IT consulting – an integrated approach

IT Consulting – an integrated approach
Information Technology goes to the core of modern businesses. Most businesses do not function without email, file& print, telecoms and a range of business applications. Effective, efficient, flexible business processes leverage relevant IT solutions.
In working with clients my objective is to understand what the business is trying to achieve and ensure that we have an IT function (in-house, external or a hybrid of both) whose purpose is to assist business managers in achieving their objectives.
This cuts both ways. Education, awareness and communication play a huge role. I work with IT teams to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to understand the business and the potential for them to add significantly to business performance. I work with business teams to ensure they have a better understanding of the potential options and assist them in putting frameworks in place for IT and business leaders to work together in creative and effective ways.
For any number of reasons there are challenges in integrating IT and business effectively. HR teams are busy with recruitment and policies, Finance teams are busy with reporting and filing, Marketing teams are busy with research and product development. IT teams are forever managing change, supporting end users, implementing systems upgrades and dealing with emerging technologies. All are experts in their own fields and are generally measured on performance within their own discipline. The challenge is to find ways to interact in effective ways – avoiding wasting people’s time on matters which can easily be resolved without their input, while ensuring the dialog that is required actually takes place.
IT is there to enable business to operate efficiently – perhaps through the automation of processes or more effective sharing of information. IT should support the required levels of flexibility within the business. The only approach that makes sense is an integrated one – business projects incorporating new or enhanced IT solutions.