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Letting Go
More often, corporations are allowing outsiders a chance to fill the technology gap in projects that are clearly beneficial but are beyond the constraints of overworked internal IT staff. We're not just talking about consultants here; a new breed of software as service providers is emerging to tackle specialty needs and fully host beneficial solutions that the enterprise doesn't have the time or skills to cover. Just as important, these third parties free up internal resources so they can focus on the things that truly set a company apart from its competitors. In our cover story, Justin Crotty at distribution giant Ingram Micro explains how his company is using resources internal and external to improve performance in the all important reseller channel. Understanding the benefits of this strategy is a step in relinquishing internal control of everything IT, its attendant delays and inefficiencies. It's not always easy to do, but numbers talk and service providers have come a long way in terms of accountability and efficiency since the dotcom bust.A more internal focus is the subject of our second feature on Trinity Health, an amalgamation of 30 hospitals that is creating a common repository for health records, physician order entry, adverse drug alerts and supply chain efficiency via a project called Genesis. Anyone working in a health care environment will appreciate the efficiency (and research) benefits of a centralized set of records that is sliced and diced for medical and administrative specialties. The results of this ongoing saga are already borne out in better patient safeguards and overall care. It's a good mobility story too.
Phil Marquis and Ozlem Kinav at Ameriprise Financial know their analytics, and have taken the time to provide a framework for developing a predictive analytic program to fit your own company. This article isn't so much for the marketer as it is for the enabler, though both sides will get a better understanding in terms of gathering requirements and executing in the proper sequence.
Marketers will definitely appreciate the guidelines on data excellence from new contributors Barbara Lewis and Dan Otto of MarQuant Analytics. If business wants to take some ownership, it's a good article and checklist to have pinned on the wall. Neil Raden returns with a column on the difference between ease of use and usefulness when it comes to building applications for end users. It's a subject after my own heart having watched my nieces and nephews interact with technology. (This is one area where change is coming faster than we think.) Mark Smith of Ventana Research takes a risk approach to his column on the omnipresent proliferation and abuse of spreadsheets. In the end, IT and compliance may hate spreadsheets but things won't change until a better solution is offered. Look for more articles on executive strategy and data visualization in our online exclusives, and have a safe, happy holiday with your loved ones.
Jim Ericson is editorial director of DM Review, a SourceMedia publication. You can reach him at Jim.Ericson@sourcemedia.com.
