Lack of clear business objectives and the impact of business change
are the two top worries for IT directors today.
That was the message from confidential workshops held at the IT
Directors' Forum on the cruise ship Aurora last week.
The sessions, attended by 100 IT directors and senior managers,
revealed that many are hamstrung when setting IT strategy and
priorities because their companies do not have defined business
objectives.
Where they do have objectives these are often not stated, since key
board members keep the plans close to their chests.
Workshop leader David Jacobs, consultant and former head of IT for
National Power, said, "It is important that business decides
priorities and makes clear decisions. The worst option is to leave
business decisions to IT, which then becomes a scapegoat when
things go wrong. IT can advise on options but not on investment
priorities," he said.
If IT directors cannot get on to an organisation's executive board
they can still exercise influence. This can be done by networking
internally and getting feedback from business individuals; forming
strategy groups and getting the managing director to chair them to
draw in business people; and acting strategically, not tactically.
The workshops stressed the importance of the integration of IT into
the overall business change process. "IT directors have to be in at
the initiation," said Jacobs, "or, even better, before the
initiation."
Other issues raised in the workshops, although with much lower
priority, were: how to move forward with less (or no) budget;
measuring performance; IT governance; cultural issues and internal
communications.
john.riley@rbi.co.uk