What You Have,,,
...are businesspeople washing each other's backs... and they also see it as, how did cwmpers put it, 'ganging up on the IT geeks'? Let's look at things the way they really happen:
A) A project is dreamt up involving IT to implement a business solution to help a business unit save money and time. IT announces that it will cost 'X'. The business leader immediately assumes the 'geeks' are overvaluing their time and spec'ing premium equipment and services so they can play with expensive toys, so they claim they can only spend '1/2 X'. In the end, the two compromise on '3/4 X', because noone listens to ITs arguments it can't be delivered for less than 'X'. The business leader claims IT has bungled things again because it took so long (because of the limited funding) and the solution STILL doesn't deliver what it was supposed to (which is now double the requirement given to IT);
B) The business leader end-runs IT with their own solution to the project above, using outside expertise and resources; The slick-talking salespeople announce the project will do three times what the requirement is, and only cost '1/2 X'. In the end, the project ends up taking three times as long and costing '3 X' and ends up with a solution that MAY do the original requirement and a ton of things they'll never use. But the business leader is happy, and his bosses and peers see him as successful and innovative. The extra expense and time is forgotten...
I've seen it happen. We're not considered to be on a level playing field. When I implemented our $3k wireless solution, one of the more outspoken business leaders claimed he could have done the same thing buying a couple of $50 wifi routers at Best Buy,,, But the other business people don't know enough to know better...
