Gartner Steps on the PR Gas
October 15, 2008
After a couple of days in Illinois, I was surprised to find a number of Gartner related news stories in my trusty newsreader. The fall PR push for billable work is on. The story that caught my attention was “Gartner: Nine Most Contentious Issues for the Next Two Years”. The write up appeared on GovTech.com here. I don’t want to recycle the nine gems in the GovTech.com write up. However, I can flag three of the contentious items and provide a bit of color about the grip these issues will have in the next 24 months. I have a tough time thinking about the next day or two, but I am not a Gartner grade consultant, so I have shorter time horizons. My three faves from this list with my observations in italics:
- Vendors do not deliver what the vendor promised. Could it be that organizations with the advice and counsel of consulting firms combine to create a black hole of knowledge?
- Answering the question, “Who is in charge?” “Are organizations able to manage information technology projects?” I ask. “Not very well,” I answer.
- Skipping a formal methodology and just buying something. Going by the book is not too popular because no one has time to do the job correctly the first time in many situations, is it?
You will enjoy the other six issues because there is very little that one can do to address such challenges quickly. If senior management or the top dogs in key silos are not behind the initiative, change is difficult.
When I read MBA inspired analyses about information technology problems, I know that the real message is, “Hire us.” In the current economic storm, I expect more MBA speak applied to information access issues. The easiest way to avoid getting shot is to get out of the line of fire. By popping up a level, consultants who address MBA type issues, not technology challenges, may continue billing. The run of the mill software analyst may get a pink slip. With upstarts like Gerson Lehrman Group and Coleman Research exerting pressure on Gartner type outfits from below and blue chip consulting firms pushing down market, consulting firms in the middle may feel the pressure and must find new ways to generate revenue. I call this MBAIT; that is, slap business school jargon on technology. Like magic, it’s a new consulting domain floating above the bits and bytes of failed enterprise software. Agree? Disagree? Help me learn.
Stephen Arnold, October 15, 2008
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