Three Vital Business Processes For IT Companies That Surmount
Most fundamental IT business processes are as below regardless of the labels which are structured in a number of ways.
These three business processes are further composed of a variety of sub-processes. In small organizations all three of these IT processes are managed and carried out by perhaps only one or two persons in total, while in larger organizations, each process may itself comprise hundreds or even thousands of employees.
The top-level business process, the IT operating model itself, provides a complete information technology capability for all SBUs and corporate center units in the enterprise.
Here are the processes that I’m talking about:
Strategy and Governance: Guide, provision, and monitor all technology capabilities and their performance against targets for the business. This includes the preparation of an IT strategy that is aligned with the relevant business strategy, and the design and implementation of the appropriate IT operating model that will implement that IT strategy. Finally, this process is designed to ensure that the performance of the IT operating model is meeting its short-range and long-range targets. The bottom line is inspect what you expect.
Solution Delivery: Define, construct, acquire, and install all technology solutions, applications, and technologies. This process is the primary technology delivery function in the organization, and includes new application development, enhancements to existing systems, installation of software products, and related efforts. The project structure is the primary mechanism for delivering these technologies.
Operations: Operate, support, and maintain all technologies, applications, platforms, and infrastructures. This process is the primary operational function in the organization and is responsible for the execution of all technology solutions that have been delivered by the solution delivery process.
Finally, the role of the CIO is also critical, of course, as you explore IT operating models.
In my view, the primary job of the CIO (or, whoever is considered the top IT executive in the company) is strategic alignment and portfolio management.
In other words, this role is not about building technologies, or managing the data center, or installing applications. There are other roles in the IT organization that are focused on those issues.
But, rather, the CIO must
- Ensure that the business and IT strategies and their underlying operating models are aligned and,
- Ensure that the IT portfolio of projects, investments, and costs are optimally focused on realizing that aligned strategy for the business as a whole.
If the CIO does not focus on this job, no one else will, which substantially impairs the organization and its ability to succeed.
Furthermore, portfolio management is highlighted here, because unlike strategic alignment, which requires both business and technology leaders to jointly share this responsibility, portfolio management, while still involving a high degree of cross-functional collaboration, is fundamentally the sole responsibility of the CIO.
Nothing shapes the performance perception and success of a CIO more directly than their ability to actively engage the organization in order to manage this portfolio in ways that advance the company’s objectives.
See Also:
- What Can Be Termed As A “World Class” Organization?
- Four Causes Of Poor Performance (And What You Can Do About Some Of Those)
- Six Sigma Project Management Using DMAIC
- How Not to Kill Your Business in Bad Times
- Basics of Projects In Controlled Environments Using PRINCE2
- Workplace I Love As A Power-Performer (and you would too!)
- 15 Things That Employees Want In Order To Feel Motivated
