Jargon Watch: De-Risking

February 8, 2016

“De-Risking Technology Projects” presents some interesting factoids; for example: “Fewer than one in three software projects present successful outcomes.”

The factoid comes from a mid tier consulting firm’s “Chaos” report. The diligent folks who did the research analyzed 50,000 projects.

But the hook which snagged me was the use of the term “de-risking.” The idea is that one takes an assignment at work, works on it, and keeps one’s job even if the project goes down in flames.

How can this state of regular paycheck nirvana be achieved? The write up offers some advice which is obvious and probably has been embraced by those who crank out a collapsing bridge or a search and content processing system which cannot locate information or keep pace with inflows of content.

Here are the tips in case you napped during one of your business school lectures:

Balance scope and time available
Figure out how and what to deliver
Design and implement the solution
Prioritize simplicity and performance.

Now how does one get from high rates of failure to success?

Let’s consider implementing a search, content processing, and discovery solutions. Most of the information access systems with which I have examined deliver disappointment. Years ago I reported on the satisfaction users of enterprise search systems reported. The rate of dissatisfaction fell somewhere between 55 and 75 percent of users.

This means that if one third of enterprise software projects like search and content processing fail, the two thirds which survive crank out astounding users who are not happy with the deployed system.

The question “How does one make an enterprise search and content processing?” a success calls into question the products, interfaces, and functionality of many vendors’ work.

My view is that users cope. The belief that information access technology is making corporate work a joy is widely held. Like some other beliefs, reality may not match up.

Wonder why vendors are embracing open source technology? It is part of the de-risking approach. Let others figure out how to fix this stuff.

Does de-risking deliver excellence? In my experience, nope. Jargon is a means of closing a deal. Making something work for its users is a different challenge.

Stephen E Arnold, February 8, 2016

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Management, News, Search

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.