What is Bimodal IT

Modern application development projects look significantly different from traditional application development. Therefore, a bimodal IT strategy helps categorise applications based on their value to the business, thus determining the right resources (or mode) for development and fast-tracking strategic business innovation projects.

• Mode 1 (The Slow Lane): Development projects related to core system maintenance, stability or efficiency. These require highly specialised programmers and traditional, slow moving development cycles. There is little need for business involvement.
• Mode 2 (The Fast lane): Development projects that help innovate or differentiate the business. These require a high degree of business involvement, fast turnaround, and frequent update. Mode 2 requires a rapid path (or IT ‘fast lane’) to transform business ideas into applications.

By separating these two modes, IT teams can ensure that they have the right people, process, and technology to support business initiatives without impacting long-term maintenance projects.

Events Driving Bimodal IT

So what are the advantages to running two very different tracks of IT, moreover, what are the advantages of adding Mode 2 to your IT development life cycles:

• ​Velocity: With one part of IT focused solely on delivering solutions quickly, the business as a whole can move faster. Rather than spending their time keeping the business technology running, part of the IT department can focus on meeting the business user’s needs as they arise.
• Reduce Blind spots  (Shadow IT): Bimodal IT helps reduce the use of unauthorised applications and software within the systems as business users’ get the solutions quickly. There is no longer a need to bypass IT.
• Acceleration (Innovation): It’s much easier to drive the business forward when not being held back by legacy systems. With Mode 2 solely focused on maximum speed and innovation, the IT department can truly drive technology forward.
• Make a U-Turn When Possible (Flexibility): Disruption is a growing trend across all industries these days. New businesses step into a stagnant industry and shake things up on a regular basis. Too slow to change, many businesses just can’t keep up with their new, agile rivals. However, with Mode 2 focused on technology innovation, your business is in a far better position to adapt.

Life in the Fast Lane can Take its Toll

Bimodal IT sounds like a great concept. You get to keep the lights on and innovate all at the same time. But, what are the potential pitfalls?

• Lost Communication: When you create two separate teams, with two separate destinations, communication between both teams often suffers. When this happens, you create a disjointed IT department, not working towards a common achievement. To be successful, both sides must collaborate with each other and keep the lines of communication open.
• Resistance to Change: Any time a business tries to change the way they have operated for years, you’ll find some employees who want no part of it. Proper education on the purpose and benefits of the change is essential if you want to avoid massive push back.
• Missing your Turn (Confusion): While “innovation” sounds good in theory, some businesses have no idea how to proceed. They’ve been stuck in a rut for so long, they can’t just flip a switch and suddenly start innovating. If you don’t put the right people in the “innovation role”, you’re unlikely to succeed.
• Them & Us Mantra: When the IT department gets split into two separate teams, you’ll find it can create a “them and us” mantra. This stems as a result of management giving more favourable treatment, and focusing their attention on the innovation side. It’s easy to focus on the new, shiny tools, but don’t ignore the people who are keeping the business running. The two teams are more likely to cooperate if they feel they are being treated in an equitable way.

Conclusion

Bimodal IT works in well-managed IT departments, where clear lines of communication and collaboration exist. Much can be achieved by running BAU and new projects in parallel as long as your business is adaptive to this change of IT provisioning, it’s not a difficult transition, just one that means different processes to be adopted for the innovative business requirements. A key aspect to success is “buy-in” from not just the stakeholders, but also from the end users. In part two of this blog, we will cover how technology is facilitating the adoption of Bimodal IT for the End-Users.

Finally, apologies for the shear quantity of driving based analogies / Puns, enjoy spotting them 🙂