numerous pitfalls involved in outsourcing deals require
specialist advice and guidance. Then organisations will be able to
better understand the risk, create relevant service definitions and
negotiate a contract that delivers across all the key areas: price
performance, satisfaction and relationship management.
Alex Blues, director, Orbys Consulting
On the benefits of offshore outsourcing
In response to Nick Huber's article on offshoring (Computer
Weekly, 7 September)
Offshore outsourcing is actually enabling IT suppliers to deliver
projects on time and on budget, many for the first time.
Consistency in this area will improve the reputation of our
industry at board-level and will encourage spending and profitable
business, for our customers and for us.
The key to success will be to establish clear working processes and
to ensure the local teams and the offshore teams are truly
integrated. Successful companies will invest in creating mixed
teams around the point the work is taken offshore. This means
building community first by bringing members of the offshore team
or supplier to the UK, and then in turn sending UK representatives
offshore when the work is transitioned.
Tim Smith, managing director, Sapient
Sense of purpose keeps staff on side
Lindsay Nicolle is right to assert that staff retention is a
massive issue in this competitive marketplace (Computer Weekly, 7
September).
However, managers should not always look at staff turnover as an
entirely bad thing. Some staff loss is inevitable and,
occasionally, desirable. New faces can inject fresh impetus into an
organisation, bringing new ideas and knowledge.
And while it is true to say that pay rates should be competitive,
it is generally accepted that money is not the only motivator any
more. Research recently carried out by the Chartered Management
Institute suggests that people appear happy to work long and hard
if they are given a sense of achievement in their work. Fifty-four
per cent of those in IT classed sense of purpose as their biggest
motivating factor. Only 31% look at pay.
The findings also revealed that less than half of IT managers feel
their leaders are communicating clearly with employees.
The message is clear. If you don't want your staff disappear, talk
to them. Tell them how the organisation is doing and talk about
your plans for its future. Make sure you do it in plenty of time,
because if you leave it too long you may be addressing an empty
room.
Christine Hayhurst, Chartered Management Institute
No magnetic force with staff bonding
sessions
Lindsay Nicolle cites "social and professional team-building
events to promote staff bonding" (Computer Weekly, 7 September) as
a practical way to attract and retain staff.
In my experience such enforced socialising is despised by the
majority of workers. Unfortunately many managers don't realise
this; or perhaps they do, but think it is good for their staff
anyway.
Chris Allonby, SAP specialist
Relieve stress with a door that is really
open
In response to your article "Work stress at record high" (Computer
Weekly, 7 September), I suggest that the pressure is due to
unrealistic expectations of high level management who fail to
understand what IT can deliver, and can't understand the needs of
the people who work for them.
To combat this kind of stress we need managers with a genuine
open-door policy. We need to manage the risk, not by disciplining
staff when things go wrong, but by assuming that we don't know it
all, and having contingency plans in place for when it all goes
wrong.
Sometimes things do go pear-shaped and IT managers must absolutely
understand this, otherwise they will fail to deliver on their
projects. Project goals must be more important than project
deadlines.
Kirsty Trigg, software developer, FileVision UK
Profit motive deters private sector
cover-ups
A crucial point missed by Andrew Ducker in the debate about public
and private IT project failures (Computer Weekly, 7 September) is
the question of who is being harmed by the cover-up.
Issues that are covered up in either type of organisation are
typically those that reduce efficiency.
With companies this translates to a loss of competitiveness by
increasing prices or reducing quality. Because of this its
office-holders, staff and shareholders will eventually suffer to
some extent. Since long-term harm can only be avoided if such
issues are exposed rather than covered up, there is an inbuilt
incentive in companies to avoid cover-ups.
But in state organisations there is no such safety mechanism for
the public. Since they are coercively funded at the expense of the
taxpayer, and never have to worry about competing or having to
satisfy customers to make a living, state organisations need never
worry about efficiency or competitiveness.
If inefficiencies are covered up, all that happens in the end is
that service levels drop and the taxpayer is further mugged. No one
in state organisations suffers because of inefficiencies and
cover-ups, and hence there is no incentive to correct such
problems.
The fundamental difference then is that while the voluntary market
mechanism operates to seek out and eliminate cover-ups, the
political coercive mechanism simply could not give a damn.
Rene Cheront, London
Windows XP tool is still only in the
pipeline
In his article on Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Computer Weekly, 7
September) Jack Schofield mentions Windows Application
Compatibility Toolkit 4.0 as a means to assisting with the
deployment of Windows XP SP2.
What he fails to mention is that version 4.0 is not actually
available yet, and the beta version is yet to be released.
Michelle Cook, IT support, Lumley
BPM tools can put businesses in the
lead
Business process management tools do increase process efficiencies
and promote costs savings as your article "A model of efficiency"
(Computer Weekly, 31 August) shows. However, the article misses
some important benefits that BPM can provide.
Survival of the fittest and corporate risk are two major factors
that will ensure businesses will be future players. Harnessing the
unique business processes that differentiate a company from its
competitors and integrating them into every part of a business'
systems and applications will allow firms to move with the market
and lead it. BPM can also minimise catastrophic risk exposure
through presenting senior management with a more visible and
controllable business model.
There is no doubt that with BPM acting like a sergeant major within
an IT infrastructure considerable benefits can be achieved in terms
of money and efficiency, but it is also important to recognise its
value in terms of a business' trading future.
Management teams need to understand what the needs are for today
and tomorrow and use mapping, modelling and simulation to ensure
that these requirements are met.
Kim Lewin, senior vice-president, EMEA,
CommerceQuest