Symptoms: Executive management feels that IT is not in alignment with, and supportive of, the objectives of the business. Often characterized by project expenditures that do not appear to support the aims of the business, projects that do not seem to have direct “bottom line” impact or a defined benefit or payback for the company, and projects and personnel that seem to operate outside of the prevailing ethic of the company – for instance, a lack of timely execution or a consistent emphasis on “Cadillac” solutions during a budget crunch.

Fixes: Unlike a lack of clarity in direction, misalignment of IT capabilities and business objectives is rarely a communications issue – unless it is a question of executives being unable to interpret the objectives or unable to understand the IT support that is offered. This problem is more likely to be the result of corporate inertia, as when IT projects do not adapt to changing corporate priorities, or when IT personnel do not or cannot respond to new priorities or needs.
Fixing alignment issues is a process of understanding the corporate strategy and its implications for technology, and then determining how IT processes, projects, and expenditures support or do not support the company’s grander objectives. Analysis of ways in which to provide better direct support, in aligning the deliverables of IT efforts to expected corporate results, can assist in creating a more fully aligned information management complex.

Most Commonly Experienced by: CEO, Executive Staff

Relevant Services: Strategy, Management: Interim CIO / vCIO