Is There a Wall Between IT and the Rest of the Company? Part 1 of 2

In the first part of this two-part series on IT departments and the role they occupy within companies, this month I’ll take a look at the divide that often exists between IT and the rest of a company. I’ll examine some of the root causes for these conflicts.

Here’s the picture: A multichannel catalog company with sales of $20 million has an aging order management system that’s been in place for more than 20 years. While there are some things the users like about it, the company has basically outgrown the system. It needs far better marketing information, e-commerce site-to-business systems interfaces, forecasting and inventory management, and the ability to better deal with light manufacturing and tracking sets and kits, which are a major part of its business.