in reply to IT decisions are driven by business needs

Business need: Frankly, what does the business need? Or, turned around, what impact does this project have upon the business's bottom line. How much money can this project make?
Certainly, making money may also be a business need, but it is never its bottom line. The bottom line is the businesses goals, and those that have as such merely "make money", are highly questionable. Indeed, making money - as a secondary requirement, mostly due to interests which have nothing to do with the businesses reason of existence - can be well in the way of a businesses goals.

Take NASA, for example... ;-)

--shmem 

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
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  • Comment on Re: IT decisions are driven by business needs

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Re^2: IT decisions are driven by business needs
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on Apr 14, 2007 at 13:40 UTC
    Given that almost all of us work for organizations whose purpose is either to make money or only achievable if money is brought in, then it's a good metric.

    Think about this: a business is in the business of making money. It produces products and/or services in the support of that goal. If you think otherwise, you're fooling yourself.

    My criteria for good software:
    1. Does it work?
    2. Can someone else come in, make a change, and be reasonably certain no bugs were introduced?
[reply]
      Think about this: a business is in the business of making money. It produces products and/or services in the support of that goal. If you think otherwise, you're fooling yourself.
      Now what fallacy is this one? Post hoc ergo propter hoc? A business in the business is making money, that's how business generally works today: making money is a necessity for business. Which doesn't mean this business is in business because its primary goal, its raison d'être is making money. Think of NASA, again.

      --shmem 

      _($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}
[reply]
        Just because NASA doesn't sell products or services for money doesn't mean it isn't in the business of making money. It has to, every year, go forth and convince the US government to give it money in the form of a budget. It's the exact same model used by charities. Thus, the same principles of having to meet the demands of your customers apply. Your customers just happen to be different from those receiving your products/services.
        My criteria for good software:
        1. Does it work?
        2. Can someone else come in, make a change, and be reasonably certain no bugs were introduced?
[reply]

        Is NASA a business? I thought it was a government funded organisation. Ie. US tax-payer funded.

        To my way of thinking that makes NASA the very antithesis of a business, and so a very poor counter-example.

        Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
        "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
        In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
[reply]

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