In a world where the influence of smartphones, smart homes and other technologically fascinating advancements are regulating the way we drive, eat and live, it is time for IT to move beyond the role of simply keeping the business up and running. IT needs to be perceived as a source of value, innovation and change by the business.
Computer Weekly stated in a recent article that “CIOs will need to become much more focused on innovation, and less focused on just “keeping the lights on”.”
In order for businesses to satisfy their customers, they must demonstrate innovation in technology – or suffer the consequences.
It’s happening already with Google’s recent search algorithm update that favors mobile-friendly websites. Businesses who have not met the demand of over 60% of online traffic that now comes from mobile searches, will lose revenue and opportunities. According to TechCrunch, that’s 52% of Fortune 100 companies.
It’s happening right before our eyes.
Children, who are barely even out of their cribs, are using smartphones to play apps developed especially for toddlers. Grade school students have tablets and laptops handy for homework assignments and for recreation. People would rather enjoy the convenience of shopping in their pajamas at midnight and having groceries delivered, than drive to the store.
And businesses who want to maintain leadership and secure their future must quickly position IT to keep up with the pace of technology.
A study conducted by Ernst & Young, found that only 15% of respondents believe the IT function is very well prepared for future demands.
There is no way to predict what business or technology will look like in 10 years. After all, who would’ve imagined FitBit watches that monitor our activity and heart rate?
However, as the current rate of growth continues, IT operational maturity MUST advance in order to meet future demands and move our industry forward.
So why isn’t IT advancing business the way technology is advancing our entire world? What are the challenges and what can we do to move our industry forward?
Is it the tools?
Across multiple tools and implementations, over 20 years of business, we’ve discovered that even with a perfect tool and a perfect implementation, progress is minimal and short-lived if the value of the implementation is not communicated and if the project isn’t adopted by the people within the organization.
People need to be enabled, in order to drive the tool and make IT projects successful. They need to adopt the solution and if they don’t – after the contract is over and all the deliverables have been met, the organization will still fall short of the big picture goals they need to advance.
In order to improve the current state of IT in the business and advance our organizations for the future, there are five major actions that need to take place. We will cover these steps in the upcoming weeks:
1. Foster adoption and engagement.
Success goes beyond the implementation. The real challenge is making people use the tool. Find out how to get the buy-in you need to make a real impact in your business.
2. Communicate value internally.
In order to get the results you want, people need to see the value proposition of your IT projects. Learn why you need to communicate value to everyone from the practitioner to C-level executives.
3. Focus on results, not requirements.
What’s the difference? It’s much easier to check a box on a deliverable requirement, than to challenge the people in the organization to examine what results they want to achieve, the deeper purpose and why they need the implementation.
4. Manage expectations.
The success of a project is subjective. Different stakeholders may have different ideas when they define the success of a project. Align the expectations early to avoid disappointment and negativity that may cause the project to lose momentum.
And finally,
5. Tactics!
With this post, I’m going to walk you through the nine phases of a project and the strategies you can use to breakthrough challenges at every stage.
We will cover these five actions in the next few weeks to empower you to get the full value of your IT tools.
Don’t miss my LIVE webinar, “Getting the Full Value of Your IT Management Solution Investment” coming up on Thursday, May 14th at 2:00 pm ET and get groundbreaking secrets to help you make the most out of your investment.
Click here to register to attend.
The post How IT Operational Maturity is Critical to the Future of Business appeared first on Intact Technology Blog | HP Elite Software Partner | IT Consulting.
