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These are only a few of
the key questions you should ask yourself when
determining whether you have a good handle on your
'State of IT'. Some of the largest companies in the
world have a difficult time finding answers to these
and other questions. This is not because they have
failed at managing the IT organization, but because IT
has a natural way of growing far, wide, and in many
cases, out of control.
Even in the small and
mid-size companies, IT will find away to disconnect
itself from the master plan. In some cases, the
solutions being applied don't come close to meeting
the goals of the business. In other cases, the best
intentions of applying a solution turn into overkill
and ultimately overspend. In both scenarios, a company
is missing out on opportunities to align their
technology with strategic objectives.
The challenge that all
CTOs, CIOs, and IT Directors face is reconnecting
their technology intentions (or parts of) with the
intentions of the business. Solutions that serve
business needs do not always have to be 'latest &
greatest'. They have to get the job done in a way that
supports growth and is flexible enough to withstand
change. Scalability certainly comes with a price tag,
but it is a controllable expense which when managed
appropriately will pay for itself time and again.
Technology is not a luxury item any longer and most if
not all leaders within IT recognize this reality. They
have lived through the evolution of IT being more than
a phone call when email isn't working or printers are
out of ink. Technology's purpose in companies of every
size and type is palpable. Those who maintain a firm
grip on their 'State of IT' will consistently
contribute to the profitability of their companies,
moving away from being another expense to becoming a
strategic asset to the business.
In aligning technology
with business needs and goals, leaders in IT are faced
with the escalating reality of the changing workplace.
As rank & file employees became more astute and savvy
in terms of technology and the use of, there was an
expectation the lines would begin to blur between IT
and the rest of a company. It was also expected that
the role of IT would begin to diminish or shrink as
this new, savvy workforce began to enter into the
business world. The fact is that the opposite has
occurred. The entry level workforce with some IT
knowledge have begun to pose a small but undeniable
threat to organizations by instilling a false sense of
confidence in the decisions they make related to
technology. In other words, yes, the new workforce has
knowledge, but it's just enough to be dangerous.
When reconnecting with
the needs of businesses, this new workforce must be
embraced so that not to create a 'them & us'
environment. In doing so, IT must find ways to deliver
the solutions and requirements to help support the
expectations of employees who in some cases believe
they can do it themselves. This added element within
the business community has bolstered the need for
pro-active and progressive IT departments.
Change is inevitable,
but recognizing the changeable areas that IT touches
and then in turn, planning for it, is a key component
to supporting the overall company's goals.
Communication, expansion, mergers & acquisitions,
product launches, new marketing initiatives are some
of the many areas whereby a properly aligned
technology plan will have a profound effect on
success, execution and profitability.
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CSI's flagship
service, IT 360 is a cost effective, proven
solution to provide an independent and
authoritative view of a company's "State of IT" to
plan for the future and prevent the "unthinkable".
IT 360 benchmarks a company's actual results
against other companies with similar size/industry
characteristics as well as industry best
practices. Assessment results identify
opportunities to reduce IT costs in areas of:
vendor selection, maintenance, personnel and
redundant or inappropriate systems without
sacrificing or jeopardizing important business
initiatives or objectives - giving companies the
ability to do more within fixed or reduced
budgets.
Learn
More About IT 360
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