The last few decades have witnessed a massive investment of talents and resources in technological advancements, as various companies strive to realize their mission and vision. To this end, most businesses have created IT departments for their corporations, and have continued to fund them, to enhance the installation and operation of various software and technologies. It is no wonder that many young people have ended up pursuing degrees in the technology fields.
Even so, graduates in computer science and engineering have more often than not ended up using their skills and knowledge in boosting other departments that are not necessarily sub-departments of IT. You will find that departments like Sales & Marketing, Human Resource, among others, have been on the forefront in the recent days, to engage IT skills in face-lifting their functions.
Given that other departments do not necessarily go to the IT department to fund their innovative ideas, recent surveys indicate that for every $1 dollar spent by the IT department, businesses are spending an extra 40 cents in technology services.
This would simply mean that business-led IT spending is either covering for the inability by the IT department to keep up with the changing times in managing businesses, or business partners are now hands-on in steering greater outcomes by empowering themselves technologically.
What is happening in most institutions is that the IT departments and the business partners are apparently running their operations in parallel instead of jointly. Whether your business is small, medium or large, there is an urgent need for the re-alignment of the business’ goals and objectives with the IT operations. It must not be forgotten at any one time, that the best placed persons in identifying needed technology based on real needs are the business leaders, and that by taking their rightful place in the whole technology equation, their impact in the company by investing in technology will bring great success.
How to succeed with business-led IT
Rather than engage each other in fighting an idea whose time has come, business leaders and IT departments should pull their resources together in a more complementary perspective, for this would be the sure way to rise above the challenges that entangle them.
- Change of attitude: it is not surprising that most of the IT employees perceive business-led IT as a threat to their place in business organizations, entertaining the thought that someone could be keen on removing them from the system by downplaying their roles. In light of this, you will find many of them reject good ideas from business partners on purpose, even when they know for a fact that the idea is viable, necessary, and timely. If they don’t succeed in doing aborting the idea completely, they will use each of their muscles in delay tactics, with the intent of frustrating the concept and the brains behind it. Once again, this need not be the case, the CIO should readily embrace ideas from others, whether they really work or not, for it is better to have tried and failed, than to have failed to try at all.
- Deal with fears of the risks involved: both the CIOs and the business leaders must at all times beware of the risks that come with new innovations, and as such the CIOs should be on the forefront in helping the business leaders to not only appreciate business value but also such risks. The most ideal situation would be to have both parties engage in this kind of dialogue, way before time and money are spent in new technologies.
- It would do no harm at all, if business leaders remained enthusiastic about initiating and taking charge of technology projects, but left the IT department to play the oversight roles. This would go a long way in safeguarding the company’s security and privacy of data.
- Business leaders should be well-equipped for effective decision-making: the good book says that people perish from lack of knowledge, and the court rooms affirm that ignorance is no defense. The last thing anyone would want to experience is the collapse of a business, simply because you made the wrong decisions out of ignorance. To help avert such a situation, the IT departments should be on the forefront, in helping the business leaders be conversant with the costs, capabilities and risks involved in every innovative idea they would wish to implement, beware of the right questions to ask beforehand, and how to own up information. It would go without saying, that business leaders must be willing to lend them a listening ear.
- Actively engage other departments: While at it, this should not be a preserve of the business leaders only – the entire staff in the organization should be educated, so that all the departments may reap from shared capabilities. This is in recognition of the fact that the entire corporation can immensely benefit from the expertise of other departments, to boost teamwork and a sense of belonging, and to ensure unity of purpose, going forward.
Conclusion
While progress is most welcome in all innovative ideas, business leaders must work hand in hand with the IT department and other partners, to ensure that efficiency is not sought under serious budgetary constraints. There will always be new ways that are also cost-effective. How are you addressing this in your enterprise? Contact the RAY ALLEN team today to discuss how our team and experiences can help you succeed.