The Forgotten IT Projects
January 20, 2025
Blog Post
January 20, 2025
Blog Post
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Article by Jaques Barnard
Business Development Manager at Cleverbit Software
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Be honest - where, on the list of IT deliverables, is your project, and how long has it been there? My guess is that in many cases you would answer, “I know it’s there, but it never gets the attention it deserves.”
The truth is, there is only so much capacity for IT projects in organisations, and, typically, there is a tug of war between business units to get the biggest piece of the pie. The department with the business-critical project makes it to the top of the list, leaving the others to take a number and wait.
We are currently going through a digital revival wave, and most IT projects are deemed critical to ensure business continuity. Often, this is because of ageing software solutions that must be updated, a need to reduce costs by adopting cloud solutions or, for some, it has finally become time to digitise manual processes as the pressure for growth cannot be sustained through manual interventions. These projects require huge amounts of time and budget, which means that the IT departments in most corporate environments become fully focused and consumed in delivering business-critical projects. This leaves them with limited to no time for innovation, or for addressing other business needs.
Although the focus of these big projects is usually on automation, digitisation, and driving efficiencies into the business, they naturally cannot cater to every scenario, which often leaves the workflow requirements of employees unaddressed. It is important to reflect on the real impact these projects have on day-to-day operations. Do they create silos? Do they meet the true needs of team members? And would they require business process adaptation to fit the mould? If these questions are not considered, the fallout can result in employees misusing the tools they are given, as they need to “make it work” for them.
This brings me to why I decided to write this article and name it ‘The Forgotten IT Projects’. These, to me, are the real people-driven projects and process changers that never make it onto the strategic lists.
Through my years of conversations with prominent clients in the market, I find they tend to tick all the boxes with state-of-the-art CRM and ERP solutions, but employees must still adapt and “make it work” for them. I am referring to daily challenges like collating data, managing spreadsheets, and executing mundane processes repeatedly. When you calculate all the hours spent on this “adjustment”, suddenly it becomes apparent that this is also a business-critical problem which, once addressed, will increase productivity, creativity, reduce waste and really drive the ROI of big projects.
It is important to note that although some of these challenges share a common theme, there is no single solution to overcome them; hence they always seem to appear in isolation and are deemed not critical. It requires a detailed understanding of the problem and a cost-effective, innovative approach to address them. In many cases, creativity and innovation are the critical ingredients for designing optimal technical solutions to these business challenges. It takes time, R&D, and a “let’s try and test it” approach. Unfortunately, this is a luxury that operational IT teams often don’t have, which results in these unique business challenges staying at the bottom of the to-do list, thus increasing the cost of not innovating.
In my experience, this is where outsourcing really shines. When you add an innovation team to the mix that is at the forefront of the latest technology trends and has the capacity to support your existing teams, every project gets the attention it deserves. When approached correctly, these teams can bring in the creativity and resources your existing IT environment needs, working non-invasively in partnership with the team, with the aim to seamlessly integrate the results into the existing infrastructure. Delivery is accelerated, with innovative solutions allowing the business to grow to the next level without losing focus on keeping the lights on. Projects can also be approached at a pace the business can afford, with a clear and measurable return on investment. IT budgets should not solely focus on the big-ticket deliverables but should also cater for innovation spend, allowing enough time to think outside the box, use the latest technology, and empower the real process changers.
Through the years I’ve worked closely with many of our clients, guiding them through the best approach to implement these changes and assisting them in getting the most out of their innovation budget with incredible results. Of course, with the backing of a team that just loves technology.
As we close off the first month of the new year, this my reminder to not let your drawer of forgotten projects jeopardise your business’ future!
Headquartered in Europe, Cleverbit Software is a prominent custom software development company, employing over 70 skilled professionals across the EU, UK and US. Specialising in custom software for business efficiency, we work with a diverse international clientele in various industries including banking and insurance, SaaS, and healthcare. Our commitment to solving problems and delivering solutions that work makes us a trusted partner with our clients.
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