The Ten Common Myths of I.T.

"A company runs on information, not data."				management genuinely believes that I.T,
- Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONYou've heard them all				management controls and tools can
before. They particularly arise whenever				be developed inexpensively, if not free.To some
quality work is required or when organization and				companies, technology is purchased more as the
management control				latest
is imposed. Of course, I'm talking about the ten				status symbol, as opposed to its practicality. It is
common myths of				purchased more
I.T. Ten common rationalizations people in the				to "keep up with the Jones'" than anything else.
Information				What they don't realize
Technology world turn to whenever their authority				is the Jones' are in as much trouble as they are."A
or professionalism				DBMS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR DATA BASE"I
is challenged. They are neither new or limited to a				remember meeting an I.T. Director from a large
specific				regional bank from the
geographical location. They have been around as				U.S. southwest who insisted his company didn't have
long as the modern				a data base. What he
computer and they transcend all cultural and industrial				meant to say was he didn't have a DBMS (Data
boundaries. What's				Base Management System). With the
worse, they have proven to be effective.The				propagation of DBMS packages in the field, most
following is the ten most popular myths in the field.				companies now sincerely believe
Obviously, it				a DBMS is a prerequisite for data base. Although
is not all inclusive. It is simply the ten most				DBMS software offers
commonly used:				tremendous leverage for file management, it is far
OUR PROBLEMS ARE UNIQUEWE NEVER SEEM TO				from being a mandate for
HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THINGS RIGHTYOU				data base.All companies have a data base, some are
ARE STIFLING OUR CREATIVITYSYSTEM DESIGN				managed, most are not. A data
IS AN ART FORMTECHNOLOGY WILL SOLVE OUR				base is nothing more than a collection of all of the
PROBLEMSA DBMS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR DATA				data required to produce
BASETHERE IS AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF DATA IN				information. Obviously, this definition transcends the
AN ORGANIZATIONOUR COMPANY RUNS ON				computer. It is a
DATAUSERS OWN THE DATAUSERS DON'T KNOW				recognition that data is a resource which must be
WHAT THEY WANT				managed like any other
Let's look past the facade of each of these for a				resource; e.g., money, people, materials, etc.A DBMS
moment and				offers great capability when managing data stored on
see what they really mean."OUR PROBLEMS ARE				mass storage
UNIQUE"This is perhaps the most popular of the				devices. But it must be realized that data is used
myths and is probably				throughout an entire
used to pacify the ego of I.T. Management. I				organization, in manual and computer applications, in
discovered it				a variety of files
several years ago when I happened to do some				(manual, tape, microfiche, disk, etc.). Data Base
consulting for three				Administration
separate companies from the United States, Japan				activities typically cover only the data used by a
and Brazil. In all				DBMS. What is necessary is
three instances, the I.T. Managers insisted their				a higher level position that manages all of the data,
problems were				regardless of where used
unique to their company. They pointed at the				or how stored. The Data Management function
overwhelming pressure				should behave in a manner similar
they operated under, uncooperative users,				to Materials Management, Financial Management, and
insensitive management,				Human Resource Management. This
and some cultural constraints. The parallelism was				is the Achilles' Heal for most I.T. organizations, the
incredible. Here				failure to recognize
were three separate companies, geographically				data as a valuable and re-useable resource.To
separated by thousands				compound problems further, even when DBMS
of miles, all of which describing the same problems,				technology is introduced
yet viewing				to a company, it is rarely used effectively. Instead
themselves as unique.In studying this further, I				of utilizing a DBMS
discovered most companies share				to share data among applications, most apply it as
the same problems, such as:A. A substantial backlog				an access method only.I conservatively estimate less
of user requests (three to five years seems				than 5% of all I.T. organizations
to be the norm).B. Poor communications internally				in the world have successfully implemented a
within the I.T. staff				managed data base environment,
and externally with end-users.C. Project cost				DBMS or not."THERE IS AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF
overruns and slipped schedules.D. Employee				DATA IN AN ORGANIZATION"Some people would
dependencies to maintain and support systems.E.				have you believe there is an inordinate number of
Hardware/Software dependencies; systems are tied				unique data elements used in an organization and to
too closely				catalog and control
to a particular vendor, making upgrading difficult.F.				them is a mammoth undertaking (therefore, we
Redundant data throughout an organization (we				shouldn't waste our time). Instead
know of one state				of documenting a data element and re-using this
government who conservatively estimated NET-PAY				intelligence,
is calculated				people typically redefine data with each application.
at least 100 different ways).G. Lack of adequate				This leads to
documentation (thus providing job security for				inconsistent definitions and redundant work effort.
the staff).H. High staff turnover.I. Design				But worst of all,
inconsistencies.J. Systems personnel clash with data				it makes implementing a change to a data element
base personnel.K. Information Systems do not meet				extremely complicated.In reality, there is a finite
users needs.L. DBMS is used as nothing more than an				number of data elements in any given
elegant access method.M. Data is tied too closely to				organization, probably in the neighborhood of 3,000
applications, making change difficult.Bottom-line, I.T.				to 5,000. And although
organizations suffer from low productivity				it is no small effort to document the data, it is a
and poor performance. Inevitably they end up in a				wise investment in the
"fire-fighting" mode				future. Once it is defined, a data element can be
of operation constantly patching problems. However,				re-used in multiple
the problem here is				applications, which leads to a shared data base
the chief fire-fighters are also the principal arsonists.				environment. Capturing this
It is				intelligence must evolve over time with each
unfortunate the "fire-fighters" enjoy higher visibility				application, it cannot be
than those				captured over night."OUR COMPANY RUNS ON
who work quietly in a methodical manner. This is a				DATA"This is one of the most naive statements in
situation where the				the business, one
guilty are promoted and the innocent are				rooted in ignorance. The person using this expression
prosecuted.Instead of imposing management discipline				obviously
and control, I.T. managers				doesn't grasp the inherent differences between data
resign themselves to a life of chaos. It is no small				and information. They
wonder their average				are not synonymous. The differences are simply too
tenure in office is less than three years."WE NEVER				numerous to list
SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THINGS				here but essentially Data by itself is meaningless; it is
RIGHT"This implies "we have plenty of time to do				the representation
things wrong." There				of a fact or an event. It is the raw material by
is an interesting relationship between the quality of a				which information is
product				produced. Contrary to this, Information is the
and the speed by which it is developed. This				intelligence or insight
phenomenon is true of				gained from processing data to support specific
any product being built.The faster the delivery of a				business functions.A company runs on information,
product, the greater the chances are				not data. In fact, information is the
for inferior quality. The slower the delivery, the				most important asset a company has. All actions and
greater the chances				decisions are
are for superior quality. Neither extreme is				predicated on information. Organizations progress
acceptable; an even balance				when the impact of
must be maintained to assure one doesn't have an				good actions and decisions outweighs the impact of
adverse effect on				bad actions and
the other.Instead of developing a long range plan				decisions. Information gives us the means to make
that incorporates an information				these actions and
strategy, management nurtures the problem by				decisions.Those who do not understand the
saying they need everything				differences between information and
"yesterday." Software vendors prey on companies				data are probably the same people who do not
like this by offering miracle				understand the differences
products (e.g., CASE, 4GL, program generators, etc.)				between an information system and computer
promising to accelerate				software."USERS OWN THE DATA"This is a typical
development while producing quality results. Without				attitude found in companies who do not
the appropriate				understand the concept of managing data as a
management environment, they deliver neither and				resource. In this
compound problems				situation, data is jealously guarded by each user. As
further. These tools concentrate on efficiency, not				a
effectiveness. Before				consequence, redundant files and applications are the
you can streamline your operation, you must first				norm. The
know what you are doing."YOU ARE STIFLING OUR				sooner you get past this stage, the better off your
CREATIVITY"This scapegoat is a favorite among the				organization
"techy set." It is a defensive				will be.Does the Controller "own" the money? Does
expression that springs up whenever discipline or				the Human Resources Manager
change is mentioned. What				"own" the employees? Does the Materials Manager
is ironic is these same people do not hesitate to				"own" the parts?
reorganize a user's				Of course not; they simply administer the resource.
department. The hypocrisy is incredible. Systems				A comparable
people, who are supposed				position to manage data resources must also be
to be the agents of change in an organization, are				created."USERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY
the most resistant to it."SYSTEM DESIGN IS AN ART				WANT"Translation: "I don't know what I'm doing so
FORM"Closely related to the "stifling" myth is the				I'll just keep hacking
view of system design				away at the problem." This type of comment is a
as an exotic art form. Most systems developers like				sign the person
to be viewed as				is not properly trained in Systems Analysis. Users
free-spirited souls who do not like to be				didn't get their job
encumbered with organization,				by default; they must know a little bit about their
discipline and accountability. The fact is, many of				end of the business,
these so-called				otherwise they are not going to have it for long.
"Rembrandts" are nothing more lousy house painters.				The problem typically
They hide behind				stems from the analyst's inability to define business
the mystique of their technology in the hopes it will				problems, specify
conceal their				information requirements and to effectively
poor performance.Systems design is a proven and				communicate with the
teachable science. This is not to				user. Instead of asking how the user wants to view
suggest science lacks creativity. For example, there				their screen,
is considerable				try to understand their problem first. An elegant
creativity in the sciences of architecture, engineering,				solution to the wrong
music, etc. Science				problem solves nothing. Only when the Systems
simply establishes the governing principals and rules				Analyst can walk in the
to be observed				moccasins of the user, does the analyst have the
in your work."TECHNOLOGY WILL SOLVE OUR				right to build a system
PROBLEMS"This is more of a train of thought as				for the user.CONCLUSIONYou would think after
opposed to an actual				forty years of promoting these myths,
expression. It is based on the belief that hardware				we could invent some new ones that are a little
and software will				more imaginative. The
correct all of the ills and ineffectiveness of the				fact they have survived this long is indicative that
company. The belief				management is
that technology, not management, will solve				still not facing up to their problems and are still
problems is just as prevalent				baffled by
today as it was when the computer was first				technical gobbledegook.Tim Bryce is the Managing
introduced.It is fascinating to watch companies throw				Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA)
millions of dollars at				of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years of
solving a problem through technology, yet balk at				experience in the field.
spending money for				He is available for training and consulting on an
management, a sort of "penny-wise and pound				international basis.
foolish" mentality. Corporate

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The Ten Common Myths of I.T.

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