Or
Has IT even begun to matter in the business sector in Sri Lanka?
Is it because we focus on the technology, not the information management applications of IT?
Does the problem lie with IT educators who have not had exposure?
Does IT Matter?’’ was the topic of the LBR-LBO Chief Information Officer Forum yesterday (May 16, 2007). The basis for the title was an article published in the May 2003 edition of the Harvard Business Review by Nicholas G. Carr Titled IT (Information Technology) does not matter.
Nicholas Carr argues that IT has become just another commodity input to businesses and that IT can not give businesses that competitive edge.
[T]he evolution of information technology in business and show that it follows a pattern strikingly similar to that of earlier technologies like railroads and electric power. For a brief period, as they are being built into the infrastructure of commerce, these “infrastructural technologies,” as I call them, open opportunities for forward-looking companies to gain strong competitive advantages. But as their availability increases and their cost decreases – as they become ubiquitous – they become commodity inputs. From a strategic standpoint, they become invisible; they no longer matter.
The panelists at the Forum were all quite good and the moderator was exceptionally good but unfortunately the discussion really did not go anywhere. Looking back, I think the discussion was not fruitful because they were dealing with a moot point–IT has not even begun to matter in Sri Lanka.
I am going to stick my neck out and give a genesis of the problem as well
- IT is not a serious input to business processes in Sri Lanka.
- IT is not a not a serious input because most IT managers are clueless about information management, the real use of IT, and
- IT managers are clueless because they are taught by people who have not used IT for information management.
At this point I am simply making assertions based on personal experience. Two anecdotes in particular come to mind.
- An interviewee when asked whether she had done any programming in C+ said, no, she has not but she has taught the subject.
- A university graduate in business administration with several IT qualifications under his belt, when asked to do a particular analysis, thought a laboriously colorized arrangement of numbers on Excel was an analysis. This is not the first time I had to ask somebody wash the colors off and do some real analysis.
4 Comments
Rohan Samarajiva
A report ob the event: http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=1703978505&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=5
Milford
In October itself Facebook made a notable push towards HTML5 as it launched a new mobile
app that allows usedrs to play their mobile gams like Zynga’s Farm
– Ville Express, Wooga’s Magkc Land: Island, and Moblyng’s Social Pokier Live.
When a client confirms the appointment, the event appearrs in your
Google Calendar and you get an e-mail alert.
IPaads are also very user-friendly, and simple to handle.
Lachlan
Enter a nwme for your network, select ‘Open’ under Network Authentication. The augmented reality based travel aapp is Lonely – Planet
that serves thhe user the city guides and displays the user of the immediate surroundings.
All you have to do is to ensure that the game is compatible with your particular mobile phone.
meticore
what is meticore? Learn from meticore official website
Press Release #15: Delegating Education Decision-Making to Provinces is a Constitutional Mandate (In English/Sinhala/Tamil)
Delegating Education Decision Making to Provinces is a Constitutional MandateNot a Discretion for the Ministry of Education We are pleased to note that that the Ministry of Education has delegated policymaking during the fuel crisis to provincial authorities with decisions on keeping school opened delegated down to the school level with oversight by zonal authorities. Additionally, ministry has also announced delegating teacher deployment responsibilities to Provincial authorities with exceptions regarding national schools.
Private Sector Role in Enhancing K-12 Education in Sri Lanka
A free webinar “Private Sector Role in Enhancing K-12 Education in Sri Lanka” will be held by Sri Lanka Singapore Business Council (SLSBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce online via zoom from 2:30pm to 3:45pm on Wednesday 23rd March 2022. The panelists will include Dr.
Policy Dialogue #20: Education Post-Pandemic
වසංගතයෙන් පසු අධ්යාපනය | பிளேக்கிற்குப் பிறகு கல்வி A policy dialogue on “ Education Post-Pandemic”‘ was held by the Education Forum Sri Lanka (EFSL) on 26th March 2022, via Zoom. Watch the Policy Dialogue: Video PRESENTATIONS Transforming Education for All Post COVID-19 – Ms.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
12 Balcombe Place, Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2023 Sri Lanka Education Forum
Catalyzing Policy Reforms