The Art of Lean Thinking: Influencing the IT Culture

Today, an IT department has many reasons for adopting "lean" practices; saving costs is only the most obvious. Other objectives are to reduce time to market, offer more competitive products and services, increase capacity, and simplify solutions. There are a myriad of ways to accomplish this: streamline project-planning practices, use opensource applications, opt for solutions that avoid bureaucratic approvals and delays, etc. Drawing on the experience of four IT vice presidents from diverse industries, this ExecBlueprint discusses "lean IT thinking" from multiple perspectives and provides guidance for how today's CTO/CIO can create a more cost- and time-efficient operation without sacrificing quality, employee morale, or IT's vital role in the organization. The authors claim that such a focus can, in fact, serve to improve IT's standing with the business and employees by creating innovative opportunities to earn recognition and profits. The key to engaging the business and IT team members? Stay aligned with overall business objectives while celebrating individual and team accomplishments.