If all IT decisions were only based on a business case, then why are we not running Linux on desktops using StarOffice? How can free not trump whatever Microsoft charges? Obviously not a straight business decision, personal preference and politics intruded.

Take disaster recovery, the black hole of all IT budgets. Everyone says we need disaster recovery, and they do a study which says we have to spend a big chunk of money, and keep spending it year after year, just in case something goes wrong. That’s money that doesn’t go into product research, customer satisfaction, employee raises, etc. It does not further the companies bottom line by a single penny. And management says, how often do we have a problem? and how much was that again? And decide there really doesn’t need to be real disaster recovery, just a plan, and we already have that. But let the system go down and see IT catch the heat for not being prepared, even though there was not budget to make it happen.

There are some businesses that don’t have to make a profit, NASA, the government for example. Everyone else has to a least break even, or they go out of business. The truly successful companies have balanced sowing enough back into their company that they continue to lead their respective field. If they don’t someone will come along and do it faster and cheaper, they will lose market share and go out of business.

It still takes money (or sweat equity) to make money. It’s being wise enough to spend the money you do have prudently, and recognizing what do we NEED versus what would be nice to have and make our life easier. Life is and always will be trade off’s. Lost the budget battle for HP Openview, then learn to live with Nagios or Big Brother. But there is nothing to keep you from doing the best you can, with what you’ve been given, and not sulking because it’s not exactly (or maybe even close) to what you wanted.