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Technology groups are a needed step back to central IS managementDouglas E. WelchInfoWorld, Jan 25, 1993 v15 n4 p43(1) COPYRIGHT InfoWorld Publishing Company 1993 Corporations have gone through the great information services decentralization wars, but what do they have to show for it? A litany of wasted time, wasted money, and bitter feelings. In the not so distant past, all computer technology was overseen by the czarist group who managed the mainframe. Nothing got done unless they did it. Because there was only one system, everything was compatible with it. Today, divisions and departments are going their own way. The Czar is dead. Information has been freed. The masses have the power. They have the power to duplicate effort on similar projects. They have the power to purchase incompatible technology. They have the power to do as they wish, but what does this mean for the company? It is time for a new era of technology management. I am not talking about technology control -- with IS saying yea or nay to each purchase order -- but, to steal a phrase, a kinder and gentler technology management: a system that allows both IS and other departments to work toward a common goal, the welfare of the company. Every company needs a group that watches over its technological health. This could be an existing IS group, an ad hoc committee formed from various departments, or a whole new group formed by the company. The technology management group would not be in the business of dictating technology policy but rather making sure that everyone is moving in the right direction. In a perfect world, this new role would be adopted by existing IS structures. They would evolve from a glass-house operation into the more responsive and focused department called for in a decentralized company. Of course, many IS groups have held onto outdated beliefs and technology until they were nearly decentralized out of a job. It will take some hard work to repair the wounds left by these struggles, but IS managers and staff might be able to mold themselves into technology managers. In some cases though, IS may have to be destroyed entirely. Then new groups could be formed using the best staff from IS and other departments. Proper technology management isn't something that can be ignored. It will not go away. Managers in many companies are already looking at the cost of decentralization and wondering if it was all worth it. The shine has rubbed off, but like Aladdin's lamp, there might be something wonderful inside. The building of technology management groups needs to start today. Get together with management and the other technology users in the company and begin drawing up a technology mission statement. Let everyone have a vote, but set a completion date and a regular review process. Once established, this mission statement will become the company's map into the future. Once everyone knows where the corporate technology ship is going, there will be less quibbling over who gets to drive. What does a technology management group do? For one, it should evaluate new hardware or software for future use. It should assist departments in their own evaluations. It should create a library of information that everyone can contribute to and learn from. Working together will ensure that departments will look for help before they need it and before they get too deeply involved in costly technology that doesn't work. Change has engulfed information services departments over the last several years. The move from a centrally managed operation to decentralized services was a destructive one. In some cases it was carried too far and left many companies struggling with an unmanageable computer infrastructure. Technology management takes the best of both worlds: strong focus on an agreed-upon technology mission statement and decentralized efforts working toward this mission. One group, with the support of everyone, must watch the big picture to ensure that the company does not end up in technologically generated chaos. "Peer to Peer" gives readers a forum for discussing computing and management issues. Send submissions to Rachel Parker, opinions editor (MCI Mail 340-4371). Submissions can also be faxed to (415) 358-1269.
Douglas E. Welch is a LAN support administrator for a Southern California entertainment company and a member of InfoWorld's corporate advisory board.
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