it alignment is not enough

Bijender Mishra (B.Tech, MBA,PMP ITIL SAP CISM ) [email protected]

Alignment Is Not Enough: Integrating Business and Information Technology

I don’t believe in alignment, I believe in integration. Information Technology needs to be integrated into the very fabric of the business, and this includes being part of the strategic planning and thought process of the business. In too many organizations IT is an afterthought. Once the business gets a project or idea to the 10 yard line they think “Maybe there’s some IT thing that has to be done. Perhaps we should reach out to them.” At this point, the ship has already sailed. At my previous organization, I worked hard to integrate some of my most senior leaders into actual business units. They eat, drink and sleep the issues of the business. Many of our partners in the business view them as part of their team… and they are ! While they may be on my payroll, the fact is they are employed for the sole purpose of understanding what the business is trying to accomplish; contributing to the thought process, strategy and innovation of the business; and bringing technology solutions and capabilities to help address the business’ problems and opportunities. These are people who can “speak business” (unlike the ones who can only speak “geek”), who understand how the business works and how the processes they use integrate across the enterprise. They have business acumen, as well as technology savvy, and can speak to the business in their own terms. They also serve as tech-minded mentors in helping the business leaders think about potential projects where technology can drive business outcomes. These projects are owned and sponsored by the business, not by IT. Are you running an organization of pocket-protector geeks? Or are your people capable of understanding and speaking the language of the business? Are your leaders focused on the major initiatives of your organization and how to gain a competitive advantage in your vertical industry or are they focused on acronym soup like SaaS, SDN and IaaS? Remember, if you want to be thought of as a part of the business you need to think, act, talk and function like a business executive, not like a nerd.


Now let me explain about “Integrating Business and Technology : 4 Steps towards a common alignment as below : A common theme we hear in our discussions with business leaders is that of ensuring the IT department is supporting the business strategy. No matter the size of the company and its respective industry, IT is integral to the efficient operation of the company. Survival in today’s complex business climate demands effective and decisive action. The organizations that remain competitive are the ones that are able to keep up with the challenges of the new economy; that is, they are capable of continuously adapting strategy, operations and IT investments. While business executives are confronted with new paradigms like cloud computing, big data and the rise of the mobile customer, they increasingly wonder how to fit IT into the equation. In a nutshell, the challenge for CEO’s, CFO’s and CIO’s is how to best integrate technology into the daily business work flow. An organization can successfully integrate IT strategy with business strategy if there is:

A shared understanding of how IT applications, technologies and services will contribute to business objectives – today and in the future;

A shared focus on where to disburse limited resources, time and money as well as the trade-offs the enterprise is prepared to make; and

A credible working relationship between the IT organization and the rest of the business, as evidenced by reliable daily operations responsive problem management and predictable, innovative solution delivery. This can be achieved if some basic steps are taken. The Steps: Step 1 – Communicate openly with operational groups and clients It’s difficult to fix a problem if you are unsure of a couple of details:

A gap exists; Specifics of the problem


It’s quite all right for different departments to disagree or misunderstand one another; in fact, it’s normal. Operational groups see themselves as focused on the true core competency of the company and many of the corporate support organizations view their role to be critical to operational success. Both are completely accurate in this perspective, but the IT Department is just as critical for company success as any department in the company. Plus, IT is one of the few organizations that can help every organization in the company be more productive and successful. Gaps are created when IT starts “taking care of business” in a vacuum. There are many IT initiatives that must take place to create a stable and supportable technology environment that are of no real interest outside of IT. However, it’s important to keep your company aware of what IT is doing. Network upgrades, system installations, etc., take time and often have large expenses associated with them. For the most part, these projects are not something an operational manager or company executive can actually see and touch so they may not understand the real benefit in doing such projects. In other words, it’s just one of those expensive projects the IT department is always asking funding for. Communication is a skill that will help reduce or eliminate the “IT-Operational Gap”. Step 2 – Find out what’s needed As a consultant if I am walking into a new company, I have an advantage. I can ask anyone virtually any question to better understand what they are trying to do about their objectives, problems, and issues. No one is put into a defensive posture because we represent someone trying to develop an “objective” evaluation of the company’s IT situation. Representatives of IT must do the same. They must ask internal clients what their needs are and whether the IT organization is focused on these issues.


Step 3 – Validate your plans We all have the ability to size up a situation and come up with a technology strategy to address that situation. But, the solutions we each develop for an issue can be very different. Both solutions may work to solve the issue, but one of these solutions may be totally inappropriate for the company at the time. The only way to know this is to develop a specific IT plan, or strategy, that addresses the key technology issues identified in the company. The plan needs to identify the issues being addressed, the IT initiatives planned for execution including the priority, the benefits expected to achieve, resources required, and the cost of the plan. Once completed, presenting the plan to the senior management team and asking for their validation in at least a couple of areas, is key. Questions to ask include: • Are the company’s critical needs addressed? • Are the IT initiatives prioritized appropriately? • Do the IT initiatives agree with the plan and will they support it fully? While company priorities often change, it is necessary to verify any IT initiative changes with those who approved the original plan. Otherwise, it will be a significant challenge (or impossible) to deliver both sets of priorities. Step 4 – Conduct periodic surveys The “IT-Operational Gap” is always lurking in the background in most companies. It’s something everyone needs to be constantly aware of to keep it minimized. Periodically, it is important to go back to the operational managers and senior managers and ask how the IT organization is working for them. This doesn’t have to be a formal program. It may involve a walk down the hall to meet with people, a periodic lunch, or a brief corridor conversation about how the IT organization is doing relative to supporting their operation.

it alignment is not enough

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