Katy L Dean (asker) Dec 17, 2020:

I completely agree with you Björn, thank you for all the additional info :)

Björn Vrooman Dec 17, 2020:

Further comment I found this here, which fits right in, I believe: "Nevertheless, if companies continue to view their supply chains as a linear, static cost center, the result will be a dead end."
https://www.supplychainquarterly.com/articles/1591-commentar...

Similarly:
"In my mind, this is a dysfunctional path for IT and a dead end. There is nothing wrong with looking at IT as a utility, but you shouldn’t run it as myopic monopoly...I can’t help but feel bad for someone out there that probably has 100 ideas about how to make things better, but will never have an opportunity to do that. This is where the creativity and innovation of IT goes to die."
http://mindend.com/deadit/

"IT evolves to costly, dead-end role"
https://www.computerworld.com/article/2803255/it-evolves-to-...

Also, going down the cost center path may put the future of the department in limbo. Not sure this works that well in that context, but it's a try.

Both options sound rather tame compared to some of the suggestions. I wouldn't make it overly dramatic, though, unless you also want to add a jingle and a flashy ad.

Best

Björn Vrooman Dec 16, 2020:

[...] The following link shows some of those re-interpretations:
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/aus-dem-nirwana.3534...

In short, Nirwana in that sense means nichts, Nirgendwo, or Leere. I agree with Lancashireman that you don't have to spice this up, but it has nothing to do with complacency either. The feeling is that of being lost. It's the same in your example (die ins Nirwana führen = die ins Leere führen).

[Though it doesn't matter whether it's aus or in; there is also "aus dem Nirwana" -> "aus dem Nichts" and it's not meant spiritually.]

I'd have suggested something like "dead end," because that's where they're going to end up. No progress. Like: "The key lesson from success when it arrives for a new enterprise is to recognise that it is not the end of the process, but a new beginning. It is a fork in the road, never a dead end."
https://www.businessweekly.co.uk/blog/business-weekly-guest-...

As an aside, digitization, digitalization or digital transformation?
https://medium.com/@colleenchapco/digitization-digitalizatio...

Best wishes

Björn Vrooman Dec 16, 2020:

Katy I believe you're on the right track here because there's a second meaning that is common in an IT context but can't be found in a dictionary.

The usual definition is:
"erklärtes Endziel des Buddhismus, das aus völliger Ruhe, dem Erlöschen aller Lebenstriebe besteht und von den Heiligen bereits im Diesseits erreicht wird"
https://www.dwds.de/wb/Nirwana

The very first DWDS example, however, doesn't fit the above description:
"Bisher landete man nach einer solchen Eingabe regelmäßig im digitalen Nirwana.
Der Tagesspiegel, 17.12.1998"

[Also note that you often spell it with a -w- in German.]

There are other examples (besides those that sound a bit esoteric):
"Unsere Hotline ist kein Anruf­be­ant­wor­ter mit netter Frau­en­stimme, die Sie über Menü­punkte ins Nirvana führen möchte."
https://myhsp.de/contact/

"Da gibt es nicht verlinkte Karriereseiten, Facebook-Tabs, die ins Nirvana führen..."
https://www.upo.de/news/anzeige/beitrag/blog-wie-es-nicht-ge...

"Mein Leben, verschwunden im digitalen Nirvana"
https://www.welt.de/debatte/kolumnen/der-onliner/article1133...

[...]

Katy L Dean (asker) Dec 16, 2020:

'ins Nirvana' not 'zum Nirvana' I've done a few searches and the phrase 'ins Nirvana führen' seems quite common in the sense of 'going nowhere' (e.g. "Links, die ins Nirvana führen..." (see https://annehaeusler.de/wordpress-plugins/). I therefore do think that this is closer to the intended meaning than cost centers resulting in 'complacency'. I therefore do not think using the term 'Nirvana' in English will work at all as we don't use it in this sense at all. 'zum Nirvana' seems to be used more in the sense that we would understand it easier in English.

philgoddard Dec 15, 2020:

It implies stasis, you've achieved all your goals [The distinctions between developed and developing countries] are usually unwieldy and artificial, the terms for them imprecise at best, and condescending at worst. They also suggest an odd complacency among “developed” nations, as if we’ve crossed some finish line past which we exist in a state of nirvana.
http://www.newamerica.org/weekly/so-long-developed-countries...

Mair A-W (PhD) Dec 15, 2020:

pie in the sky, head in the cloud(s) ...

Katy L Dean (asker) Dec 15, 2020:

Context This is the entire section for more context:
IT als Business – die richtige Strategie
XXX unterstützt mit seinem IT-Business-Management-Ansatz den Trend, dass IT-Organisationen Teil der primären Wertschöpfung von Unternehmen werden und Geschäftsmodelle aktiv mitgestalten.
Dazu gehört das Verständnis und die erklärte Strategie von Verantwortlichen, dass die IT als Business zu betreiben ist.
Viele IT-Organisationen reagieren nur auf Forderungen des Business und folgen reaktiv den Anforderungen. Das ist nicht mehr zeitgemäß! Der zugrundliegende Cost-Center-Gedanke führt jede IT ins Nirvana und wird den anstehenden Aufgaben der Digitalisierung nicht gerecht. Die IT muss den Betrieb sicherstellen und Innovationen treiben und unterstützen können.

philgoddard Dec 15, 2020:

Hi Katy Could we have a few paragraphs of German context, please? Thanks!