Comments on: IT lacked the prowess to perceive or advise on the unfolding crisis. http://blogs.gartner.com/michael_maoz/2009/07/01/it-lacked-the-prowess-to-perceive-or-advise-on-the-unfolding-crisis/ A member of the Gartner Blog Network Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:10:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Phil Lembo http://blogs.gartner.com/michael_maoz/2009/07/01/it-lacked-the-prowess-to-perceive-or-advise-on-the-unfolding-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-292 Phil Lembo Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:31:12 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/michael_maoz/?p=211#comment-292 Blaming IT for this mess is absurd. It was intellectual dishonesty and laziness, encouraged by blind ambition and greed, by decision makers that resulted in the current economic crisis -- and that continues to perpectuate it. The "investments" in IT capabilities you mention were used, as technology often is, to provide cover for that behavior. Could it have been done better (or differently)? Sure it could, but not without a demand from the decision makers, the "customer". Of course we won't go into the conisiderable degree to which much of the technology peddled by vendors and consultancies was not much more than smoke and mirrors (the infamous "bunch of guys in the back room crunching the numbers" on risk associated with derivatives, for example). That would exceed the character limit available here. Blaming IT for this mess is absurd. It was intellectual dishonesty and laziness, encouraged by blind ambition and greed, by decision makers that resulted in the current economic crisis — and that continues to perpectuate it. The “investments” in IT capabilities you mention were used, as technology often is, to provide cover for that behavior. Could it have been done better (or differently)? Sure it could, but not without a demand from the decision makers, the “customer”. Of course we won’t go into the conisiderable degree to which much of the technology peddled by vendors and consultancies was not much more than smoke and mirrors (the infamous “bunch of guys in the back room crunching the numbers” on risk associated with derivatives, for example). That would exceed the character limit available here.

]]> By: Kate McNeel http://blogs.gartner.com/michael_maoz/2009/07/01/it-lacked-the-prowess-to-perceive-or-advise-on-the-unfolding-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-290 Kate McNeel Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:07:57 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/michael_maoz/?p=211#comment-290 Michael, It could be that the tools gave us the answer - but we ignored it or decided to change the question. I had to quit volunteering at an organization when the board chair said in response to one of my questions about the budget "when the numbers look this good, who asks questions?!?" Seems to be a common notion.... Kate Michael,

It could be that the tools gave us the answer – but we ignored it or decided to change the question. I had to quit volunteering at an organization when the board chair said in response to one of my questions about the budget “when the numbers look this good, who asks questions?!?” Seems to be a common notion….

Kate

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