Aggressively Pursuing and Communicating IT Value
Tue Oct 8, 2002 - Tue Oct 8, 2002
Views and attitudes about IT value are many and varied, and change over time in response to marketplace and competitive pressures. In most companies, IT has three roles: strategic partner,
enabler, and driver of cost reduction. Resources are applied to each role to reflect its part in achieving
the enterprises goals. Usually, the balance between these roles and the value propositions behind
them remain stable. That is until events such as those brought on by the current worldwide economic
and political situation cause unprecedented stimuli to strike a new balance. These events are significantly
impacting the enterprises priorities and resources and, therefore, the perception of IT value.
For IT to gain a positive perception of its value, itmust pursue an aggressive program. ITmust determine
how it can best contribute to the enterpriseís objectives and whether it is on track in doing so, and it must measure its contribution in a manner which management understands and relates to.
Throughout the evolution of technological capability and the ever-changing business processes and
commercial requirements, IT leaders have struggled with the elusive but critical goal of identifying
and delivering business value.Aligning IT strategy, plans and capabilities with enterprise business expectations is the primary challenge for CIOs and the raison díÍtre for their role.CIOs can use a few pragmatic tools to help analyze enterprise-specific business drivers or to map IT strategies, methodologies
or capabilities against strategic business expectations.A commonly understood business-oriented
metaphor that can be used to classify and communicate the enterpriseís strategic imperatives in a way
that facilitates such mapping is required.
At this meeting, IT executives will discuss different approaches and experiences in addressing these
and related issues. Topics will include the following:
- The value of IT is primarily a communications and relationship problem
- Leveraging IT for value add entails a fundamental evolution in ITís mission and structure
- Taking a pragmatic approach to modeling IT strategic business value.
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