IT directors are being given board-level responsibility as they
leave their old roles behind.
A boardroom reshuffle at UK law firm Irwin Mitchell has given a new
twist to the debate on the changing role of the IT director.
Irwin Mitchell, which has around 2,000 staff in the UK, has merged
the role of IT director into the role of the director of business
systems.
The day-to-day running of the IT department has been delegated to a
more junior IT manager. Richard Hodkinson, the former IT director,
now has board-level responsibility for the firm's business
operations as well as retaining overall responsibility for IT. This
role is also known as the chief operating officer in other
companies.
In his new role Hodkinson will ensure that all aspects of the
business - finance, marketing, IT and legal services - run smoothly
and efficiently.
Hodkinson, who was IT director at the firm for eight years, said
that because technology underpins most parts of a business, his
experience as IT director meant he was well qualified to run
business operations.
"I understand how our business ticks, how people, systems and
politics interact and how we can compete in our market as it
changes," he said.
"Over the past three years I have become increasingly involved in
areas other than IT, such as marketing and strategy. The call
centre used to be the switchboard and the responsibility of the
company secretary. It moved over to IT, where it was changed into a
call centre with nearly 40 staff.
"Client care also moved from the human resources department to IT.
The processes and procedures fitted better with the IT
department."
Irwin Mitchell's reorganisation highlighted the changing role of
the IT director within organisations. In September, supermarket
chain Somerfield abolished its IT director role and split the
departing IT chief's responsibilities between a business systems
executive and a systems development manager.
David Metcalfe, research director at analyst Forrester, has said
the IT department and the IT director role should be split four
ways, with board members taking responsibility for different
elements.
Under this model, the finance director would handle IT procurement
and the chief operating officer would be responsible for
application development. The vice-president for technology is in
charge of IT production systems. The most senior IT director role
would be the chief technology officer, who would keep an eye on
blue sky IT and pass projects on to the chief operating officer
when they are ready for implementation.
Critics have argued that board directors lack the technical
understanding to assume responsibility for IT, and that breaking up
the IT department would cause confusion across the business.
Chris Young, former managing director at the IT executive
development network the Impact Group, said for many companies it
made sense to appoint a director who is responsible for business
operations and IT.
"In a lot of professional services organisations you cannot
separate IT from operations - you need to make technology,
processes and people work together," he said.
"Whether you call someone head of technology or operations or
process is academic - they will still need to integrate IT
strategy, corporate strategy and business change."
Tips on climbing the IT career
ladder
- Get on the board first as it is much easier to get yourself
noticed there. Even if you are not able to get on the board, get
involved in as many multidisciplinary projects as you can.,
- Be seen to be taking the lead. Look for opportunities and
innovative ways to contribute to the business
- IT people are good project managers - develop a "can do"
reputation, and deliver
- Educate yourself about your sector so you know what your
company's threats and opportunities are
- Lose the IT jargon, especially with clients or customers
- Project your personality - make your points quickly and acutely
to convince others of your competence
- Free yourself from day-to-day IT by appointing an IT manager to
run the IT department.