And the winner is....Complexity!

Apologize for error? On an ERP, EHR or CRM or other gigantic IT project? Don't hold your breath!

Rather than give my former employers (both PW & C) a good-natured ribbing for last night at the Oscar's, I see this an opportunity to remind you of a basic truth of large projects:

Complexity promotes error.

Errors are made even when processes are simple. Complexity, especially when unneeded, provides a breeding ground for exponential error growth and impact. When big consulting firms are paid by the hour on gigantic IT projects, that compensation scheme encourages both complexity and error.

Here is what the client experiences...Excerpted from my book, Escaping Delete -- A CEO in the Black Hole

What happens when blueprints are wrong, tools don’t work, or human energy is misapplied? Risk becomes an unintended feature of what was built. On a technology project, unlike one that produces a building, a bridge, or an airplane, true progress toward completion is more difficult to gauge. Nor can we know what pressures will result in shortcuts taken or safeguards avoided in order to meet a deadline. IT often fails because of the complexity of the human interactions surrounding its design, implementation, and use.

Doing technology right is achievable, but the challenge is paradoxical. It requires balancing a myopic perspective of what is being sought with a holistic understanding of how the technology will impact its intertwined neighbors. Benefits must transcend complexity. The learned seeker will find that clarity is essential, while the expert techno-chef is on a never-ending journey to simplify.

In other words, keep it simple to raise the chances of a successful outcome!