Strategic Alignment Of It Products And Services

StrategicAlignmentOfItProductsAndServices is a StrategicManagement concern for the ItManager, necessary to keep the entire department focused on BusinessValue.

Whilst BalancingRiskAndBusinessValue? occur at all levels, including SoftwareDevelopers, success in dealing with strategic alignment issues earn credibility for an inhouse IT function.

The three most important contributors to achieving good alignment was identified in a 2004 Deloitte survey (source at http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/itlead/2004/0329itlead2.html). These include:

Develop agreement for the Role of IT (e.g. business leader, business partner, service provider, IT entrepreneur)
Provide mechanism for setting investment priorities though IT Asset categorization.
Develop and deliver based on agreed IT plan.

Strategic alignments are needed for:

Internal Focus - Business and IT alignment. See http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/skills/story/0,10801,91525,00.html
Extended Enterprise - Adding value to IT services through strategic partnerships with outside firms and suppliers

Internal: BusinessProcessManagement considerations

One mechanism to achieve better alignment is to map existing IT processes against an appropriate reference model (e.g.CapabilityMaturityModel). The advantage of using this pattern is the relative ease at which a roadmap for improvement can be deviced. This is invaluable for project definition and funding purposes. There are downsides to using this approach, lack of implementation experience of management and project staff could impact investment returns and credibility. See more at http://www.softwaresixsigma.com/CMM_A_Pitfalls.htm

Tools and techiques and enabling technologies

Use collaboration and team building tools to the extent permitted by prevailing CorporateCulture?.

Value Chain analysis - see http://www.industryweek.com/section.aspx?sectionid=11

In the old days IbmCorporation has a process called BusinessSystemsPlanning?. WhatHappened?

ServiceOrientedArchitecture as an Enabling Technology

Management of this new environment extends past the traditional systems and applications to include administration of services and provide management visibility and control at the service level

Sourced from "On the Road to Web Service-Level Management" at http://webservices.sys-con.com/read/39679.htm

Resources

review of several management books, most relate to increasing business value of IT at http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,97836,00.html

CategoryEnterpriseComputingConcerns