Reader mail.

HACKETT Group Inc. HCKT

This article presents readers's mails included in July 5, 2004 issue of the periodical "eWeek." One of the mail comments on the columns by Stan Gibson and Peter Coffee on outsourcing. Stupid management often bases decisions on a single data point, such as costs. No doubt, some already are cutting costs and expecting higher value because the Hackett Group study cited by Gibson found that companies getting more value from IT actually pay less for it. Of course, it's not simple cause and effect. Rather, effective practices that are well-executed produce the higher value while costing less. In my experience, learning how to discover real business requirements well is the single most important practice. Without it, even the best, project management office or product manager still has limited effect; with it, even less proficient managers have the basis for value that can be managed and delivered. Another mail dwells on guest columnists Ben Rothke's arguments which according to the mailer do not sound fair to as many businesses have implemented monitoring and archiving based on legal rationales.