August 2006 IT Organization Survey: The Wall Between IT and Business is Falling Down

The final installment of the August 2006 IT Organization Survey presents two important trends that will shape both the IT organization and IT careers far into the future. It turns out that about half of all IT organizations are still regarded primarily as a support function, not a strategic organization. Whether that’s a serious limitation for those companies, a reflection that there are limits to what IT can achieve in many industries, or a sign that Nick Carr is right when he says IT no longer can provide competitive advantage can be debated. But what is less open to debate is that strategic IT organizations have more opportunities. When IT is strategic, the staff is more likely to understand their business and industry, and the career prospects and status of CIOs and their staff are better.

But the other finding is probably even more significant. In the 2005 CIO Role survey, we noted the emergence of the hybrid CIO who possesses both IT and business skills. Now we are seeing the emergence of the hybrid business manager and even staff member who is an active participant in IT-related activities, and is even helping to generate new ways to use IT. This is not a return to rogue “shadow IT” projects, but the inevitable evolution of IT to an ongoing conversation between a “business” side that has been using computers since childhood, and an “IT” side that understands business. That transition won’t be easy on IT professionals, as Finding 5 notes. Helping IT staff members adjust will be one of the most important tasks CIOs will need to undertake in the future.

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