Aligning Business & IT Strategy Workshop BumbleBee
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This document discusses aligning business and IT strategies. It outlines a 10 step iterative process for defining an IT strategy that is aligned to the business strategy. This includes understanding the business, IT landscape, value chains, change agenda, prioritizing projects, and implementing and monitoring to achieve business benefits. Maintaining alignment requires periodically revisiting the strategies at least annually and when business directions change significantly. The benefits of alignment include understanding how the business works, its goals, making better decisions, and using IT to improve things.
Aligning Business & IT Strategy Workshop BumbleBee
- 1. Aligning Business & IT Strategies Presented by Sean O’Connell
- 2. Agenda Context The Alignment Process Maintaining & Evolving the IT Strategy The Essence of Successful Alignment Benefits Q&A
- 3. “IT Leaders must be more process focused; they must align more closely with the needs of the business”. It is a mantra that CIO’s have both heard and preached for more than two decades but has proven to be very elusive and despite continuing efforts throughout the industry, improving business and IT alignment still shows up on virtually all ‘Top CIO Priorities’industry listings.
- 4. The accelerating pace of business change on the one hand, and the exploding rate of technology innovation on the other, is making it increasingly difficult for IT Leaders to align business and IT strategies. An inability to solve this problem threatens IT’s relevance within the enterprise.
- 5. Mobility, always on, WiFi etc. have disrupted the IT landscape demanding strategic and execution agility Traditional IT roles have expanded (e.g. CIO, CTO & CMO) Business & IT Strategy alignment is no longer a choice IT IS NECESSARY! Technology is rapidly changing the world around us, forcing Virtual & Physical worlds to coexist. Technology THE Disruptor
- 6. 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 expend scarce resources, time and money; the trade-offs the enterprise is prepared to make. A credible working relationship between the IT organization and the rest of the business evidenced by reliable daily operations, responsive problem management and predictable, innovative solution delivery. The purpose of Business –IT Alignment is to optimize the value that IT contributes to the enterprise. As such, in order to successfully outline a strategic IT roadmap, it is important to start with an aligned business & IT strategy which encompasses: Purpose
- 7. 10 Point Iterative IT Alignment Plan Given a clearly documented and accepted Business Strategy, Define the IT Strategy: 1.Understand the business–Document all business processes (formal & informal) 2.Acknowledge the culture–Analyse the structure, ethos & nature of the organisation 3.Know the IT landscape–Identify & document all IT assets, applications & delivery channels 4.Discover the value chains–Document the relationships & touch points between Business & IT 5.Gather intelligenceabout internal & external influential factors 6.Determine the change agenda–Identify triggers and implications of changing business strategy 7.Prioritise, time-line & optimise the change agenda 8.Translatethe technology roadmap into business & action plans 9.Resourcethe programme 10.Achieve the business benefit-Implement & monitor
- 8. When you have completed the Business & IT Alignment program you should ensure: •Awareness & Supportfrom key executives to participate in iteratively developing the IT Strategy. •An understandingof how emerging technologies, applications and trends can or will impact your enterprise and your IT organization. •Clear expectationsof how IT will contribute to reaching the company’s business goals and objectives. •ReaffirmingIT’s role and value in support of the strategic vision. Business & IT Alignment should be revisited periodically, at least annually, or when there is a significant course correction in corporate direction. Maintaining & Evolving the IT Strategy
- 9. Endeavour to share your strategy within the organisation & with partners Use clearly defined business plans and models to facilitate discussion and understanding Implement objective KPI’s to prove achievement of goals Proper alignment between business & IT is based on effective understanding, communication & collaboration. Thus wherever possible: The Essence of Successful Alignment Independentfacilitationisrecommendedtoensureeffectivechangemanagementandfocussedmomentum.
- 10. Benefits An aligned business & IT strategy will enable you to: 1.Understand how your business works 2.Know where the business is going 3.Decide on a clear action plan 4.Decide on measurement criteria (i.eKPI’s) 5.Realise & communicate what needs to change 6.Learn how to use IT to do things better 7.Make better informed business & technology decisions
- 11. Quote Goals. ‘’There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.’’
- 12. Contact: Sean O’Connell Mobile: +27 82 450 5557 Email : [email protected] Thanks