July 20169 in-house environment. The reason - tech departments are unable to match the high pay and keep a high-skill workforce as engaged as the high tech firms. An added issue is the inability to provide consistent career progress in the organization. New work is typically outsourced to vendors; in fact most of the maintenance of newer systems is also done by external vendors esp. if the technology is really current.Role of In-house Technology in Reducing Complexity to Create Efficiency in WorkThe need to modernize and controlling costs are two sides of the same coin. One's access with good and senior skills is always limited. These two things have always been big challenges for the in-house technology team, but it is essential to learn to work overcoming them.The assumption is in-house IT knows the existing internal systems and processes much better than anyone else ­ which is mostly true. One of the activities it very easily and naturally does is that it identifies the areas of inefficiency and areas of productivity and improvement within the existing IT landscape. This makes it more relevant, because no one else other than the in-house IT team knows the existing systems which are under management. Undertaking these continuous improvement activities will automatically enhance their importance and credibility, and also make them effective partners. Unless they are working as a partner to the business and or they are deemed important enough to be included in every discussion, it is going to be extremely difficult for the in-house IT Team to stay relevant in the current age.What is encouraging is the trend to insource tech again to retain business know-how to mitigate the risk of too much outsourcing of the past decades.Building Credibility and TrustIt is extremely important to build credibility with and win trust from the stake holders one is supporting. All the other hindrances stem from that­ the lack of resources, lack of skill, poor requirements, scope creep, etc. If one is not seen as credible and trustworthy, anything one does will fail. Woofing the Hurdles For me, what has mostly worked in tough situations (in fact, any situation) is to be clear and straight forward inany communication with stakeholders, and also to set realistic and pragmatic expectations. The other approach that helps is seeking assistance and advice whenever needed. One should never hesitate to ask for help. We all are inevitably working in teams;and for teams to be effective, we must learn when to reach out for help. No issue should be allowed to fester and get aggravated­ communicate promptly and ask for help should be the motto.Defining an Ideal LeaderUndoubtedly, what makes an ideal leader is the ability to continuously develop leaders in his/her team. My principle in any new assignment I am given is to immediately identify a few likely replacements for my role and start grooming them. The idea - make myself redundant for that role. The benefit of this is two-fold ­ I create an opening for a deserving candidate in the team and also free myself up for the next challenging responsibility. The role of the in-house technology teams have become more of a program management role and also a vendor management role
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