I had a debate recently with a few IT academics around the role of IT in today's world, specifically around conducting research not specifically IT-based, but with the assumption that an inevitable IT relationship would present itself as the study progressed. This led to a further debate of is IT merely a support function in any organization? If so, like any other support function, in times of economic hardship, can we cut back on IT costs to redirect funds to our primary functions?
Not that simple if you think about it. No access to emails, website not available, unable to process orders, payroll or purchases. The damage to your company image and financials may be irrevocable. So where does IT stand in our world today?
I'd like to use an analogy of the number system to put forward my view on this topic. I see the role of IT likened to the role of the number zero, and every other aspect of life represented by the numbers one to nine. You see, the number zero has no value in itself, much like IT. Any task, from gaming to communication to selling yogurt, is still possible without IT. But put it behind any other number, and the value of that number goes up tenfold, and the more you add the more valuable that number becomes. Let's use an example. Assume the number seven represents your business without any technology playing a part. If we add the first zero, being an email address, suddenly your business is able to communicate globally with minimal cost and to customers that were otherwise out of your reach. Let's add the next zero of your company website, and again, the value of your company jumps a further ten times as it is now accessible to potential customers looking for your services. The next zero would be your admin system as your company grows to manage sales and people. Add another zero for a data management and analytics system and you are now able to understand sales patterns, trends, and your customers buying preferences.
So the list continues, adding zeros for workflow, planning, video conferencing the possibilities are limitless. But it all started with that single, seemingly worthless zero. With the rate at which technology is now advancing, it's hard to imagine where we will be in ten years time. But all we know for sure is that IT will play a larger and larger role in our lives, and though it is only a supporting role, it's a role we can no longer afford to live without.
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