TIPS FOR SURVIVING IT's 'PERFECT STORM'

By: Eric Wolferman Newspapers Face Information Technology Issues


Information technology (IT) at newspapers is headed for "The
Perfect Storm." If you read the book or saw the movie, you'll recall the title was derived from the convergence of three fierce weather systems over the North Atlantic. The volatile mix produced waves as tall as buildings and sent the swordfish longliner Andrea Gail to the bottom of the sea.

The approaching IT storm may not sink any ships, but it's making a lot of publishers feel like they are already drowning.

The first storm has been brewing for a while. During the past 25 years, computer technology has invaded virtually every corner of the typical publishing operation.

IT, once largely confined to nurturing accounting and financial systems, has mushroomed into a web of financial, marketing, communications, publishing, and manufacturing systems. Charged with selecting, supporting, and maintaining the technology, today's IT manager is beginning to feel a lot like Billy Tyne, the skipper of the Andrea Gail.

The second squall is closing in at the worst possible time. Just when publishers need more competent technology workers to manage the growing chaos, a shortage of skilled resources has made these employees hard to find. If you do manage to find them, the pay scales are often prohibitive for the average newspaper.

A recent survey of IT professionals by CIO magazine revealed that 77% of respondents indicated their companies were experiencing difficulty in hiring IT staff. In addition, 54% said their companies were having trouble retaining IT workers. Worse still, the staffing problems are most apparent in the areas of application development, database administration/management, and Web site development -- the very areas in which newspapers need the most help. While the recent downturn in the technology sector will put more IT personnel back in the job market, finding and keeping the most competent ones remains a challenge.

The third big blow is perhaps the most ominous of all: an appalling dearth of newspaper-specific technology to meet the unique demands of newspaper publishing. As a vertical industry, newspaper publishing has been hard put to entice dedicated development efforts for its needs. As evidenced by the carnage among suppliers, there simply is not enough profit to keep technology providers focused exclusively on newspaper publishing. To survive, they are forced to court a much broader marketplace.

Increasingly, we have been forced to adapt generic software and hardware to our needs, modifying tools that are designed for the general practitioner rather than the specialist.

So here's the forecast for surviving the perfect storm.

The three storms feed on each other. The more computer technology extends to every department in the operation, the more issues that IT staffs must address. The less technical solutions are available from third-party vendors, the more papers are driven to develop in-house approaches. The more in-house applications, the more skilled IT workers and programmers are needed.

To say we are not alone is little comfort. Nevertheless, we are among many industries experiencing similar dilemmas. How we cope with the storm will determine whether we sink or swim. Here are a few pointers to help weather the storm:

Keep it simple. Programmers are a heady lot; they get bored easily. Cleverness and complexity tend to heighten the challenge. But ingenuity at the expense of simplicity can mean trouble. A complex database-driven interface between two systems might be a thing of technological beauty, but when (not if) your programmer leaves, who will support this work of art? A simpler solution is more likely to withstand the trauma of turnover. Take the straightest route between two points.

Document everything. With lots of "point solutions" being implemented by IT departments to address specific problems all over the operation, documentation is crucial. "Nobody knows how it works because the guy who made it left" is an all-too-familiar refrain in our plants. Make them write it down.

Keep it open. When you acquire new technology, make sure it is based on mainstream platforms and programming standards. If your supplier disappears, it will be a lot easier to fly on your own if the technology is open. Make sure, too, that the technology has detailed documentation. If you are forced to build in-house bridges, information about data structures and programming methods will be invaluable.


Unlike the one in the North Atlantic, IT's perfect storm may not be over any time soon. The best course for now is to build stronger boats and train better captains and crews.



Wolferman, vice president of information technology for the Denver Newspaper Agency, has spent more than 25 years as a newspaper journalist, editor, production executive, and information technologist.



Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.