Why is it so difficult to bind technology to the business?
In September 2019, Gary Cockburn and I ran a workshop at the BA Conference Europe entitled “Why is it so difficult to bind technology to the business?” – I’m very happy to say it was a great success, so much so we created an accompanying eBook that you can download HERE.
Below is the synopsis…
Bind?
“In 2016, the National Audit Office rated a third of public sector projects (37 out of 106) due for delivery in the next five years as red or amber-red. The NAO progress report highlighted the difficulties in project delivery, reliance and the ability to achieve business benefits. With huge budgets committed and a variety of stakeholders awaiting delivery.”
Source: The National Audit Office
“Commercial organisations across the European Union lost 142 billion EUR on failed IT projects in 2004 alone. Mostly because of poor alignment with business objectives or business strategies becoming obsolete during delivery”
Source: The National Audit Office
This is roughly the cost of the International Space Station programme, including all flights, or almost twice the cost of the entire Apollo programme, which achieved six manned-landings on the moon!
These headlines and others like them prompted the question WHY? …why is it increasingly difficult to get the new technology (or process) you’ve spent your time and energy developing to be accepted by your colleagues in the business?
Particularly at a time when it feels like development of said technology solutions is becoming more straightforward!
To help us understand the problem, the workshop looked to get a Business Analysts view on why, identifying:
- Firstly, the problem(s) of binding technology to the business
- Followed by identifying some possible solutions and looking at how BAs can be drivers for change, influencing improved business readiness
The e-book is summary of that workshop session and its findings, and two previous smaller sessions, enabling BAs to use this insight to help make a difference within their own organisations.

