THE DIGITAL ORGANISATION by Larry Bossidy

Everything you want to know about the Digital Age but don't know what to ask - is here. Grab the opportunity!





ONCE upon a time, a very long time ago (in information technology terms)
in 1991 the new chief operating officer of AlliedSignal, Larry Bossidy,
had a vision. His mission was to push his organisation forward into the
Information Age and to give AlliedSignal the razor-edged advantage to
propel it to the forefront of the industry.
The task of preparing, introducing and implementing the entire
infrastructure came to rest on AlliedSignal's vice-president of computing
and network operations, James Best, the author of this book. Best
accomplished his mission like a real trooper. He succeeded in what his
boss Bossidy has assigned him to do. This is his story and The Digital
Organization is a written testimony of how IT can contribute immensely to
AlliedSignal's success.
Says Best, `A digital organisation does not happen by accident. If you
want information systems truly integrated with your people, process and
organisation, then you need a clear vision, a workable strategy, good
plans and determined execution.' If, even for a moment, you admit you know
nothing about computers, then perhaps you should stop right after reading
the back jacket of the book. This book takes no prisoners of ignorance. It
is not for those who grope blindly in the unfamiliar corridors of
gigabytes and local area networks.
It is essential that you have at least some rudimentary knowledge of
what computers are all about and how they serve to bring progress to those
companies on the verge of taking flight from the precipice of the new
technology. However, all is not lost on those who aspire to know better.
Best, very much to his credit, has not used any really big computer words
to befuddle the digital wannabe. His work is surprisingly comprehensible.
So please, do not rush through the book if you want to absorb the salient
points.
`Suddenly, your computers have become awfully ornery. Your old faithful
workhorses have grown stiff with age while new technology was blossoming
everywhere. Worse, your underlying technical infrastructure may be broken.
There's more bad news - your job description says you must fix it. You
know you need to shed this old stuff before you can invigorate your
organisation with new systems, but the task seems daunting. You don't have
enough time, money or able bodies.' This is the opening paragraph to
Best's chapter one on Stratagem for Turmoil. Perhaps the words ring a
bell. It may sound like a familiar tune constantly played by one of your
colleagues. It could even be uttered by you. Fear not, you have been
advised to embark on a good plan. That's the beginning. An excellent
strategy propels tactical schemes, conserves resources, pursues a clear
objective and offers the choice to be opportunistic.
Cutting to the chase, AlliedSignal's framework had three objectives: use
aggressive corporate technology initiatives, select the right technology
and effectively manage computer people. That's as clear a strategy as
could be presented. The Digital Organization takes the reader step by step
into cyberspace, the information superhighway and the World Wide Web. It
can be a scary ride for the novice but like a roller-coaster that never
kills, it thrills the eager-to-learn.
Best's book is very much like how a computer works. Everything is
extremely logical. Nothing is taken for granted. All aspects are accounted
for. Nothing is left to chance. It is, after all, a treatise on the role
computer technology has in creating a successful corporation.
There won't be much you do not understand when the writer urges you to
separate the wheat from the chaff. There are some quotable quotes such as
`most technology initiatives that fail succumb to organisational
resistance, not technology flaws' and `competitive advantage is hard.
Processing logic can be easily replicated, but collecting valuable data
and presenting it in new and unique ways is difficult. So pay attention to
the mundane task of event recording and include plans to make it as
effortless and accurate as possible'.
On the rapidity of technology, he says, `Revolutionary products come to
the market everyday. Hardware improves so fast, it plays havoc with our
depreciation schedules. New software surprises and delights us with
capabilities we never dreamed possible. Rapid obsolescence is an inherent
characteristic of computer technology.'
This book is not for those who want to read about the latest in computer
utility programs, or desire to discover the secrets of a complicated
software. It contains none of these. It is about the road which the man-
on-the-spot within the organisation needs to take when assigned the task
of leading the way into an integrated system for the good of the
organisation. It is a dead-serious book about technology and the
infrastructure which all modern corporations need and can only ignore at
their own peril.
AlliedSignal's lessons are educational, informative and to some extent,
entertaining. Good instructions on any subject need an attentive student.
If you are genuinely interested, read the book carefully, not once but
twice.