IT and business alignment is the process of ensuring that the IT department’s goals and objectives are aligned with the overall business goals and objectives. When IT and business are aligned, it can lead to a number of benefits, including:
- Improved efficiency and productivity
- Reduced costs
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Enhanced innovation
- Improved competitive advantage
Here are five impactful elements that promote IT and business alignment:
- Executive sponsorship: Executive sponsorship is essential for IT and business alignment. Executives need to understand the importance of IT and business alignment and be willing to provide the necessary resources and support.
- Clear communication and collaboration: IT and business leaders need to communicate and collaborate effectively. This means having regular meetings to discuss shared goals and priorities, and to work together to develop and implement solutions.
- Shared understanding of business goals and objectives: IT and business leaders need to have a shared understanding of the business’s goals and objectives. This means that IT leaders need to be involved in the business planning process, and that business leaders need to understand the role of IT in achieving the business’s goals.
- IT governance structure: A well-defined IT governance structure can help to ensure that IT and business are aligned. This structure should define the roles and responsibilities of IT and business leaders, as well as the process for making decisions about IT investments and priorities.
- Alignment of IT metrics to business goals: IT metrics should be aligned with business goals. This means that IT should be measuring and reporting on metrics that are relevant to the business, such as customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and cost savings.
By focusing on these five elements, organizations can promote IT and business alignment and achieve the benefits that come with it.
Here are some additional tips for promoting IT and business alignment:
- Involve IT in business planning and decision-making.
- Create a culture of collaboration and trust between IT and business teams.
- Invest in training and development for IT and business teams on IT and business alignment.
- Use IT tools and technologies to support communication and collaboration between IT and business teams.
- Regularly review and update your IT and business alignment strategy.
By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your IT department is supporting your business goals and objectives.
Cybersecurity ecosystem
The Data Security Council of India has forecast that the cybersecurity ecosystem will expand up to a point where nearly one million professionals will be required by 2025. Additionally, the demand for cloud security skills is estimated to grow by 115% between 2020 and 2025, representing almost 20,000 job openings, Narayan added.
An extensive exercise in reskilling and/or upskilling the existing workforce, believe staffing experts, is one of the ways that telcos can future proof their work.
Indian mobile phone operators are expected to at least double their investments on network security with the 5G roll out expected to spark a surge in network vulnerabilities, which assume critical importance especially for enterprises.
However, it is already proving to be a challenge for telcos to have robust security teams.
“Even if we do not talk about 5G (specifically), the security talent in general in the country is very sparse at the moment. We need to get more (security) professionals in the system”
Bharti Airtel, for example, has been preparing for 5G roll out by upskilling its professionals and offering them certification courses such as CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional). The courses are offered based on skill and eligibility level free of cost.
