Critical IT still not aligned to business objectives say CIOs
Companies are still not fully aligning IT strategies with business objectives, despite recognising the critical role IT has to play, according to new research from BT Engage IT.
More than a third (35 per cent) of CIOs questioned by independent research agency Vanson Bourne believed that their board thought that IT was critical to the success of their businesses, but only three per cent said that their IT is fully aligned to their organisation’s business objectives. Surprisingly, seven per cent reported that IT and business objectives are completely separate.
Financial services companies topped the list, with more than half of CIOs (52 per cent) believing their IT strategies and business objectives are well or exactly aligned, with almost a third (32 per cent) seeing alignment on new implementations and projects. This correlates with how the CIOs believed their board feel about IT, with more than half (56 per cent) claiming it is viewed as critical to the success of the business.
Interestingly, four per cent of respondents from financial services companies didn’t know if their IT and business objectives were aligned or not.
Amongst retail, distribution and transport companies, over a quarter of CIOs (28 per cent) believed their board felt IT was critical to the success of the business, with the same number suggesting that it enabled them to deliver new services. Despite the critical nature of IT in these sectors, only a fifth (20 per cent) of CIOs said their IT and business objectives were aligned.
16 per cent of CIOs from manufacturing companies said that IT and business objectives were completely separate – the highest percentage of any sector. However, strangely manufacturing also had the highest number of companies that are completely aligned – more than twice the average at eight per cent.
John Thornhill, CEO, BT Engage IT, said: “The perception of IT in business is changing as rapidly as the technology itself, and is at the core of companies of all sizes and in all sectors. Its importance is highlighted in the results of our research, but also by CIOs and IT directors becoming board members, so it’s a shock to find that companies’ IT strategies aren’t fully aligned to business objectives in the majority of cases. That’s something that needs to be remedied or else businesses won’t be able to take full advantage of the latest technologies and risk being left behind.”
For more information about how BT Engage IT is working with customers understand aligning IT strategy with business objectives, www.btengageit.com/consulting_services.html
