Do Australian Corporate and Government organisations do enough to support our local Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) businesses?
Our local ICT businesses are essential for our economy and future growth…
Supporting local ICT businesses brings innovation and shared growth to our local communities. Our local ICT businesses provide employment to local people and support the local economies, communities and neighbourhoods.
Our local ICT businesses also care about their community. In many cases the owners of these ICT businesses know their Clients well; they are our local business associates, neighbours and friends.
Most are feeling a financial strain right now, and are worried about the future.
But if our Australian Corporates and Government need to buy ICT services, they should be trying our local businesses first to give them priority.
We have in the past focussed on only primarily the cost in Australian Corporate and Government procurement processes to argue that buying local labour is too expensive. Is this practice to the benefit of us as a country…
Cost consideration only is often a one trick pony in terms of outcome. There are lots of ICT failures to demonstrate this point.
There is plenty of evidence on both sides of the cost argument so what are some other factors to consider other than cost of a resource?
1. There is often a saying that if we choose a big global player that we will not get fired. I find this thinking draconian and a sign of weakness in leadership. How many times has a big global player made a mess of a ICT project costing the country and or corporate and government entities? Legacy strategies aren’t usually future proof.
2. By choosing local ICT businesses we provide local people the opportunity to grow with new skills providing a much needed continued reskilling of local people. Why develop other countries ICT skills and experience when we can focus on our community?
3. We need to maintain and strengthen our local skills and capabilities if we are to provide technology innovation at scale and become a destination for foreign direct investment in the Australian ICT sector. Why are we not seen as a destination of choice for other countries?
4. Reskilling and educating local people will provide a much needed boost to local training and education businesses who have been hit by the lack of overseas learners coming here.
5. The money flow of supporting local ICT businesses keeps the money in Australia supporting other local industries who will benefit from local people buying locally.
6. Regional cities and communities in Australia provide an opportunity of new talent pools for ICT skills and capabilities. A collaboration between Corporate and Government and local ICT businesses can grow our talent pools and gain much needed employment for regional and local communities.
In summary there has never been a better time to support local ICT businesses and the local ICT community. Next time our Corporates and Government buy ICT services, an Australian owned and operated business who supports the local ICT community should get the first opportunity to deliver.
A few months ago I shared this video message; highlighting the need to #BuyAustralianNow
Kind Regards,
Luke Stow
This article was originally published on linkedin by luke stow. CLick here to see the original post.