VALUE-DRIVEN IT

Berg (High Assurance Design, 2005, etc.) proves that it’s possible to achieve both agility and risk management in information technology (IT), and necessary to do so in order to succeed in the coming years.

The author explains that neither agility nor assurance can stand alone. IT has focused on being able to respond quickly–since technology changes, IT must change with it. Good business practices, on the other hand, have focused on assessing and managing risk to ensure that investments make a return and the company continues to thrive. These two perspectives can be at odds–IT should change rapidly before there’s time to determine the risks of such development. Berg sees a future where the fast-moving IT side of business and the risk-managing corporate side will work closely to assure a successful response to client needs, and he offers solutions for developing a better governance structure. A closer partnership between IT and business has recently become an industry ideal, but Berg goes further than simply reiterating idealism by offering a mostly comprehensive solution. Whether it will work on a large scale remains to be seen, but the idea shows promise. Berg urges IT personnel, especially those at the top, to begin conceptualizing and assessing their processes and products in terms of business value. He asks them to develop a strategy for implementation that allows them to react quickly but also calculate the risk of that reaction. Central to Berg’s ideal organizational structure is the Enterprise Chief Information Officer (CIO/E), a CIO who no longer runs the technical side of things but instead works to integrate business concepts with IT by determining where IT needs to focus next and how to achieve that with the least amount of risk. The CIO/E also oversees a team of people who work to implement these new ideas through mentoring, Berg’s new concept for employee training. This new position anchors the author’s ideas in solid, steady reality and gives them a basis from which they can grow until they permeate the corporation.

Forward-thinking insights for savvy, competitive organizations.