The Powers That Should Be

摘要

Most top executives still regard IT as a shopping cart full of hardware, apps and systems, and the extent of their involvement is to say, "We'll take that one and that one but not that one." That approach leads to flavor-of-the-month technology spending. Or, in times like these, a crippling lack of spending. What companies need are smart governance mechanisms that keep IT and the business jointly accountable and responsible for linking technology to the most important company strategies. Governance can be driven from anywhere in the company through executive steering committees, IT councils, and architecture or business process teams. To be effective, the mechanisms must be linked and should be consistent with the company's prevailing business strategy. At State Street Corp., an IT executive committee focuses on IT investments but also discusses business strategy and IT's role. At 3M, governance begins in business units, identifying processes that can be improved. For any company, an appeals system and funding for experiments encourages flexibility and risk taking.