Newsletters

Whether you are the CIO, the systems administrator or the summer IT intern, it is everyone’s job to help align IT strategy with business unit goals. For more than 20 years alignment has been an elusive nirvana, but several companies’ business units and IT organizations have come close.

TeamQuest believes that companies should focus on four areas to reach this nirvana:

• Measure
• Inclusion
• Language
• Environment

Measure
One reason many initiatives fail is that companies don’t measure their progress, resulting in the inability to hold anyone accountable.

Although there are several ways to measure effectiveness, the most important aspect of measurement involves establishing clear goals and expectations based on value-based measurements.

IT leaders - everyone - must understand that they have to do more than just implement processes and structure; the business value or effect must be measured.

Successful measurement should take into account the following:

• Evaluation
• Communication
• Consistency
• Governance
• Documentation
• Prioritization
• Reporting

Evaluate the current measurement activities and how the organization and individuals are being measured.

Communication helps all sides understand the agreed levels of measurement and support the measurement process.

Consistent methods of measuring activities and individuals ensure accuracy in the reporting phase of measurement.

Some form of governance provides accuracy and adds validity to the measurement efforts.

Documentation enables an easier buy-in from management.

Prioritization involves analyzing the measurement results and moving agenda items up or down according to their business value.

Reporting and communication go hand-in-hand. Reporting is typically provided at the end of the measurement cycle while communication should occur throughout the entire process.

Inclusion
To go the extra M.I.L.E. be sure to include the right people.

Since IT is fundamental to corporate success, it makes sense that IT leaders would be involved in "business" meetings and vice versa. However, many of us still work in a world of silos and the collaborative process between IT and the business unit is less than optimal.

Include champions from the business unit - request accurate information and their "best" projections for upcoming projects. The communication process is very important in this area of alignment as the size and scope of projects may change which could affect your service levels to the business unit.

The right person doesn’t have to be the senior vice president (SVP) of business unit x. It could be the fast-track manager who has the ability to influence the SVP.

Language
When trying to gain traction for a process, project or goal, the IT leader should ensure he/she speaks in business terms. As IT is being asked to do more with less, the ability to speak in business terms ensures both sides understand what is being requested and how it will be completed.

Environment
Understand the individuals and how things get done in the business units. This is important as it will help you understand who can help, who can play a role as a champion, and what to expect.

The better you know the environment, the better you’ll understand the objectives and be able to translate them quickly and accurately into IT priorities.

As the information backbone of the business, your IT organization plays a critical role in helping the business gain a competitive advantage, reduce risk, and ensure growth and longevity. Going the extra M.I.L.E. can help both sides - IT and the business - enjoy measurable success by aligning their strategies to overall corporate goals.