I think there is no more need to talk about details of a bi-modal, two- or better multi-speed-IT environment. Thanks to Gartner's model modern IT organizations started thinking about how to transform IT organizations into tech-companies.

Nevertheless real life examples show that it is worth a thought to skip the multi-speed world and directly transform into a fully agile and product-oriented organization.

Reason 1: Nobody wants to be part of "team legacy"

When I started to build my first bi-modal IT I was super convinced that this could be the riot to kick-off the tech revolution in our company. Busy with hiring tech talents, designing cutting edge architectures and building MVP use cases, we just surfed on the "How Silicon Valley Would Do It"- wave never tired to mention that the future has to be fast - and fast would solve all problems, really :). Backed by top management this strategy surprisingly worked out quite successfully. Intoxicated by this success we pivoted the first software products to market and did not hear what happened in the legacy world.

What we did not see was a fast growing lobby of colleagues who just did not want to be part of the "slow ones". As a result they started an initiative and argued why they just cannot work like the crazy dudes and calculated the negative business impact that a fail-fast-development would have on the core business.

In the end we just build another silo in a corporate world.

Reason 2: Multi-speed IT is just a quick fix but does not help you to build a tech USP

If you build a multi speed IT because your legacy is too inflexible or too slow, this is just a decision against a situation. Didn't we learn from tech-companies out there that building unique technology is about solving a real problem and a USP is just a nice side effect?

Lesson learned: If you don't have a clear vision about what your super speed IT is obliged to be, don't waste money - it will fail.

Reason 3: A lack of customer centric thinking cannot be overcome by a faster IT

Imagine you just build the super cool "Silicon Valley would be proud of"- high- speed- IT and nobody from business has a clue what that means. Without clear business cases and a clear technology coaching your best IT will not improve any customer experience. So don't fall in love with your super IT and refuse to open up to business. Step up and coach your business guys about the cool shit your technology can do for them.

Bottom line:

Multi-speed IT can be a quite nice start to join the tech company playground. Considering the details and obstacles you face when you introduce a multi-speed IT, it might be a better choice to transform to a fully agile and product-/customer-oriented organization where business and IT are not separated any more.

What do you think?

stay splendid

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