Toughest tasks, lessons learned

Computerworld -

• Rob Carter

  Executive vice president and CIO

  FedEx Corp., Memphis

  Business: Transportation and business

  services provider

  
  Rob Carter
  Eighteen years ago, Carter was working on his MBA when he was asked to direct the development of a large-scale billing system at a telecommunications company. The difficulty of the project was compounded by the need to keep pace with business requirements that changed while the system was being developed. There was also the challenge of adapting the legacy code, with all of the surprises it contained.

  "There were huge pressures on us, with a lot of fault being placed on the IT team for dates being missed," he says. "I saw the other side of the equation, where we were trying to build something that was constantly changing."

  Bolstering his team's confidence was key to meeting those challenges. "I spent a huge amount of time celebrating our successes," Carter says.

  Lessons Learned:

  • Acknowledge that "big bang" system development isn't a wise business strategy. It's better to break up your deliverables into increments.

  • Remember that legacy applications often contain solid components and code that is salvageable. "It needs to be re-engineered, it needs to have a new front end or user interface, it needs some rearchitecting, but you don't have to start with a clean sheet of paper," Carter says.

  • Give your team a chance to blow off steam during an arduous project. Carter arranged for his employees to indulge in fishing, go-cart racing and paintball fights.

  • Stand up for your team. "Fight to make sure that your team has the opportunity to lead a balanced life," he says.
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