Improve business understanding to climb IT ladder, says Tesco IT boss

Aspiring IT managers should demonstrate a broad understanding of industry specific issues that affect their companies to get promotions, said Nick Folkes, IT director and UK head of infrastructure and operations at Tesco.

Folkes said IT staff who could articulate how technology could solve industry specific issues, for example, optimising stock reodering in the retail sector, were more likely to progress in companies than those with purely technical skills.

"Being able to communicate what IT can do for the business in interviews is critical. IT managers should be able to explain how a change in an IT system effects a change in a business process and show how it can lead to a cost saving," he said.

Folkes said that IT teams at Tesco worked closely with their retail counterparts to understand how a business process such as shelf stocking works before designing applications.