Discussion on:

Short-termism and stupidity - the blight of tech investments

This is what happens when you let the frequently tech-ignorant CFO make your build-out plan for a tech growth. It is done 99% incorrectly. And I'll give good odds in Vegas that any CTO, and any IT managers who tried to speak up saying 'that's not doing it right' were likely shut down by being told do it or you're fired.

Yes, IT expenditures do need to go through the Finance side of a business, but FAR too many companies let the Finance group CONTROL the IT group, which is just stupid.

that make bad decisions. I've seen a few tech departments decide to replace systems that "don't work" with other systems that also end up not working. There isn't any analysis to figure out the reason it doesn't perform is the fact that it's installed with a basic config and then left sitting there for years, no-one maintains it, the chances are the original tech has left, and rather than train someone to get the expertise to tweak the system to get it working properly they just dump it and repeat with the same process with the next new thing.

Its not just services or vendors, but the rush to impliment a system. Im now having to migrate an ERP system out of an office network so they can pass PCI compliancy. The project and system were rushed into service with out thinking about any operational, compliancy or security thoughts. Just get it in and get it going and give everybody access

The real root cause of these blunders is a marketing person gets access to non tech C level people and sells them on the advantages of a great plan that has no connection to the realities of the business a it is. The C levels don't realise this as they don't have the tech knowledge needed to notice it and they get blinded by the buzzwords, the BS, and the projected savings. Then they shove the project down the throat of the IT staff without listening to what they have to say about. When the problems come home to roost on the bottom line the C levels usually blame the IT staff for sabotaging what was never going to work.

BTW all the technical areas get this sort of stuffed up project at some time as well.

The only answer is for the C levels to tell all marketing shills to take a hike until AFTER they get the company tech staff onside. The marketing people get paid a commission on a contract signature now, not on a working sign off by a happy client, so they have no interest in seeing if the sale works or not. A few decades ago the sales staff didn't get their commission until AFTER the project was up and runnign properly, boy did they work hard to see they gone done right in those days.

A lack of communication, process, rigor, and professionalism will always create mayhem!

Only the USA and Australia? Countries with natural resources to dig up and drill for should have it made compared to the many who have to get by on skills alone...