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Technology Rules
Last week the Ontario government announced a four-year $90-million
investment to revamp secondary schools with the latest in
high-tech equipment. In this effort to attract more students
to trade and tech-related industries, one can say with good reason
that this province is betting on technology.
Technology is always producing
with ideas that propel the economy. Not investing in technology
does not cut costs; as some like to think, instead, it holds
you back from leadership that will increase market share, revenue
generation, and profitability. If you want success, you need
growth and you need innovation only found in technology.
Now technology investors and
users recognize that due diligence must be handled in as rigorous
a fashion as possible. As new technologies become truly enterprise-critical,
all stakeholders have increasing expectations of the value added.
There is diminishing tolerance for problems introduced by, rather
than resolved by, the technology solution.
This time around, one can be
certain that Captains of Technology will guide us through our
dreams of incredible product, process, and services armed with
more tangible due diligence than intuition. Corporations and
investment houses derive an economic benefit from investments
in IT when they begin to recognize the usefulness of metrics
when conducting technology due diligence.
Though it is important initially
to follow your intuition concerning the viability of investing
in or developing technology, savvy "bottom line" decision-makers
look at the value metric (a hard number defining the level of
risk) when deciding whether it is go or no go.
Consider Using External
Resources
Here is a multiple-choice question posted on the ITAudit.org communication board.
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A particular audit
is being planned in the IT division. The director of internal
auditing determines that the available staff does not have the
requisite skills to perform the assignment. The best course of
action consistent with audit planning standards would be to: |
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a. |
Not perform the
audit, since the requisite skills are not available. |
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b. |
Use the audit
as a training opportunity and let the auditors learn as the audit
is performed. |
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c. |
Consider using
external resources to supplement the needed knowledge skills
and complete the assignment. |
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d. |
Perform the audit
but limit the scope in light of the skill deficiency. |
You Get What You Measure
Every audit is unique beginning with a blank piece of paper and
technology investigations are no exception. You get what you
measure so make sure that you take the right measurements. Framing
BetaWatch's' audits are the Quality Terms designated by the International
Organization for Standardization, document ISO 9126, the worldwide
standard for software product evaluation.
Quality terms are a mark of
a mature theory and expertise in a particular area. For example,
whiskey connoisseurs use quality terms. The quality terms
to describe whiskey are so well known even novices are somewhat
familiar with them. Even novices, for example, know that whiskey
characteristics are most significantly derived from wood. Maturation
in American white oak barrels formerly used to store bourbon
releases natural sweetness. Sherry casks, preferred by
some distilleries, lend rich colour and contribute a sherry flavour.
Each method leaves an individual fingerprint on the malt. Technology
is certainly mature enough to have quality descriptors. Ours
include functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency maintainability,
portability, and security.
Let us kick-start the economy by instigating innovation with
an injection of capital in technology and integration of new
applications. This will infuse growth. It is time to shake off
the haunts and the memories of too many histories and errors
of judgement. Technology investment and development based on
intuition contributes to sleepless nights. Demand value
metrics.
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