I have had a long career in business and IT. In college I had a choice between computer science and information technology. The chief difference was one was business degree and the other was more of a branch of the math department. I majored in Information System and Operation Management with a concentration in Management Information Systems. It proved to be the right choice. With the general business background that went with the major I had a good understanding of finance, accounting, management, legal, and business communications. The computer aspects were changing so much that at the time I was actually teaching parts because I had more experience in relational databases then the teachers as I was working for Northern Telecom at the time.
Technology changes at a rapid pace and you basically had to relearn how to do something in a new programming language every two years. Business was business and that didn’t change. Even when the dot-com age came and everyone said, “It’s the new economy!” As the dot-com bubble popped people still realized you need a business plan and cash-flow to make a business succeed.
I have been writing business plans and operational plans since 1994 when I started my first company. I have been with many start-ups that have killed themselves because they did not plan for the future or even not plan it at all. By understanding business planning and execution I often interface between the management and IT side of the house and translate those business needs to technical needs. As a consultant in many firms I have seen businesses say what they want and then get sticker shock when the price tag comes back. My ability to understand both sides of the house has helped business get what they need without breaking the bank or missing the target implementation date that is tied into a product launch or marketing campaign.
I practice agile development which provides business value quickly and incrementally from software initiatives. By providing usable production code often, the business can control when software is ready for general production use. Likewise, having meaningful metrics from the software initiative and team allows the business to make better decisions about return on investment and managing personnel.
