SgIM

Plenty have been written on the legendary battle between Business and IT. Over time different roles including Business Analysts and Application Consultants have been introduced to narrow the gap. Models like UML, BPMN, EPC, etc. have also been developed to further narrow this. Yet, have we really forged a peace treaty? I doubt it!

Why else do we find ECM and BPM projects go haywire? In fact, these solutions have probably further divided a relationship that can surely compare with some of the very popular theological and political wars and pseudo-wars that engulf the world today.

It has been unanimously known and acknowledged that communication confusions have been the key reason for this blow-hot-blow-cold war. I see it different. I believe it is not communication, but more cultural and social. Just as an Indian and an American may be capable of speaking english, yet, they may not necessarily communicate in the right manner because of colloquial nuances and cultural and social differences.

In BPM projects, IT can become the best friend or the worst enemy for Business Units. I recommend managing your relationship with IT as stated below to get them to deliver your requirements.

Know what you Need and Specify what you Want.

Business Unit: “I want Food.”
IT: “Here’s your Cheese burger”.
Business Unit: “But, I wanted Lasagne.”
IT: “You should have mentioned it earlier”
Business Unit: “You didn’t tell me. How do I know what you can cook? You are supposed to consult us.”

And so it goes on. A bit of a Chicken-and-Egg story here. But, lets be clear and honest. If you want something in particular, you have to be specific about it. Business Units need guiding and consulting for sure, but, you must
also know exactly what you want and have in mind. Systems are not build or modified on wishes. As they say, ” If wishes were horses…”

Sometimes, we do this! Sometimes, we do that!

Every process has a procedure to execute as guided by the policy. What may be missing, is a clear Policy and Procedure document. What is most likely to be missing, is Exception handling in the P & P. No BPM system comes pre-packaged with your business rules and decisions. While BPM systems are malleable and ductile, they are not self-modifying. You need to flatten them or lengthen them explicitly. IT may be used to define and modify your “process map”, but you have to be the ones laying down the laws.

But, thats Finance’s responsibility, not ours! Ask them!

Quite normal for one Business Unit to be ignorant of another’s tasks. This is easily accepted as each BU is only expected to be masters at their core competence. Yet, when it comes to IT, expectations tend to sky rocket. They must be masters at the nitty gritties of all BUs. IT is also a Unit within Business like Sales or Finance. Isn’t it unfair for them to be MBA qualified? Support and hand hold them through your business requirements and they will breeze you through the technology.

Knowledge is a Handshake.

While IT is definitely a more technical department, they must have basic business comprehension qualities. Yet, surprisingly, BUs are not expected to have any basic IT knowledge. Green IT initiatives and paper cost savings are leading organizations to BPM and ECM. It now becomes more necessary for BUs to understand the basics of how technology works and its limitations. Knowledge is a handshake and both BUs and IT need to share this. A case for Knowledge Management?