How to avoid being associated with a project that turns into a quagmire The novelty has worn off Business Intelligence (BI) as it expanded over the years into many organizations. BI is no longer some Skunk Works adventure that runs independently of the formal organization with little or no oversight beyond nominal executive-level sponsorship. BI…
Your leadership in addressing change can only enrich your career Once upon a time, many dismissed open-source software (OSS) as the ugly stepchild of proprietary software packages licensed by major software vendors such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP. No one wanted the phrase open-source on their resume. Today, OSS is widely installed, accepted, and…
OSS is acknowledged as the future of software for computing infrastructure and applications Open-source software (OSS) was dismissed not so long ago as the ugly stepchild of enterprise software packages. Many executives viewed OSS as a cheap, unreliable, and problematic alternative to licensing proprietary software packages from major software vendors such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle,…
ERP implementation gotchas can lead to expensive and recriminating failures Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects are demanding for most organizations. The benefits of ERP are huge but require a significant commitment from the organization’s leadership and significant effort from the organization’s staff to be achieved. Below is a discussion of – and ideas for…
In the future, we can expect IoT devices to co-operate more, even across companies
Ever wonder what technology components underlie the Internet of Things (IoT)? As the explosion of IoT continues, understanding the technology components of IoT becomes vital to business success. Here’s a quick overview that should help you make more informed technology choices when implementing IoT for business value. IoT devices, typically sensors, continue to decrease in…
And how to counteract them
Human frailties are becoming a more significant cause of information technology project failure. Technology factors, on the other hand, are fading as a cause of project failure as information technology continues to increase in capability and decline in cost. The behaviour of project team members, be they project managers, business analysts or software developers, influence…
But you must follow these best practices
Data analytics is receiving vast amounts of attention in the trade press, on many websites and at conferences. References are even spilling into the mainstream media. Can data analytics add business value to your organization? This topic is worth discussing in more depth because much of the literature talks about the value of improved decision-making.…
The growth of shadow IT is often driven by impatient end-users
We’ve all observed massive growth in shadow Information Technology (IT). What’s driving this growth? As a reminder, shadow IT is hardware or software within an enterprise that is not supported by the organization’s central IS department. The growth in shadow IT is driven by many information technology developments and the emergence of new IT services.…
Four steps to reduce the risk of cybersecurity incidents adversely impacting your organization’s future
Cybersecurity lapses continue to make headlines and undermine the fiscal health and reputation of the targeted organizations. Executives are under constant pressure to accommodate all the demands made on them. Providing a little leadership on cybersecurity doesn’t fit well on the to-do list. Meetings with IT specialists often frustrate executives for one or more of…
My list of analytics trends that will produce more value for your organization
Every year software vendors, market analysts and various IT pundits provide their lists of analytics trends. Here’s my list of analytics trends with ways to produce more value for your organization. Analytics concepts have been growing and maturing for a long time. Depending on how far back you want to look, William Playfair published the…