Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn't Make

By Jeanne W.Ross and Peter Weill

This article clearly outlines that there are decisions IT people shouldn't make. Being in IT I see the miscommunication between IT people and outside people. IT people tend to forget that not everyone is IT understanding. "What can I do? I don't understand IT well enough to manage it in detail. And my IT people although they work hard - don't seem to understand the very real business problems." This article shows that there is a place for IT people and a place for business executives.

Jeanne W.Ross and Peter Weill claim that successful companies are the ones whose business executives articulate a clear strategy for IT is six specific areas, they describe the six decisions that your IT people shouldn’t make. I agree that there are certain decisions that shouldn't be left up to the IT people. IT projects need a clear direction and limitations, if these are not enforced it can result in messy expensive systems that add no value to the company.

Summarizing this article, it is clear that there has been great conflict in decision making and who will take the blame if something goes wrong. The author is saying that IT executives "should make key decisions" and IT people "shouldn't make decisions". I think technological decisions should still be left to the IT people, but agree that decisions that affect the business structure should be taken by the business executives.

~ Luisa Zigliani