Technology is becoming increasingly embedded in every aspect of life and industry. We rely on IT to run our cars, communicate via phone or mail, access news and information, manage our health and education, run our businesses, design new products and services, and so much else.

Yet there remains a strong perception that the industry employs geeks operating as enthusiastic amateurs, and that the UK lags behind other countries in its IT capability.

The truth is far from that perception, however. The UK IT industry leads the world in successful delivery and operation of IT that provides real benefit. This successful delivery is performed by professional IT suppliers employing well-qualified staff who operate as professionally as any accountant, lawyer, medical practitioner or engineer.

To reinforce this point, Intellect’s Professionalism Working Group has published a scoping paper outlining initial thoughts on the characteristics of professional IT supply organisations. The emphasis must be on establishing an open and effective relationship as a platform for success; this paper is just the latest in Intellect’s series of initiatives, which also include the IT Supplier Code of Best Practice and our Concept Viability service.

The working group plans to produce guidelines to help suppliers demonstrate that they operate to professional standards and help customers assess and assure themselves of the quality of their suppliers. We aim to take this programme forward in collaboration with professional institutions, including the BCS, IEE and major customer groups, including the National Computing Centre and the eGovernment Unit, ensuring that activities are complementary and win the backing of the whole IT industry.

Ensuring that projects deliver the required business benefit and are completed on time and to budget is an essential part of guaranteeing that the industry remains professional and well respected. Professional organisations create customer confidence and trust, which results in improved sales figures, increasing profits and an enhanced reputation. Properly focused professionalism will keep UK IT globally competitive and profitable, and ensure that it commands respect from professionals in other industries.

Professionalism is essential throughout the supply chain. The objective of delivering key outcomes to time and budget requires all participants in the supply chain – users, customer-facing staff, buyers, suppliers and subcontractors – to work professionally. The supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. That requires each organisation in the chain and all staff to be knowledgeable and to operate professionally. And as customers recognise the advantages that professional behaviour offers, and encourage this by buying intelligently, a mutually supportive environment and dynamic relationship that bolsters the UK’s commercial opportunities will be created.

Professionalism is a key asset that shareholders and customers expect to see in a viable organisation. Many IT companies have already developed elements of a workable self-regulatory policy. Customers need to participate in this move towards stronger professionalism by ensuring that suppliers adhere to the professional standards set by the IT industry.

Not enough consideration is given to the impact of new technology on employees, users and members of the public. Any IT-enabled business change project requires, where applicable, consultation with citizens, preparation for staff, analysis of the impact on service deployment and pre-emptive action to deal with any expected increases in demand.

Overcoming cultural barriers and silo mentalities across the public sector will be critical. IT has often worked in isolation from the business and other back-office functions. If the nature of change is to be better understood, both as a profession and as a solution, IT needs to work collaboratively within and across organisations to support better-integrated systems that will address the increasingly joined-up nature of government.

Professionalism may be summarised as ‘doing things right and doing the right things’. Surely this is a laudable objective for all involved in IT.

John Higgins is director general of UK IT industry trade association Intellect. www.intellectuk.org