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When projects fail, why do CIOs refuse to name names?
If you are like most CIOs, you've seen a project or two crash and burn, and you've seen good reasons to blame the vendors. But, if you are like most CIOs, you tend not to blame them out loud. CIO magazine's Thomas Wailgum wants to know why.
"Why the secrecy? Is your longtime Oracle sales rep really going to give you that great a deal because you and he are 'good pals' and have golfed together?" Wailgum asks. "Doubtful. Is Salesforce.com going to cut you off if you grumble about downtime?"
With more options in IT products and services than ever before, nobody should really be feeling too locked in, Wailgum argues. CIOs hold all the cards and "vendors should literally quake at the mere mention of a CIO's negative comment on a website or in a magazine," he writes.
I'm curious too about the seemingly sacred IT cows. What are we journalists, working outside the IT department, missing? Let me know.
For more:
- see Thomas Wailgum's post at CIO
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Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 1:31pm | July 29, 2010
When a vendor driven project fails it is ultimately a sign of the inability of the customer, or more precisely the customer's IT organisation, to manage the vendor appropriately. It should have very little to do with golf buddies or even the historical relationship. A good vendor, poorly managed, can still fail to deliver especially when business requirements are poorly communicated.
Recognising these sort of deficiencies and to be seen to do something about them is what stakeholders should expect and is key to IT transparency. Hiding the facts, blaming others or appearing to be protecting a vendor in the face of failure are the sort of behaviors that should get a senior level IT professional fired. Stand shoulder to shoulder with the vendor and take the bloody nose that's deserved.
The project plan should have included a risk assessment that was made just for these scenarios. This is an opportunity for the IT leadership to attempt to save face and minimise the impact to the business.
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