A number of IT alignment issues are related to the difficulties in hiring staff. Let's assume you're in "constant hiring" mode -- you continually get resumes, interview people, and decide on whether to hire various candidates. But are you asking questions that get you accurate answers about the candidates?

This Advisor will arrive right in the midst of Microsoft's introduction of Windows 2000 Professional. Microsoft's marketing machine will be going full tilt, and the media, which is always looking for an easy story, will be talking about it almost non-stop.

With the winding down of Y2000-related efforts, IT groups must finally face the development backlog that has grown over the past 18 months. But with stiff resistance to further increasing staff, we cannot build all -- or even most -- of the systems requested. So, which projects? What should we build first?

With the winding down of Y2000-related efforts, IT groups must finally face the development backlog that has grown over the past 18 months. But with stiff resistance to further increasing staff, we cannot build all -- or even most -- of the systems requested. So, which projects? What should we build first?

This Advisor will arrive right in the midst of Microsoft's introduction of Windows 2000 Professional.

This Advisor will arrive right in the midst of Microsoft's introduction of Windows 2000 Professional.

With the winding down of Y2000-related efforts, IT groups must finally face the development backlog that has grown over the past 18 months.

With the winding down of Y2000-related efforts, IT groups must finally face the development backlog that has grown over the past 18 months.

As we have explored in several issues of eAD, the two most pressing issues in information technology today are:

Most IT environments evolved under isolated scenarios where few systems were functionality integrated. Over time, piecemeal replacement efforts resulted in the massive proliferation of highly redundant and inconsistently defined data and system functionality. The introduction of new technology in the absence of a coherent integration strategy tended to escalate this problem.

Poorly integrated information architectures are destabilizing the business units that rely on them. Most IT environments evolved under isolated scenarios in which few systems were functionally integrated. Over the years, we have experienced a massive proliferation of redundant, inconsistent data and system functionality.