In Pictures: 20 surefire IT mistakes

20. Focusing on cost rather than value

It started with TCO and just kept getting worse from there: Locking down PCs, eliminating training, insisting on “plain vanilla” software implementations -- these are the easy ways to cut spending. Never mind that locking down PCs stifles innovation, that eliminating training makes employees less productive, that plain-vanilla implementations make business processes less effective. The company saved a few bucks on the IT budget, so it’s all good. Cutting IT spending to reduce the company budget is like cooling a room by blowing cold air at the thermostat: Everyone swelters, but because the only thermometer in the room is on the thermostat, the metrics improve. Instead, focus on what your company gets for what you spend on IT.