Cloud Computing Could Be the Ticket for Project Managers and Analysts
There is an old techie-oriented joke that computers were originally created due to a conspiracy by paper mills to sell more paper. Carrying this joke forward to today’s information technology megatrends, it appears to me that cloud computing was invented by project managers looking to make a difference and business analysts who "understand the big picture" as a way to greatly enhance the demand for their skills and services.
In the old days before cloud computing, the majority of companies either built their own software or purchased packaged software and then modified it to meet their needs. During those ancient times, the job ratio in IT groups was about ten programmers to one project manager (PM) and one business analyst (BA). In today’s world, however, this ratio has dramatically changed in favor of the PMs and BAs.
The reason for this shift in needed IT skills is fourfold. First, due to the wide variety and flexibility of cloud-based applications in virtually every product or software segment (e.g., top cloud-based CRM systems or cloud-based ERP systems), organizations can generally find an application that closely meets their business needs.
Second, many companies have learned that it is far less expensive to modify their process to match the software’s functionality than to modify the software to match existing business process.
Third, the implementation of a ready-to-use or ready-to-configure software product doesn’t require software developers as part of the implementation.
And fourth, the minimal amount of technical expertise needed to implement cloud-based software has allowed IT groups to expand their application coverage in support of their user base without dramatically increasing IT headcount.
All four of these scenarios require business analyst skills to define the requirements, select the appropriate cloud-based vendor, and assist in the software’s implementation. For project managers, their staff size per project is reduced, which gives them the bandwidth to simultaneously run multiple projects or lead a high number of projects in a given year because of their reduced implementation time frame.
My goal here is not to suggest the demise of the software development profession. To the contrary, the job market has shown that in any reasonable level of economic conditions, the demand for software developers exceeds the supply.
If you are or would like to be a business analyst or project manager, take note that a deep understanding of cloud computing can greatly enhance your professional marketability.
