Having been in the "bizness" 20+ years myself, I concur with you in general.
Having spent most of that time as a contractor/consultant, I've probably
worked short & long term in close to 50 shops. I am usually able to spot
fairly quickly those companies that treat IS as a strategic asset vs. those
that treat IS as a necessary expense. Especially when a company is doing
well financially, and IS can't get the money to do some "necessary" things,
even as budgets are formulated.
I really don't think your analysis is a "new" problem, I think the asset vs.
expense viewpoint has been with us all along. It really depends on the
management view. Unfortunately (?), I have never experienced being on the
"ground floor" of a company to know exactly *how* IS is initially viewed, so
is it "set" when the company starts, or does it evolve as the company moves
forward? Probably a combination of both, but I think where IS stands when a
company starts functioning is a big factor. Weak IS managers may also cause
a decline in the status of IS in management's eyes.
This is a purely, mostly uneducated guess on my part, but in the 10-year
timeframe you mention, it seems to me that 10 years ago, give or take (muzzy
femory), we started seeing corporate America absolutely fixate on short-term
profits, and neglect the long-term. In this scenario, I believe, IS will
always get the short shrift.
I think the type of industry you are in dictates the view as well. Although
with most of my experience in manufacturing (definitely a mixed bag), I've
seen marketing and medical sectors having very strategic IS departments.
Hasn't the transportation industry really been struggling to remain/become
profitable these past several years?
Good topic. Thanks for bringing it up.
- Dan
