Infrastructure - Enabler of a Higher Productivity (3)


By Hans Bool


“All roads lead to Rome,” is the saying. The same method -- of centralizing infrastructure -- was used centuries later when the British designed and developed the Argentinean railroad system; all the railroads lead to Buenos Aires to ship goods back to Britain. And even today in 2006 the same construction method is still visible, not in the rail road system, but in telephony; all the telephone lines lead to Telefonica (in Spain). When you are a subscriber of the competition it is not possible to move your number without canceling your subscription (for instance with Jazztel) and to address your request to the mother of telephony in Spain: Telefonica. You’ll automatically come back to them.

Normally infrastructure is not visible, but congestions, capacity problems, inconveniences or other problems will make that infrastructure becomes a primary business issue. And these infrastructural issues pop up when the budget assigned to it is too low. When dealing with national infrastructures the (budget) problem is often regulation. Functionally it should be possible to move a telephone subscription (the phone number) from one location to another disregarding the supplier of the infrastructure (Telefonica, Jazztel, Ya.com, Tele2, etc) but somewhere down the line this process is not made transparent. And the problems start with a simple functional request to keep your subscription when you are moving to another home. That is the job of infra: facilitating (such moves).

Similar issues occur in business. The central department (infrastructure or information technology) has facilitated a certain infrastructure over time. But the various decentralized business units are free to buy systems according to their needs. These decentralized systems have their own infrastructural requirements and these are often not in line with the one that is supplied centrally.

Where in the old days -- the Roman roads were designed that way to hinder provinces organizing resistance against the Empire.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_road). Today the business units (the independent provinces) are free to design their own roads.

Yet even if you do not want that all roads lead to Rome, make sure that the roads at least interconnect. If you choose to invest in a variety in infrastructural solutions, make sure that you reserve enough budget to connect these otherwise you will loose productivity in each individual unit.

Infrastructure could be an enabler of a higher productivity, when managed well, otherwise it will only cause a loss of productivity...


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