identify risks, consider contingencies, and The technology is only a part, and often a result in more successful innovation small part, of the story. Weve seen projects delayed or even halted due to unrealistic Risks of it innovation expectations about how quickly a project can be completed, about the human resource Expert observers of IT trends say organiza requirements, about how much collaboration tions waste time, money, and credibility on IT was necessary and how costly it can be, and because of a few fatal mistakes. They either about how much and how many kinds of new buy the wrong technology for the job, or they learning and training would be required to build buy the right technology but do not implement and use a new system it effectively. They allow technical experts to design systems without the substantive, Lack of organizational support and ongoing involvement of system users. They acceptance build systems that ignore the way people and Adoption of a new way of doing business or processes really work. They dont take into of a new technology is unlikely to succeed if account the other systems that are already in it does not have widespread organizational place. They start investing resources in an IT support and acceptance. Much has been solution before they really understand their ritten about the critical importance of to needs and options. They are ov confident that management support and this is surely D they will get it right and dont plan or budget for necessary. But, we've learned that success he inevitable post-implementation refinements depends on many other organizational factors that any system needs. They don't attend to as well. It also takes skilled and committed environmental realities such as workforce team members and support and acceptance limitations, election or business cycles, rapidly throughout the organization, especially among changing technologies, political processes, and the people who will use the new processes and competing priorities the new technology. Often this is the most important level of support, and often the most Clearly, IT innovation is risky business in difficult to achieve every organization. Repeatedly, organizations abandon IT projects because these initiatives Failure to evaluate and redesign business fail to accomplish the objectives they were processes intended to meet. In both the public and private IT management expert Michael Hammer sectors. a well-documented set of risks attends says systems may not meet performance IT innovation expectations because organizations"tend to use technology to mechanize old ways Unrealistic expectations of doing business. They leave the existing Organizational perceptions of new technology processes intact and use computers simply are critical to achieving success. Positive to speed them up expectations help lead to success, but too often overly optimistic expectations cause Meeting the needs of customers, employees, serious trouble All the people involved in an IT and decision makers means carefully studying initiative, from sponsors to users, need to have and evaluating business processes. In most realistic goals and must share a common organizations, new processes are added understanding of potential benefits, required needed, but old processes are rarely evaluated policy and process changes, and the financial to determine if they still make sense and organizational costs CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNMENT: MAKING SMART IT CHOICESCENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNMENT: MAKING SMART IT CHOICES 8 The technology is only a part, and often a small part, of the story. We’ve seen projects delayed or even halted due to unrealistic expectations about how quickly a project can be completed, about the human resource requirements, about how much collaboration was necessary and how costly it can be, and about how much and how many kinds of new learning and training would be required to build and use a new system. Lack of organizational support and acceptance Adoption of a new way of doing business or of a new technology is unlikely to succeed if it does not have widespread organizational support and acceptance. Much has been written about the critical importance of top management support and this is surely necessary. But, we’ve learned that success depends on many other organizational factors as well. It also takes skilled and committed team members and support and acceptance throughout the organization, especially among the people who will use the new processes and the new technology. Often this is the most important level of support, and often the most difficult to achieve. Failure to evaluate and redesign business processes IT management expert Michael Hammer says systems may not meet performance expectations because organizations “tend to use technology to mechanize old ways of doing business. They leave the existing processes intact and use computers simply to speed them up.” Meeting the needs of customers, employees, and decision makers means carefully studying and evaluating business processes. In most organizations, new processes are added as needed, but old processes are rarely evaluated to determine if they still make sense. identify risks, consider contingencies, and result in more successful innovation. Risks of IT innovation Expert observers of IT trends say organiza￾tions waste time, money, and credibility on IT because of a few fatal mistakes. They either buy the wrong technology for the job, or they buy the right technology but do not implement it effectively. They allow technical experts to design systems without the substantive, ongoing involvement of system users. They build systems that ignore the way people and processes really work. They don’t take into account the other systems that are already in place. They start investing resources in an IT solution before they really understand their needs and options. They are overconfident that they will get it right and don’t plan or budget for the inevitable post-implementation refinements that any system needs. They don’t attend to environmental realities such as workforce limitations, election or business cycles, rapidly changing technologies, political processes, and competing priorities. Clearly, IT innovation is risky business in every organization. Repeatedly, organizations abandon IT projects because these initiatives fail to accomplish the objectives they were intended to meet. In both the public and private sectors, a well-documented set of risks attends IT innovation. Unrealistic expectations Organizational perceptions of new technology are critical to achieving success. Positive expectations help lead to success, but too often overly optimistic expectations cause serious trouble. All the people involved in an IT initiative, from sponsors to users, need to have realistic goals and must share a common understanding of potential benefits, required policy and process changes, and the financial and organizational costs