What might seem a pullback more likely just signals investment focused on outsourcing as opposed to payrolled workers.
https://www.cio.com/article/3489323/gm-software-layoffs-could-signal-a-shift-in-digital-transformation-strategy.html
7 replies (most recent on top)
Thank you for sharing, this helps. The failed leadership theme parallels closely the reasons for the downfall of the storied american conglomerate that no longer exists in its original form. The leaders did not understand what was required to create robust, engaging, passionate, thriving, and effective software development culture. The resultant outcomes were similarly dismal and, sometimes, simply illogical. That, despite abundance of true SE talent that, having been recruited, quickly started to leave en masse once the reality revealed itself. Sadly, both cultures did share a common burden of deeply engrained self-defeating arrogance.
GM IT lacks a Software Development Culture. Mostly its leadership is to be blamed since the GM IT managers prior tob2012 were largely meant to be contract administrators of outsourcing contracts under Ralph Szygenda Regime. The Dell Regime of Randy Mott brought a Consulting frame of mind to GM IT but the Dell Boys lacked software development knowledge, expertise and passion.
In the meantime, the Culture of Hierarchy and Fear was perpetuated because leaders at all levels liked it.
The rank-and-file responded in the usual CYA manner, which the leaders enjoyed even more. In no time since 2012 had GM IT leaders demanded and got the best outbof their staff.
I do not wish to deny the existence of good teams and good programmers here and there: CCA, OnStar VCS come to mind but GM IT has had a colossal failure in delivery and in leadership.
I think the AIC and MIC will be reduced to routine functions such as reporting and support for internal GM businesses. But even at this late hour one can discern the incompetence of that structure by noting the serious discussions around moving PRTS to JIRA or the OnStar Application to Salesforce.com.
And of course, we have the New Dispensation with its costly replatforming directive to Azure: su-k up more Developer resourced to works as IT Infrastructure engineers.
And then wonder why no code is written!
Policies are poorly written and enforced. They will just continue pulling and discarding the best workforce. Such a waste of money and talent
"Yes" to all your questions.
The article seems to imply that skills and caliber of SEs may be higher in CA than in MI? Why? Are SEs working out of Warren campus “inferior” in some way? And is it true that GM does not have or know how to cultivate “software culture?”
Like my friend Quavo always say, "OnStar is the future!"
Good luck making anything useful by using an outsourcing force. Just good luck..