It is perhaps a surprising fact that a high proportion of organisations that invest in developing software actually spend at least twice as much as they need to. Software development may be a relatively new discipline, but it has been around long enough for sound practices to emerge. Unfortunately, software or anything involving techonology is still seen as a black art by many and there is often insufficient clarity or understanding to allow management to take control of this core activity.
Yet the majority of business functions depend on technology - there are few areas of activity that could operate at an adequate pace without the support of software systems and this dependency will continue to increase. It is vital for today's enterprise to understand the economics of systems development and acquisition if they are to remain competitive and be in control of their own destiny.
Potential benefits arising from improved efficiency are not confined to mere cost savings - reduced time to market, improved product quality and more effective pricing are just some of the direct business benefits that can often be achieved - but a good place to start is with an assessment of just how productive you are today and what scope you have to increase output or reduce costs. |
