Is IT Trying too Hard to Align and Not be Integrated With the Business?
by
Charlie Bess
Is IT trying too hard to align and not be integrated with the business?
CIO Insight magazine had a story titled Is Strategic Alignment Still a Priority? One quote from the story is:
"The point...is not to become overly fixated on the goal of alignment at the expense of knowing what you are committing to along the way, with IT, the journey is as critical as the destination.“
Which supports my blog entry on Green IT’s focus being too narrow. A cost cutting perspective is not sufficient. On the other hand, if you don’t have the day-to-day activities under control, you have no right to talk about business integration and strategic discussions. You’ve got to do both.
One of the things the EDS Fellows have been talking about is the need to move to an “and” not an “or” approach to the business. Organizations want mobile solutions and desktop solutions. They want privacy and openness. Low cost commodity solutions and customization and integration. Face it everyone wants it all.
Alignment will not provide the flexibility and business value in the future. Integration and flexibility are required to reap the benefit from the investments. Things change and rigid solutions don’t last, also people don’t know exactly what they want. That’s why waterfall methodologies are ineffective, in general.
Focusing with the business on flexibility, transparency, integration and business value generation is what’s required. Delivering incremental value that support both long and short term needs will be viewed as successful.
