Implementing new technologies and onboarding new service providers is difficult enough from a technical perspective. Many factors must be evaluated, including feature set, compatibility with existing systems, manageability and more. Once that’s said and done, IT leaders face a new set of obstacles in the form of other internal stakeholders.
Organizations are structured with checks and balances that help reduce risk and keep a lid on costs. However, the departments that maintain these checks and balances typically have mandates and processes that run counter to the dynamic nature of IT. Overly complex reporting structures, poor interdepartmental communication and limited understanding of technology have doomed many IT initiatives. Often, the result is increased costs and risk because the organization is unable to capitalize on new opportunities.
The right partners can help IT leaders navigate these obstacles and move IT initiatives forward. Technologent’s experienced consultants are adept at helping organizations align business and IT and develop modernization strategies that optimize resources and costs.
Communicating Business Value
One of the biggest challenges IT leaders face is communicating the business value of IT solutions and services. It can be difficult to map the capabilities of a particular solution to specific business needs, and convey why that solution is superior to existing investments or cheaper alternatives.
IT leaders need to help other decision-makers understand the business outcomes to be achieved by the solution or service. Will it reduce costs, increase efficiency or enhance customer satisfaction? These outcomes should be as quantifiable as possible and backed up by a detailed business case with clear assumptions and realistic projections.
When onboarding a new service provider, it’s important to explain the long-term strategic value of the relationship. Show how the service provider can help the organization meet its objectives, whether that be IT modernization, digital transformation or greater innovation. This helps ensure that decision-makers are focusing on the right priorities.
The Importance of Leadership
All of this takes time and resources that most IT leaders lack. The more critical the solution or service, the longer it takes to gain stakeholder alignment. However, IT leaders should resist the urge to delegate these tasks. The involvement of IT leadership conveys the importance of initiative and brings a depth of knowledge and negotiation skills that other members of the IT team may lack.
That’s not to say that IT leaders shouldn’t seek out advice and support. Technologent’s consultants can help identify and clarify requirements, and do the legwork of vetting solutions and services against those requirements. For example, Technologent’s Service Provider Framework is built on a well-defined methodology for assessing and correlating real-world capabilities. Our team performs due diligence and provides easy-to-understand data that enables side-by-side comparisons. By doing the upfront legwork, our team reduces the burden on IT leaders and accelerates purchasing decisions.
The Value of Partnerships
The Technologent team can also meet with stakeholders to discuss project objectives and timelines and help establish metrics for gauging success. This will help the IT manager to foster a collaborative approach throughout the decision-making process. Technologent will also solicit the input of all stakeholders to ensure that they feel like equal partners throughout the process.
These sessions will also involve legal and procurement teams to ensure that they understand the objectives of the initiative and can discuss any concerns they may have. IT leaders can work with them to find creative solutions so that the process doesn’t get bogged down.
Moving strategic IT initiatives forward is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders with often competing priorities. Let Technologent help you navigate this process and provide the insight needed to get stakeholder buy-in.
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