Predictions 2008

My predictions for 2008 are based on the background that companies are looking ahead (and behind them!) in order to ensure they are positioned in an ever competitive and changing market place with still an uncertainty on how some future scenarios may pan out. The Triple Crown of increased profit, improved efficiency and added value remains the goal for a lot of companies.
On that basis I believe that Business Intelligence software will continue to grow in importance as companies try to understand their business in more depth, BPM (business Process Management) software will figure in order to drive efficiency. There is also likely to be more moves towards the less paper office both for efficiency, security and the new mantra of being ‘green’ so we will see increased integrated scanning solutions. Within IT departments, server virtualisation will continue apace with new players such as Microsoft challenging the VMware dominance. Collaboration software such as Microsoft’s Groove will start to be considered as a way to add value with clients and improved mobility for people will be introduced with more services available via handheld or remote devices (Blackberry will still dominate over Microsoft), IP telephony and WiFi. Improved web sites using Web 2.0 will start to emerge as differentiators in the market place.
Customers will increase their demands for efficiency pushing e-billing and electronic communication up the priority list. E-billing will present a major challenge with increased costs due to lack of standardisation at the delivery point.
Sharepoint will still be high on the agenda but the reality will kick in as to what can actually be achieved. Vista will be reviewed but risk adverse sectors will put it back to 2009 except for the brave few! Office 2007 will follow a similar route. Concerns such as DRM (Digital Rights Management) and how that will impact records management and elctronic document sharing will start to be debated.

A-Z of Leadership Behaviours

Attending a recent course on complex projects we discussed the characteristics of a successful leader and came up with an A-Z list (Had to think hard on X and Z!). On returning home I thought I would try to recreate it just for a bit of fun. Some of the key things for me are taking Responsibility, being a Mentor to your team, Honesty (telling it how it is and doing it early (Don’t hide from problems no matter how difficult)), Supportive to the team and individuals and Encouraging (tell them when it’s good).
Here is the list. Am sure you can add a few more!

A - Assertive, Approachable, Accountable
B - Balanced, Brave
C - Creative, Coherent, Curious
D - Decisive, Delegating
E - Enthusiastic, Empowering, Encouraging
F - Focussed, Flexible
G - Goal-Orientated, Governing
H - Honest, Helpful, Happy
I - Intuitive, Intelligent
J - Just
K - Knowledgeable
L - Listener, Lawful
M - Motivational, Mindful, Mentor
N - Nurturing, Noble
O - Objective, Open, Opportunist
P - Perceptive, Progressive, Personable
Q - Questioning
R - Reliable, rational
S - Self motivating, Strategist
T - Trustworthy, Thinker
U - Understanding
V - Versatile, Venerable
W - Willing, Wise
X - Xenophilous
Y - Yearning
Z - Zealous

Business Relationship Managers

I have mentioned before the need to align to the business. It is very important that IT understands the business that we work for and also for them to understand us. I don’t think IT is very good at this but it is important to a successful relationship and a profitable business.

IT can deliver business benefit, without a doubt, but to help in this we do need to understand what makes the business and its clients tick, their drivers and their issues.
One way of achieving this is the role of a Business Relationship Manager (BRM) assigned to specific areas of the business. Larger companies may have the luxury of being able to fund this as a full time role. They are often called Account Managers and sometimes the role is coupled with project management responsibilities.
But in smaller companies this cannot be justified and certainly not until it has proved a value.

One way around the lack of available headcount is to double the role up with existing ones. By this I mean giving each existing IT Manager/ Senior Team leader or other responsible person the additional role of Business Relationship Manager (BRM) for one or more areas.

The BRM would need to allocate some time, within their assigned area(s), getting to know the people and the work they do.

In particular their goal would be to do the following:-
- Relate IT Strategy, direction, projects, and issues to their business area
- Relate the business plan, direction, issues, concerns and needs of their business area back to the IT group.
- Create visibility in the business area
- Identify and meet regularly with key stakeholders in their area. these stakeholders should be a mix of key managers but also influential administration staff.

Hopefully this approach will be a two way benefit with both sides having more knowledge and respect for each other and maybe some new business benefits emerging.

The AKAN Plan

AKAN who?
The Akan are an ancient African tribe. The Akan calendar is based on what the Akan call 'forty days’. Close examination of the cycle reveals forty-two different days, with the forty-third being the same as the first. (So it has inbuilt contingency!)

The objective of the plan is to manage what is to be achieved over the next 40 working days (basically the next two months) so as to get some focus.
The plan I have devised covers high level project status, Tasks and Strategic items. It details what is going to be delivered, when and by whom. We give the projects a risk rating within 1 to 5 based on likelihood of achieving the delivery.

What and when is committed to by the owner and the plan is shared across the department and reviewed regularly. It doesn't replace detailed programme plan or project reviews but gives a higher level view of what is happening.

It's a sort of I Can AKAN.!