| Excerpt from WWW.FullCost.COM, © 2020 N. Dean Meyer and Associates Inc.
BUDGET WISDOM
a series of all-too-realistic snippets of corporate life that trace their root cause to financial governance processes
Budget Wisdom explores (with a sense of humor) the myriad problems that trace back to weaknesses in financial governance processes.
By laughing at these familiar predicaments, we hope these stories will help you see the root causes of common leadership concerns, and positive solutions you can implement to address your own challenges.
"Dean, you're so on target, it's uncanny!
We think you must be snooping around here." |
Bill Paraska
Director, Technology Infrastructure
Georgia State University |
VOLUME ONE: EXPLORING THE PROBLEM
Story: Oh, One More Thing (March 2002)
Unfunded mandates -- the business absolutely needs more, but you haven't got the resources to deliver.
Story: The Necessary Evil (May 2002)
Too busy keeping things running to focus on strategic challenges.
Story: Eating Your Seed Corn (June 2002)
Unrealistic client expectations force you to sacrifice essential training and infrastructure development.
Story: Take It Out of Hide (Sep 2002)
Budgets have to be cut, but clients go on expecting all the same deliverables.
Story: On the Defensive (Oct 2002)
Direct costs are only a portion of the real costs of projects.
Story: The Annual Set-up (Jan 2003)
also available in a government version
How a traditional budget process sets organizations up to fail, with client expectations that exceed resources.
Story: The Ax is Falling (May 2003)
Budget cuts without negotiating reduced expectations set you up to fail across the board.
Story: Managing Expectations (Sep 2003)
More on how a traditional budget process leads clients to expect more than can be delivered.
Story: Client-driven Portfolio Management (Out On a Limb Alone) (Mar 2004)
You're expected to defend the budget that's really there to benefit your clients, and blamed when you don't get enough.
Story: Troubles With Teamwork (May 2004)
How traditional budget processes undermine cross-boundary teamwork.
Story: Operational Planning (Oct 2004)
Why operational planning, budgeting, and rate setting must be a single, integrated process.
Story: Start the Year Out Wrong (Jan 2005)
Budgeting is a form of portfolio management.
Story: Attempting Portfolio Management (Mar 2005)
Why a shift in the budget process is prerequisite to dynamic portfolio management.
Story: Another Cut (May 2005)
What staff need to do to arm the boss with data to defend the organization during budget cuts.
Story: The Outsourcing Shell Game (August 2005)
How to fairly compare internal IT staff to outsourcing, apples to apples.
Story: Begging for Infrastructure (November 2005)
If clients pay for infrastructure as part of they're projects, they'll think they own it.
Story: You Cost Too Much (January 2006)
Internal IT can appear too expensive if you're comparing apples to oranges.
Story: Chargebacks Are Killing Us (July 2006)
How implementing chargebacks can make things worse if you don't have the right tools and methods.
VOLUME TWO: POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
Story: No More Games! (October 2006)
How knowing the true cost of your products/services can change the nature of budget negotiations.
Story: Our IT Allocation is Too Small! (December 2006)
How to turn the tables and get clients defending a larger IT budget.
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