Business-IT Alignment

How long has it been since your company last assessed the quality of its business-IT alignment? If it has been a while, there is a good chance that your company isn’t operating as efficiently as it could with an IT strategy revised to support current business objectives and fiscal needs.  Especially in an age when business depends so heavily on technology, it is vital that the two elements interact strategically toward one goal.  As we enter 2013, it’s a good time to take account of your business-IT alignment and make changes as necessary. Let’s look at three ways you as a forward-thinking business professional can adjust the business-IT relationship for the better and reap the rewards as the year ensues:

Make your company’s customer the focal point of IT

Like a company’s product or service offering, marketing and advertising, and fiscal planning, IT strategy should be tailored to the company’s ultimate client-base. Often internal IT departments begin to view the company as their customer, when in order to operate effectively, all departments including IT should focus on serving the needs of the customer.  How you make this happen depends on your type industry.  If you sell to people, you can simply ask them how your technology can serve them better.  B2B operations are a little more complex, but by considering the nature of the businesses to which you sell, you should be able to make small changes to your IT strategy that will enhance customer experience.

Come together frequently to assess business-IT alignment

While this seems like a function of common sense, the daily grind can put up a wall of non-communication between a business’ leaders and its IT department that neither party intended to be there. In order to avoid this issue, companies should hold regular meetings in which business and IT goals are coordinated, service problems/failures are accounted for and evaluated, and, in general, everybody makes sure they are on the same page.

Outsource discriminately

If your IT operations are handled offsite, make sure that you work with a service provider that considers and understands not only your company’s technology needs, but also its overall goals, mission, and client base. Just as you would an internal IT department, stay accountable to your service provider and demand the same in return.

BCS Voice and Data Solutions works closely with its clients to provide tailored outsourcing solutions that will drive your business forward. Call us today.

Source: SearchCIO