Strategic IT: Optimizing Decision-making, Execution and Profitability

Do you think of information technology as the tool to optimize the decision-making and execution that produces higher levels of productivity, innovation, customer loyalty, employee motivation and profit in your business? Strategic IT is just that.

In fact, studies show that 70% of productivity growth comes from IT and companies that optimize IT “Strategically” increase performance by as much as 40%

Just as the CEO drives the culture of innovation, productivity, and customer loyalty, IT when strategically guided by an expert CIO (Chief Information officer) on staff or as an advisor, drives the tools, systems, processes and performance that delivers and optimizes every aspect of the work performed. Does this sound like your business?

Is your IT developed and based on your business strategies and outcomes? Do you get the right Information for the best decisions and executions, do you know what your customer needs and that they are getting it? Do your employees connect their role and performance with the goals, and performance of the business?

There are the five components to ensure it does:
  1. IT strategy is aligned, integrated with and drives the business strategy, from the senior executive level.
  2. IT provides clear and accurate communication, reporting and business intelligence to every department and person in the company.
  3. Strategic IT Governance, ROI management and employee accessibility are the three tools guiding IT implementation.
  4. Business IT platforms, and systems are selected/deployed based on the data, applications, accessibility and achieving the maximum automation possible to achieving business outcomes.
  5. An IT performance and input scorecard is linked to business performance results.

Business and IT strategy are developed together at the senior management level based on the outcomes needed in every area of the company. IT is the primary communication tool in the business linking, aligning and leveraging the strengths of every employee to every part of the business from vision to outcomes.

How IT will be used, will it pay for itself and, will it aid or hinder your employees; these are the questions to be asked and answered in selection and implementation of core business systems, practices and applications. And, this IT strategy must be linked to, integrated with and facilitate company culture.

Strategic IT powers your business, if these components aren’t in place this is a significant opportunity to improve performance.

Manoj

Manoj Garg is the founder and managing partner of Virtual Information Executives. He brings over 25 years of senior executive leadership skills and technology management experience with domestic and international operations to VIE’s clients. Manoj earned his MBA from the University of Rochester, specializing in Finance and Entrepreneurship, a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. Manoj is an active member of the TIE Oregon, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support activities and mentoring to the entrepreneurial community to foster business growth and employment opportunities in Oregon.