For those of you that are/were outside the IT department, it is really easy to blame them for bad results. However the reality is very different.
There are numerous issues within Follett which drastically impacts the ability of IT to deliver quality systems:
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The business defines the project late in the process, squeezing the amount of time IT has to design, develop, test and implement.
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The business instead of stating what they need (requirements), design a solution. In effect executives are designing systems without detailed knowledge of how they actually work.
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The different areas of IT development each have their own tool set, methodology, and software release dates even thought FHEG is tightly integrated whereby virtually any new project impacts all of these areas. This is the situation because IT management has never felt a need to increase IT productivity by organizing IT as a cohesive department. As a result each project has unnecessary roadblocks which increase development time and makes IT substantially less productive.
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The business constantly changes its mind during development which requires additional time and increases risk.
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Executive management consistently gives the go ahead in the release of projects even though they are aware they are not ready.
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Because of these issues, the QA department consistently has its test time reduced in order to make deadlines.
These are the reasons IT looks bad. But in reality don't blame IT. They are doing the best they can under difficult if not impossible conditions.