BusinessForward

By Eben Adams, Director of Customer and Partnership Development
As a relative newcomer to the world of enterprise IT, I’m consistently surprised by how much the role of that functional area and its leaders appears to be changing. Perhaps this has happened in the past as businesses have automated, but it’s hard to imagine the type of disruptive change we are seeing today in companies of every shape, size and industry. The business’ dependence on IT is bigger than ever.

Almost in real time, customer expectations, business priorities and the power of software as a service are converging to force the hand of IT leadership. This is presenting significant challenges and compelling new opportunities for teams and individuals, which, in turn may create the need for an IT skills assessment as responsibilities change.

In one way the business is less dependent on IT and in another way more dependent. We are at a crossroads of sorts.

B2B and B2C customers are simply demanding more customized, dynamic, user-friendly and efficient experiences in each and every interaction. These are exactly the type of exchanges that large, “keep the lights on” IT organizations struggle to create. The traditional shared service IT function just doesn’t seem to be nimble and skilled enough to meet these expectations.  This is where world class IT leaders step up and acknowledge how and when their organizations can work with software companies and internal functions to drive results that differentiate from the past.

Customers are demanding a more robust experience. The skill set that is going to be very important is product management, understanding the voice of the customer, and translating that into technology that is purchased or developed.

Business has finally realized the importance of data-driven decision-making, not coincidentally as amazing quantities of data have become frighteningly available and never more unsecure. There is no doubt access to data and security of data are diametrically opposed, and it is IT leaders who are being asked to figure it all out.

According to a recent Forbes Magazine article, the International Data Group’s 2014 Enterprise Cloud Computing Study found that 69 percent of businesses are already using cloud technology to some extent, with an additional 18 percent saying they plan to implement it. The role that IT can play here is making sure the business has access to the data they need and the tools to make thoughtful decisions based on that data. This necessitates a keen understanding of key business drivers that only comes from having a seat at the table. How do you get there?

To be a part of business transformation requires positioning IT as an entity that can increase the business’ likelihood of success. The message is that technology, when selected and implemented properly, has the ability to impact the business unlike anything else. That requires thought leadership; it requires a sense/stance/viewpoint that people are your customers. And it is most certainly a value-added service.

Software sold as a service directly to sales, marketing, operations, supply chain, finance, and human resources functions without IT’s involvement is becoming the rule, not the exception. Software sales reps recognize that budgets and decision making are flowing out of IT and into the business.

The opportunity for IT is increasingly around ensuring that the business gets the most out of the tech that is chosen. They can do this in three ways:

1. Helping the business explore their needs, gaining consensus, helping functional areas agree on what the right tech path is and how tech can support those needs.
2. Proactively managing software vendor relationships and understanding the capabilities of what software applies to what business and having an educated opinion.
3. Ensuring that cloud-based software still gives the end user access to critical info they need in a secure setting.

Today, IT is all about the customer. The more we embrace this, the sooner we will realize success.

Want help positioning your IT organization as a leader for the business? Contact Eben Adams at eadams@businessforward.com.