BP and Toyota: 2010 Poster Children for IT Governance

My good friend Joe McKendrick, a blogger at ZDNet and eBizQ recently forwarded me an interesting article from the Associated Press.  The article, "Technology's disasters share long trail of hubris," looks at the BP oil spill disaster and also recounts a long line of massive disasters that may make you think twice about the reliability of technology as we continue to innovate.   

Some of the more recent issues, along with the exploding oil rig, include the technology behind space shuttle failures, levee failures and buckling bridges.

The article raises some questions that, in my opinion, never get tired.  Essentially, it begs the question of whether technology-related mistakes are a matter of arrogance or oversight?

Too often, management ignores warning signs and only responds after disaster hits.  This was the case with BP when they ignored some of the fundamentals of their profession and didn't address the rig's battery issues and loose hydraulic fittings.

While the BP oil spill is the largest in U.S. history, in my mind, it is up there with Toyota as this year's poster children for IT governance gone awry.  Too little, too late is what is being uttered in light of BP's relative success in capping the spill.   Same goes for Toyota, unfortunately.  

As we watch the news threads about BP and Toyota, our jaws drop at the staggering clean up costs in terms of repairing the actual damage as well as the brand image.  If we've learned anything this year, it's that a lack of sufficient IT governance will far exceed the costs of more strategic planning and preventative measures.

While CNN reports that oil has not spilled for four days, I don't believe any of us are quite ready to exhale when it comes to that situation.  While governance may not be the sexiest area of IT, it's one of the most necessary and relevant in today's market.