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We know that there is very often a gap in communication and
understanding between business leaders and IT experts.
In an attempt to bridge this divide, a growing number of IT
directors have appointed IT account or relationship managers to
work with business units. These staff are usually drawn from within
IT and improve alignment and collaboration between business leaders
and the IT department.
In practice, beyond this basic brief, their day jobs can differ
depending on the opportunities they can find to make a tangible
difference in managing IT services or investments.
Senior executives' main strategic grip with IT is that they still
cannot see the link between spending money on IT investment and
services and the creation of real business value. As a result, they
are not sure whether they are maximising the value of IT, or even
whether IT spending helps to create any value at all.
The board wants people who can clearly demonstrate these links and
make sure everyone understands and exploits them to maximise value
for money.
So are relationship managers the answer? The first challenge IT
directors face is what to call this emerging role. Should it be IT
account managers, IT relationship managers or business engagement
managers? As the post is all about communication and understanding,
IT directors need to tread carefully - what the new post is called
will say a great deal to the rest of the firm about where the IT
department sees itself in the company's value chain.
IT account managers can add real value if they are dedicated to
helping business colleagues maximise value for money, and are
measured by this outcome.
As an interim step, they can help the business process, but before
long they will need to go native and become part of the business
team.
However, this may be hard to do if they sit in a kind of no man's
land between the business and the IT department. As time goes by,
having people acting as a "bridge" between the business and IT can
lead to uncomfortable issues about what the true added value is and
also a conflict of loyalties. Does the IT account manager represent
the interests of the the customer (the business) or the supplier
(IT), or the middle ground?
IT directors can reduce the risk of such problems by choosing IT
account managers with proven skills in managing IT services and
investments from the customer's perspective.
Appointing an IT account manager can help make a department more
effective and improve relations with business leaders, but the dual
nature inherent in the role has the potential to create more
problems than it solves if IT directors do not handle it carefully,
or fail to evolve over time.
Chris Potts is director of consultancy at IT
consultancy Dominic Barrow