IT Strategy

7 Creative IT Effectiveness Ideas

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For as long as I’ve been working with companies to get more out of their IT investments, we have used the term “IT Effectiveness.” The approaches for helping IT organizations get the most out of what they do have been studied and applied by many leaders and consultants for a long time.  Some refer to this discussion as “doing more with less” but I’ve argued that it’s more about doing the most important things with […]

5 Behaviors of Digital Performance

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In our 2014 Digital IQ survey of almost 1,500 business and technology executives, only 20% of respondents are highly confident in their organization’s Digital IQ—a company’s acumen in understanding, valuing and weaving technology throughout the enterprise. How can a company raise its Digital IQ and harness the full power of technology to advance their business performance? Top performers—companies that reside in the top quartile for revenue growth, profitability, and innovation—point the way. We analyzed the […]

6 Signs You Need a New IT Strategy

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Guest post by Mike Pearl IT departments face crushing pressure from every direction to transform IT to meet the daunting demands of the digital age.  If you feel yourself asking questions related to IT’s role, better working relationships with Marketing, and how to capitalize on the firehose of emerging technologies, it is likely time for a new IT strategy. IT must institute massive change on multiple fronts: deepen and reshape business relationships, overhaul IT skills, […]

Digital Enterprise or Digital Front Office?

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CIO Magazine’s latest State of the CIO report tells us that only 25% of 722 CIOs surveyed think that their IT organization is positioned as true business colleagues within the rest of their organizations.  This dismal positioning is consistent with PwC’s Digital IQ findings that show that only a quarter of companies put IT at the front of business innovation, rather than hiding them in the back office to only contribute to internal improvements. This […]

The Next Phase of Agile Development

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Guest post by Alan Morrison It’s human nature for people to build sturdy structures to shield themselves from the unpredictability of the elements. But, if you are too sheltered for too long, you weaken your ability to continuously confront change. That’s the dilemma facing IT departments. Change is raining down on them, and they are having trouble continuously adapting. A term is gaining momentum in the IT community to describe an ideal state for IT […]

Digital Keystone Skills

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One of my clients is faced with retooling its IT workforce as a wave of employees approach retirement. Our conversations about how they should shape their recruitment strategy got me thinking about the post I wrote back in 2009 “IT’s Keystone Skills,” and how I would refresh it for today. The idea behind IT keystone skills was to identify the core skills required regardless of the level of outsourcing an organization undertakes.  The four featured […]

Strong CIO, C-suite Relationships Drive Growth

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Your ability as a CIO to cultivate strong relationships with your C-suite peers is paramount to your professional success in an environment where IT is expected to generate revenue and enhance the customer experience. But more than your career longevity is on the line. The profitability of your company is at stake. As part of our 5th Annual Digital IQ survey, we asked more than 1,100 business and technology executives from 12 countries to rate […]