IT Strategy – Gartner approach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbyJY9KlrtM&feature=related

dave aron

• best IT organizations in the world are not distinguished by great delivery / execution – it is about great strategy
  • most IT organizations can be described as => “great landing – wrong airport”
  • too much focus on doing  “things right” instead of “doing the right things “
  • “…last 20 years IT was about automating the factory, the next 20 years is about informating the management about your businesses !”
  • “…that means great operations is no longer enough – it is about strategy, it is about influencing the rest of your businesses,..
  • “…strategy is not about managing the things you control
  • “…you can deliver IT systems on your own, but you cannot deliver business value on your own..”
  • “..for those people who are cynical about  IT strategy – i don’t think strategy is bad but there are lots of bad strategies aroun, a lot of strategy which is missing ownership etc….

• strategy is NOT a the same as a plan
  • plan is fundamentallz a gannt chart (cost, risk, time)
  • plans are fragile and change too much
  • IT strategy is the stable anchor
  • separate strategy and plan
  • strategy and plans have different time cycles

• whats in your IT strategy ?
  • the gartner model
  • demand, control, supply

• WORN = “write once read never”
  • bad strategy have 70 pages centered around the IT supply side

• wiersema model
  • choose one => “the value discipline”
  • e.g. HSBC => customer intimacy focus (e.g. only innovation around customer intimacy) => “motto = money is money – we cannot compete on trying to differentiate on the product..
  • e.g. walmart = operational excellence

• “true strategy is about tradeoffs ”
  • it is all about a differentiated focus

• “business capabilities”
  • looks more like principles and values in the demand section (e.g. efficiency, innovation, collaboration, agility, change, m&a…) => i would rename this more to “business drivers” or “business principles” to keep the methodology around business capability model clear !!!
  • but on the demand side this seems to make sense to stay on that very high level (no structured business capability needed on that level)

• 7eleven
  • clear business strategy, clear IT strategy

• control section
  • IT principles can change the way people behave
    • touchstone in governance
    • 8-10 IT principles
    • connected how the business will win
    • specific to our enterprise
    • detailed enough
    • e.g. “..we must be able to disengage from every vendor within 2-3 years …”
    • e.g. “..all systems must also work over a high latency satellite interlink..”
  • IT governance is about how decisions get made and what they mean / impact
    • for each type of decision an own governance is needed
    • needs to be designed to be aligned to business demand (by type of decision ~ 8 differernt types)
    • it is very dangerous to have only one central IT steering

• conclusion
  • how to get IT team engaged in think in business success
  • “strategy moments”
    • how do we succeed as a business ?
    • how will IT help ?
  • => implant the thinking in business demand / success to IT
  • how to get business (board)  aware about IT strategy
    • e.g. story how IT can contribute to transform the business, story was told as an animated cartoon, CIO presented the cartoon in board meeting => this completely  changed the way how IT was perceived in integrated in the business
  • invest in human communication much more, make artifacts which really means something to your stakeholders, communication is a big part of strategy, going the extra mile !

Filed under: enterprise architecture

[EA role] elevator pitch

Consulting decision makers

Provides relevant information and consulting services to Executive and Senior Management to make decisions on effective business and technology transformation.

Planning and steering

Contributes in developing and maintaining enterprise strategy. Measure and steer the execution of the strategy aligned to the vision, mission, and values of the enterprise.

Encourage conversation, thought leadership, and competitive intelligence

Builds strategic partnerships and relationships across the organization, and with external partners, provides and maintains leading edge in the area of expertise.

Translation to execution

Provides Leadership and Subject Matter Expertise (SME) in translating business goals and objectives into structures and processes for the definition of the current state architecture, the strategy to reach the target state, identifying gaps between these states, and developing approaches to close these gaps.

 

Filed under: enterprise architecture

the 7 habits of enterprise architecture

1.Architecture Is Business-Driven. This is the first and most important habit of an architect. All architectural undertakings should be done for the sole reason of solving business problems. Architecture planning is a continuous process that requires full alignment with business goals.

2.Communication Is King. Enterprise architecture must be communicated to all parties across all IT organizations and lines of business on an ongoing basis. This should include strategy, goals, and objectives. Its purpose is to increase awareness throughout an enterprise. It must also include a statement of shared values that are endorsed and supported by the executive team and incorporated into the IT governance model.

3.Unification Is Queen. For enterprise architecture to succeed, it must be unified across the enterprise. Success and failure of all forms of architecture depend upon the joint efforts of all business and IT areas, their support of the architecture, and consistent implementation.

4.The Frog Is a Prince. Support from the executive team is essential for the practice of architecture, but a successful architecture starts almost at a grass-roots level by seeking support from line managers and their direct reports where the sell is the hardest. Getting buy-in from the troops (Seek first to understand, then be understood) will shield the architecture from passive resistance.

5.K.I.S.S.: Keep Infrastructure Simple. Information technology assets and the elimination of the endless combinations of platforms that use disparate technologies are the main inhibitors of change and result in an inflexible architecture. A goal of sound enterprise architecture is the destruction of incompatible technologies. If infrastructure is kept simple and consistent, enterprise architecture can leverage existing skill sets, training, support, and services in a cost-effective and agile manner.

6.Agility Is Key. Sometimes the best solution for a particular business problem requires adoption of a technology and/or approaches that are not mainstream. Agile enterprise architecture will allow the modification of standards to support business requirements, and it will seek out alternate ways to integrate the technology with the current architectural model.

7.Crawl Before You Walk. Expectations should be managed. The best architecture for an enterprise is one that evolves versus one that is created. Each iteration of the architecture should build upon previous versions and provide an incremental improvement to the organization. Enterprise architecture should also focus initial efforts on near-term opportunities—what is within reach—that can provide immediate business benefit. Small but quick wins will help win allies from both the business and technology areas and will best demonstrate the value of agile enterprise architecture.

 taken form (Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture, A)

 more readings on EA stuff on my old blog …

Filed under: enterprise architecture, enterprise architecture