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Why Can't Non-Tech Companies Do Tech Well?

posted by LaminatorX on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:30AM   
from the you-must-be-new-here dept.

Walzmyn writes:

"The company I work for is not a tech company. We are, however, a multi-national, multi-billion dollar company that claims to be the largest of our kind in three industries (and second largest in a 4th). And yet, our company network sucks. There is a mishmash of Citrix and SAP, multiple web-portals, and none of them work with each other. The several thousand non-technical people that work for this company are routinely asked to interface with this system and end up spending time with the helpdesk or with a supervisor looking over the shoulder for something that was supposed to be private.

I've heard of similar situations with other companies, so I wanted to ask the folks that live and breathe the tech sector this: Why can't a company this size get something so fundamental done right? Why can't they at least hire a third party to do it right for them?"

• Because it worksBecause it works (Score: 4, Insightful) by ArmoredDragon on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:41AM

  by ArmoredDragon (1132) on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:41AM (#3089)

  It sounds like the company you work for is huge. That said, they probably won't go around changing it unless there's a particular business need. "I don't quite like it" isn't good enough, it has to be an actual measurable hindrance on business operations. Changing things like this is expensive and difficult, and can even slow down the business while the transition is happening.

  If you believe it is a hindrance, and you can prove that making a change to it will allow the company be in a better competitive position as a result of changing it, then go ahead and write up a report as such and submit it to a senior manager or executive, be sure to include ample proof and an executive summary for those who aren't tech literate (most aren't, and they don't necessarily have to be in order to do their job.)

  If you get approved, go create an RFP and submit it to every consultant you know of and see if they can propose something much better, and get a project started on transitioning to it.

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• Re:Because it works(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Thursday February 20 2014, @11:02AM

  by c0lo (156) on Thursday February 20 2014, @11:02AM (#3336) Journal

  If you believe it is a hindrance, and you can prove that making a change to it will allow the company be in a better competitive position as a result of changing it, then go ahead and write up a report ...

  Oh, what's the point, it's too late already, will never happen... Proof in 3 steps:

  1. leader in 3 industries and the second in the 4th : "we don't have significant competition, no need to be more competitive"
  2. "We are loosing ground in some direction? We shouldn't have been so diversified, need to re-focus on core strengths. Sell, de-merge... whatever it works, need to show some positive results to the shareholders"
  3. "Oh, we aren't leader any more? Let's cut some fat - where's that list of cost centers?"

  --
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

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