All that talk about bringing IT systems in alignment with business models and processes seems to be paying off. According to a new study from Cutter Consortium of Arlington, Mass., almost half of the companies surveyed reported increased efficiency and productivity after aligning IT projects with business goals.
When asked what specific benefits were derived, the top five responses were: unifying direction of the company (42 per cent); better leveraging of IT (35 per cent); improved communication (35 per cent); more efficient allocation of resources (30 per cent); and competitive advantage (28 per cent).
The study also shows that, on average, the companies surveyed have increased productivity by 17 per cent.
“Who drives the decision to align IT with business? In 36 per cent of these situations, it was the CIO who was the primary motivator for aligning the company’s IT systems to its formal business models and processes,” said Sheila Green, a senior analyst for Cutter Consortium. “But CEOs were a close second at 34 per cent. Who was rarely the motivator for this decision? The CFO at 4 per cent.”
More information about Cutter’s study can be found at www.cutter.com/consortium/.