RE: Time to get serious

Steve,

If you mean "just a person who codes" and nothing else, I'd be inclined to
let it pass. But are you talking about programmer/analysts and business
systems analysts?

In my view, technical skills are important, but the business knowledge is
just as, if not more, important. Would you trust "a programmer with no
business experience" program a MRP generation? Inventory control? GL/AP/AR?
Trucking route calculator? Trailer volume-fitting algorithms? Unless very
detailed flowcharts and specs are given to him (or her), that programmer
with no business experience will flounder. Why is as important as what and
how.

Not only programmers, but I think every person in IT must have some business
knowledge to help the company succeed. IT has evolved out of its "ivory
tower" and is an integral component of many companies. An IT department that
doesn't know what the business is doing, or where it should be heading, is
doomed.

Loyd Goodbar
Senior programmer/analyst
BorgWarner
E/TS Water Valley
662-473-5713

-----Original Message-----
From: Raby, Steve (GE Advanced Materials, consultant)
[mailto:steve.raby@xxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 08:02
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Time to get serious

<snip>

Ok you will teach the old fogies (like me:-)) but why is it that so many
people seem to think that a programmer MUST have relevant business
experience? I do not think that it is necessarily the case.   

</snip>