August 28, 2014 - Software quality specialist, SQS, has found that despite growing IT budgets over the past 12 months[1], the fear of downtime and a lack of resource is still holding many organisations back from embracing IT change. However, the risks of not doing so could be just as costly, with technology very much the driving force behind every successful business today.
During the World Congress for Software Quality event last month, SQS found that fear is clearly the biggest barrier to change for those working in IT departments. There is no doubting that IT can provide an organisation with a competitive edge - with a recent YouGov[2] survey finding that 95 per cent of UK SMEs see it as integral to the running of their business - but many are still struggling to keep up, with the sheer upheaval and perceived risk of technology change seen to outweigh the benefits. Resource and skill limitations are also a barrier to change with 60 per cent of technology leaders experiencing a skills shortage within their teams preventing their company keeping up with its competitors[3].
Businesses can take away the fear factor by ensuring the right approach is applied to every project and by minimising risk at each stage, rather than hoping for the best at go-live. An agile approach will help break the project down into manageable chunks, getting user buy-in and essential testing at each stage. Working with an external specialist will ensure the right resource and skill is available to make the project a success, with quality assurance at key milestones ensuring any problems can be addressed and tested throughout the project.
David Rigler, director of UK retail and manufacturing at SQS, comments: "Technology change will inevitably invoke fear, uncertainty and doubt within IT teams who are already struggling to maintain the status quo and manage the current volume of change, without even contemplating such a radical change. Putting quality assurance at the heart of any project will make the task less daunting by ensuring key delivery milestones are tested at each stage to deliver a successful project with no nasty surprises at go-live."
David, adds: "Fear is understandable but it is important not to let it take over. Unless an organisation embraces the need for a new approach to IT, the speed at which change is delivered will continue to be hampered by the high inertia parts of their IT estate."
