From Technical Roles to Enterprise Impact: Professional Directions in Enterprise IT Quality

Enterprise IT Quality [1] is an emerging lens through which software quality can be understood more holistically. By extending beyond product-level design, development, and testing to encompass enterprise-wide considerations, this perspective takes into account data, applications, infrastructure and related management considerations that support the entire enterprise and the community it serves. In this context, professionals in technical roles are well-positioned to expand their impact to create greater business value. This paper explores four job functions and related professional directions that are integral to Enterprise IT Quality: Business Analysis, Information Security, IT Operations Management, and Project/Program Management. These functions support traditional career advancement but include opportunities for both lateral moves and vertical progression into leadership roles. They build on core strengths common among quality-focused professionals: analytical thinking, systems orientation, risk awareness, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Transitioning into broader roles often requires new technical proficiencies through additional training and certifications, enhanced soft skills in communication and leadership, and a reframed professional identity situated around enterprise-wide considerations of quality and resilience.

[1] PNSQC Board. "PNSQC Brief on Enterprise IT Quality,' April 2025. https://www.pnsqc.org/docs/PNSQC_Brief_on_Enterprise_IT_Quality.pdf

Paper | Presentation

Ying Ki Kwong

Ying Ki Kwong is an independent consultant. In the public sector, Dr. Kwong was the Oregon E-Government Program Manager responsible for websites, online payments, and custom apps statewide. Also with the state of Oregon, he was Statewide QA Program Manager, IT Investment Oversight Coordinator, and Project Office Manager of the Medicaid Management Information System Project. In the private sector, he was CEO of a Hong Kong-based internet B2B portal for trading commodities futures and metals. He was program manager in the Video & Networking Division of Tektronix, responsible for worldwide applications & channels marketing in the video server business.

In these roles, Dr. Kwong managed software-based business operations, systems, products, and business process improvements. He received the doctorate from the School of Applied & Engineering Physics at Cornell University and was adjunct faculty in the School of Business Administration at Portland State University. He holds certifications in project management (PMP), ITIL, and IT Service Management.