Get drastic: 15 IT best practices to kill | TechRepublic

Get drastic: 15 IT best practices to kill | TechRepublic.
I have some thoughts…interesting discussion.
New CIO manifesto”
1.Information is just as important, if not more important than information technology.
I think that is the point…IT within ORGs that fail are focused on engineered solutions, rather than information solutions. The former serves IT, the latter service the customer, which can also mean IT, but it puts the business first, which always generates the IT need.
2.More than 50% of annual CIO project spending will be directed toward measurably improving the financial conditions of an enterprise.
I agree! The best IT ORG examples I see claim to have over 50% discretionary spending room in the IT budget. BUT the Business needs to ensure this % remains, rather than scooping it off as a cost recovered “efficiency”.
3.More than 50% of all enterprise information and IT spending will directly support revenue generating rather than expense related business processes.
not sure how this works in Government or services. What if all you provide is soft services. I take issue with how that might be measured.
4.The incentive portion of CIO compensation will be derived from the amount of money created by the efforts of CIOs and their staffs.
Again, incentive should not be monetary, it needs to be a mix of stature, excellence, and monetary compensation. Competition to excel needs to be part of the equation. Money alone is a failure to focus on human priorities.

IT practices to eliminate
1. Reject annual mismatch between CEO priorities and IT’s most funded projects
1. Agree, if CEO = ORG/Business Strategic Focus. CEO can have other priorities too.
2. 2.Terminate support of projects that will not improve the income statement
1. agree 100%
3. 3.Abandon CIO priorities that do not directly support CEO priorities
1. See response for #1.
4. 4.Stop recommending IT mega projects
1. Agree 98%. Some are needed, if need is measured properly
5. 5.Abolish environment of little or no IT spending accountability
1. Agree 100%
6. 6.Terminate existing applications that do not yield measurable business value
7. Well said.
8. 7.End the practice of placing enterprise IT spending within the CIO’s budget
1. I could live with this. Might be a good idea. But what becomes of the CIO role? Some of the worst IT project implementations I’ve ever seen were managed by the businesses directly. IT projects not centrally tracked can also become hellholes of unaccounabilty if spending controls move only to the business. I feel the business should always “purchase” the solution, IT delvers it. It’s either successful or not. I can cite examples.
9. 8. Eliminate IT-caused business model disruption “surprises”
1. Agree, but how? This is always the goal no?
10. 9.Eradicate “cloud-a-phobia”
1. When was this a problem? Like the “War on Drugs” it’s a stakeholder position, not a fear.
11. Abandon level 1, 2, and 3 tech support
1. Don’t agree or disagree as I have no idea what this means. As a goal, in theory, it’s laudable, as it means a commitment to usability. As a real goal, it’s dangerous as anyone who provides software support and services knows. If you provide no end product support you will be fired. End. Of. Story. No tech support means no perceived warranty and a culture of abandonment.
12. 11.Cancel most IT chargeback systems
1. Not sure where this would fit in why? Most meaning which ones?
13. 12.Cease issuing most competitive bids
1. Don’t know the context can’t comment otherwise.
14. Stop holding on to unfunded projects
1. agree, but this should be the normal operating procedure.
15. 14.End discrimination against behavioral skills and social sciences
1. I agree. What application did the author have in mind?
16. 15.Abandon IT’s unbalanced support between front and back-office
1. Agree wholeheartedly.