The ICT Malaise A Diagnosis and Cure for the Dysfunctional Information and Communication Technologies Service-Delivery Workflow

"A valuable, practical guide for navigating through ICT turbulence and dynamics. A lighthouse for the human side of ICT."

Erik van de Loo, Director Executive Masters in Change, INSEAD Professor of Organisational Behaviour, INSEAD Business School

"The ICT Malaise is a different and thorough point of view on the dysfunctional approach the world has taken to information and technology. In an era of exponential changes where humans are rendered obsolete at the same pace of technology, it is fundamental to go back to basics on why we lead and innovate in the first place."

Silvio Rugolo, VP, Global Sales, BMC Software, Digital Service Operations

We hurtle ahead with technology, apps, and the newest innovation in a world that already demands a constant online presence and availability. You are included if you quickly adapt the newest technology and excluded if you wait too long.

Information and communication technology (ICT) service providers, suppliers, and customers all try to make sense and make the most money out of technology developments and constant innovation with the help of frameworks, methodologies, best-practice approaches, and models. They continuously improve, align, integrate, and optimize, but unfortunately do not apply the same drive to safeguarding quality.

This book leads the reader along a path of critical thinking, reflecting, and contemplating while offering alternative ways for service providers, customers, and suppliers to interact with each other. In addition, it encourages them to conduct their business in such a way that customers, service providers, and suppliers achieve satisfaction. The author implies a different mindset, a new way of interacting and a surprising approach to the many frameworks, models, and methodologies being introduced ceaselessly.

While reading this book, IT professionals receive practical guidelines for using these newfound methodologies and models to help build and maintain healthy business relations while ensuring quality delivery of products and services. Readers will be surprised by how much more satisfying and less stressful their work environment becomes!

Contents

Preface ....................................................................................................xi

Acknowledgments ..............................................................................xvii

Author ..................................................................................................xix

Endorsement ........................................................................................xxi

Chapter 1 The Sorry State of Affairs .................................................. 3

Information Makes the World Go around ................................3

Methodologies, Models and Frameworks Galore ..................33

The ICT Bermuda Triangle: Service Providers,

Customers and Suppliers ...........................................................45

Chapter 2 The Hallelujah Anglo Saxon Capitalist Model .............. 61

Money, Money, Money … but We Do It for the Customer! ......61

Winners & Losers, Us & Them ................................................ 80

Not Humans, but Human Resources, Stupid! ........................89

Doing the Right Thing, Right, the First Time ....................... 99

Moral Split .................................................................................104

Chapter 3 The Fear Factor .............................................................. 115

Dancing to the Tune of the Pied Piper ..................................115

Professionals versus Zombies ..................................................125

Moral Burnout and Ethical Obsolescence ............................132

Chapter 4 The Way Forward ........................................................... 145

Imagine, a Value-Based Economic Business Model ............145

Psychological Waste .................................................................164

What to Do with all These Frameworks and Models ..........170

Responsibility and Accountability … Oh Dear ....................180

Chapter 5 Conclusion ...................................................................... 187

Bibliography......................................................................................... 191

Index..................................................................................................... 197

Nadine Fruin is an independent ICT consultant and trainer and works

internationally as owner of Fruin Consultancy & Training, based in

the Netherlands. She holds a Master degree in Organizational Change

Management from the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. She was Master

Trainer Lean IT for ITpreneurs in 2016 and 2017, giving numerous sessions

on behalf of the Lean IT Association in English and Spanish for professionals

worldwide.

She is the creator of the Galileo Service Management Framework, developed

in 2016–2017 for Spaceopal GmbH, which successfully secured the

bid to be the Galileo Service Operator with the European GNSS Agency

as customer. She is a consultant and trainer for Shipley Associates, a company

with international presence which helps and enables companies

worldwide with the preparation of complex bids with training, coaching

or taking over parts of the tender preparation.

Over the past 20 years she has fulfilled a variety of roles such as process

and service manager, trainer, coach, organizational change manager

and business developer in multiple organizations worldwide, covering all

types of private and public institutions on the service provider, supplier

and customer side of business.