IT Should Be a Better Business Partner

IT and business leaders must more effectively align their digital transformation strategies to keep ahead of competitors and drive new revenue opportunities. CIO Insight conducted a survey explore the role of IT in business.

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IT Should Collaborate With Business

A whopping 76% of survey respondents believe that IT should actively collaborate with the business to shape overall strategies which proactively leverage tech. However, just 27% said this is actually happening.

76% of respondents believe IT should actively collaborate with the business.

Forty-nine percent of respondents said business treats and manages IT as more of a supplier of tech services, while 22% said the tech department acts as a “consultant” to provide input on plans for business as related to IT.

Sixty-nine percent of execs at companies in which IT is a business partner said the tech department collaborates with business on digital initiatives — and both groups are accountable — in contrast to 34% of execs at organizations in which IT is not a business partner who said this.

IT Talent Struggles

Forty-nine percent of survey respondents said the most pressing IT talent needs are analytics and data science, while 32% cite the need for joint business/tech expertise.

A further 31% said the most pressing IT talent needs are related to cloud and distributed computing, while 30% cite mobile/online development.

Thirty-three percent said weaknesses in IT’s operating model — how it’s structured, run and managed — represents the tech department’s most significant shortcoming, while 30% cite a lack of clarity about IT’s priorities and/or organizational role.

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IT Budget Concerns

Forty-four percent of tech execs said the reduction of IT costs is a priority, but only 16% of non-tech execs agree. That said, 72% of non-IT execs said the improvement of the effectiveness of IT business processes should be a priority, but just 57% of tech execs agree.

44% of tech execs said the reduction of IT costs is a priority.

Along the same lines, 45% of non-IT execs said the tech department needs to provide managers with better information to support planning and decision-making, but just 34% of IT execs agree.

Finally, 47% of non-IT execs said the tech department should focus on improving the cost efficiencies of business processes, and 44% of IT execs agree.

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Dennis McCafferty
Dennis McCafferty
Dennis McCafferty is a contributor to CIO Insight. He covers topics such as IT leadership, IT strategy, collaboration, and IT for businesses.

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