Giving away the data processing store, or Does the data processing department as we know it today have a future?

• Authors: Lois Zells
• Venue: AFIPS '84 Proceedings of the July 9-12, 1984, national computer conference and exposition
• Year: 1984

Data processing's position in the organization, as we know it today, does not work! There is an ongoing communication gap between data processing groups and the rest of the world---the users. This never-ending adversity between users and data processing continues to reinforce polarization. The situation hampers productivity and drains important energy---energy that could be rechanneled and made to work for the organization. The first step in solving any difficulty is to establish ownership of the problem. In this case, we are faced with a clear case of sibling rivalry. Often, the only way to stop the squabbling is for the parent to assume the role as arbiter of peace and establish the ground rules for a harmonious family life. Because they are in antagonistic positions, users and data processing cannot solve problems themselves. It is executive management's responsibility to provide the framework for harmony and to continuously and visibly demonstrate the commitment to a new approach. Otherwise the whole process will just be another empty exercise in futility---better left untried. In our attempts to remold the organizational personality we may address 1. Long-range planning 2. Managing organizational expectations 3. Training issues 4. Public relations Then if management recognizes that we cannot continue as we are today, if management truly can envision a time in the future when the current trend will be reversed, and if management is willing to consciously choose to redirect the flow, harmony can and will be realized.