Business-IT Alignment

The Secret to Propelling Your Business to New Heights

By Sean Gill, Director of Client Strategy

IN THIS ARTICLE: 

For every business leader, the ultimate goal is not just to survive, but to thrive and achieve success. For any organization that depends on technology to operate, there is a crucial aspect that can significantly impact that journey- how well you align IT with your business objectives. 

“Business-IT Alignment” is a cool sounding buzzword, but what does it really mean?  

True alignment is not all that exciting or fancy. It’s not about adopting the newest, shiniest new tool or jumping on the latest buzz-worthy tech trends. Don’t get me wrong, we love exploring new tech and keeping an eye on what’s emerging as much as (well, more than) the next guy.  

But the real magic happens when your IT strategy is thoughtfully aligned with your business vision. In simplest terms, it’s about crafting a tailored IT roadmap that complements, supports, and enables your specific goals. 

Here are some best practices that help ensure your IT is on the same wavelength as your business objectives: 

  1. Share Your Vision 
    • Start by revisiting your business goals and vision. Share these with your IT team and service provider (that’s us!). Understanding your objectives lays the foundation for a powerful IT strategy. 
  2. Communicate Continuously 
    • Business-IT Alignment is a team effort. We recommend forming an IT steering committee that gets your key stakeholders, IT team/provider, and leaders involved. Decisions for your IT strategy can’t happen in a vacuum, they need to involve the valuable insights of these different company stakeholders to shape an effective IT roadmap. 
  3. Identify Pain Points 
    • Pinpoint IT challenges that are preventing your progress. Recurring problems can’t be solved unless they’re identified, and until they’re solved, they’ll keep holding you back and wasting time and money. Whether it’s outdated software or process bottlenecks, recognizing these pain points helps your IT partner tailor effective solutions. 
  4. Prioritize Security 
    • A strong cybersecurity framework is the backbone of any well-aligned IT strategy. Will an upgrade improve your security posture and protect your data? That should be a priority. Whether it’s upgrading outdated machines, implementing MFA on critical applications, or a focused push around anti-phishing employee education, security should always be part of the conversation and is often a good place to start.  
  5. Embrace Flexibility and Agility 
    • As we’ve seen in recent years, the business landscape can change rapidly. Your IT should be agile enough to keep up with the changing world AND the changes in your business. Ensure that your IT infrastructure is scalable and adaptable to accommodate expansion and new opportunities without disrupting your operations. 

These practices help ensure that you and your IT provider are on the same page when designing your IT future.

Sharing your business objectives with your IT team empowers them to give you expert advice and experiential insights about what will work best to get you where you want to go while solving for current pain points and accounting for other business considerations that might influence the timeline.  

It all starts with a conversation that includes key internal stakeholders and goes beyond the nitty gritty of IT. If done right, these conversations will lead to a deliberate technology roadmap that focuses on getting you to your goals.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sean has been shaping the IT strategies of businesses across a wide range of industries and sizes for over 10 years. As a vCIO at CIO Solutions, he works with business leaders every day to create a clear IT vision, mature technology solutions, and ultimately, enhance business productivity and security through technology.

He and the rest of the Strategic Client Services team at CIO Solutions are constantly evaluating important trends in the industry and advising clients on best practices and long-term IT strategies for success.

Are you a current client of CIO Solutions? Contact your vCIO to continue the conversation! 

Not a client yet? Contact us to see how we can help get your business where you want to be!