I came across this interesting post entitled “Welcome to 2009: does IT matter this year?” talking about the value of IT investments.  I posted a comment at the site, but wanted to include it here as well.

### My Comment ###

I think your points are right on the mark.  I’ve been involved in various aspects of the software industry for over 20 years.  One thing remains a constant – two companies can purchase the exact same software tool to support their business – and get radically different results.

Investments in IT can absolutely have a huge positive impact on a business in terms of productivity, customer service, cost savings, etc.  However, it’s never just about the IT investment.  To fully realize the value from these investments, companies have to have smart people, the right leadership and great processes (to name a few things).

I was just talking to someone today that relayed a story consistent with this.  He previously worked for a company that sold a solution to a manufacturer – a solution that had delivered value elsewhere.  But at this particular company, they never really got it deployed and then they had turnover amongst the people that had championed the purchase of this solution.  When the new leaders came in, the problems were still there, so they set out to find a solution.

I’ve seen this cycle replay itself repeatedly over the years.  Many (but not all) IT capabilities have become commodities and, thus, deliver no unique value to a company if everyone else has it.  However, the ability to truly leverage these tools to realize the inherent value they can deliver is not a commodity.  This is what can make technology a difference from one company to the next.

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Tags: Customer service
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