IT Alignment and business
Today I would like to talk briefly about a few points I’ve come to conclude on how to align businesses in IT.
Stay innovative and nimble
In order to achieve the best business outcomes is to make sure that everyone involved is working on a common goal. Especially in a business that makes heavy use IT. The IT person needs to know and understand enough of the business goal and business person understand enough of the technology in order to have a meaning discussion about how they jointly achieve the desired business outcomes. If we focus on these kinds of collaborations we will find ourselves working smarter and not harder.
Business outcomes should drive technology
One of the most important things we can do to achieve optimal IT and business alignment is to be clear about the decision-making process, understanding is that it is business outcomes which should drive technology decisions. Not the other way around. Expecting technology partners, however good they are, to decide what capabilities need to be developed, doesn’t work. On the flip side, having the business dictate how the need to be developed isn’t the best strategy either. Instead, IT teams and business leaders need to collaborate in order to design effective business solutions powered by first class technology. You also can’t wait around the perfect technology platform or solution is developed. You have to be willing to think quickly, move quickly and iterate collaboratively to solve problems quickly. Get to market early and often should mantra.
Co-location is key
The best way to insure effective collaboration is by bringing your business and IT professionals together in the same place. By co-locating these groups, you can ensure everyone involved understands both the strategic goals as well as the technology considerations. Get the right people, right place and you get the right results.
Curiosity and respect
Ultimately, the driving forces behind this closer partnership are intellectual curiosity and mutual respect. Both the IT and business groups have to have a genuine interest in understanding how things are done by one another, and have a mutual respect for each other skill, dedication and professionalism.
At the end of the day, if we think like a team and work as a team, we will achieve like a high performing team and everybody wins.