Laziness is the Father of Invention
Welcome to my new blog!
In my inaugural posting, I was pondering a fitting title to introduce the theme of IT Service Management (ITSM), when it hit me. This title is a favorite quote I use, with apologies to Plato, who is widely credited with the “Necessity is the mother of invention” quote. It captures the essence of automation, which is one of the main philosophical and intellectual concentrations of this blog. Of course, I focus the subject of automation in IT Operations (i.e., IT Service Management).
I use this as a tongue-in-cheek metaphor to compel people to think differently about IT automation, however there is a lot of truth to this statement. If necessity is the mother, then laziness is the father! I contend that most inventions are borne of laziness, not necessity, and just about any automation development certainly falls into the “laziness” genetic chain.
Think about any innovation. Did we REALLY need the automobile? Not really, but it sure makes travel a lot more convenient than the horse and buggy it replaced. Did we REALLY need the farm tractor? Not really, but it definitely changed the landscape of agriculture and our ability to feed our rapidly-growing population. Did we REALLY need a remote control for our televisions? We won’t go into that one, although I claim my father had one for his TV in the 1960s. Actually he had several; me and my siblings … and we were “wireless” remotes too!
So, where am I going with this drivel?
In the field of ITSM, people tend to focus on the process side of the discussion (e.g., ITIL). This is great, as we sure need more process discipline in our profession, but I think the focus is sometimes too heavily biased toward pure process, especially in the minds of the process purists. There is another side to the ITSM coin that must receive equal attention, if not a bit more. It’s the technology side – not technology like routers, servers, and storage arrays, but management technology.
Management technology is integral to any ITSM initiative. Together with the processes, they form the yin and yang of true ITSM discipline. You cannot succeed in ITSM if you attempt either one without the other. I know because I’ve seen hundreds of examples where the singular focus has failed or where the correct mix of the two has succeeded. There are countless testimonials available where ITIL has succeeded. In every one of them, they leveraged management technology wisely to accelerate the execution of the processes and to enforce the discipline defined in the processes.
Automation is often seen as merely the technology side of the coin, but optimized automation, that which truly offers value, requires that this technology be properly applied. Eli Whitney didn’t invent the cotton gin just because he thought it was a cool idea, he had a purpose in mind and the resulting automation was optimized for that specific task.
The mere mention of the word “automation” sometimes invokes fear and apprehension, but this need not be. Automation is a natural progression of work. As we get better at our work, it becomes mundane, so our laziness instincts kick in and we automate those mundane tasks. Then we move on to something more complex and important. Eventually that gets automated and the cycle continues.
Economists would argue with me that this progression is not fueled by laziness, but by a need for productivity growth. I believe the two are inextricably linked, since the goals are identical and they share the same basic characteristic – to do more with less effort.
As I continue to pontificate on subjects in the realm of IT Service Management, I will return repeatedly to this topic of automation. This is where the real action will be in our field. Process refinement is wonderful and management technology will evolve rapidly with all sorts of exciting developments. Here again, however, automation is more than either process or technology. It is this perfect marriage of the two. The truly magnificent progress will come where the two feed upon one another in a feedback loop, where each becomes stronger because the other is aligned and leveraged so well. IT operational excellence is the result.
Those who can attain such excellence will not only transform their IT organization, they will transform their enterprise to a point there they can revolutionize their very industries. Welcome aboard for an exhilarating ride!
– Glenn –