Everyone loves the idea of utilizing IT to achieve increased organizational performance. Realizing the vision, however, can be a challenge! The good news is that translating this vision into reality is not as difficult as you might think. It all starts at the top and trickles downward.
Here are a few critical questions business owners and senior executives should ask themselves to determine whether they’re harnessing the power of IT in their businesses:
- Do we take into consideration how emerging information technologies can impact our business, our customers, and our markets?
- Do we require all key business decisions to have an information technology implication review?
- Do we have a well-defined, yet dynamic, IT business plan in place?
- Do we make a realistic allocation of resources to various IT-enabled initiatives?
- Do we have access to skilled internal and external IT resources?
- Do we hold our non-IT executives accountable in ensuring quantifiable results are achieved from IT projects?
Results are what matter most. You can see how companies you wouldn’t normally associate with technology such as American Express, UPS, Marriott, and Walmart have established a leadership position in their industry through careful and sustained infusion of IT in all of their key business processes. As a business owner or executive, you need to ensure your management teams are leveraging IT capabilities in the most effective manner. It isn’t always about winning and leading; sometimes it can be the critical matter of survival and staying relevant.
How does your business determine whether it's making the most of its investments in IT? Share in the comments.
Sassan S. Hejazi is a director with Kreischer Miller and a specialist for the Center for Private Company Excellence. Contact him at Email.
