After the Business has Gone Fully Digital, will There be an IT Department Anymore?
With IT now playing a central role in business processes, common gripes IT has heard a thousand times have suddenly become crisis-level concerns:
- IT can’t run a budget
- IT can’t produce solutions the business needs
- IT is only good at keeping systems running (and even that, barely)
Nothing new there, but the potential downside of these issues has magnified as IT becomes larger and more present within the organization. What previously was a minor headache for the business could now completely shut down operations.
Ironic, isn’t it? As the move to all-digital business processes embeds IT into every corner of the organization, the very need for a dedicated, traditional IT department is being questioned.
Some recent headlines:
- Is the Influx of Digital Change Coming at CIOs Faster than they Can Handle IT?
- Will CDOs Steal CIO’s Leadership Role?
- What Can Save the CIO from Becoming Obsolete?
A nightmare scenario for IT pros, backed up by a single overarching theme:
These pundits believe tech is becoming too important for IT to handle.
If they have their way IT will be carved up and the pieces will be put under the purvey of the different departments they serve. IT pros will be hired by, and accountable to, these departments—not to a central IT structure. Most senior levels of IT management will cease to exist, and the CIO’s position will be carved in two; existing CIOs will handle backend operations, and sexy new CDOs will oversee business-facing tech investments. (At least until the transition to digital ends and their title becomes obsolete.)
I’d love to write off this recent round of doubt as just more baseless attacks on IT…but this time, I can’t. With the business now putting IT under more scrutiny than ever there’s only one clear course of action— shape up or ship out. Those IT pros who haven’t developed their core competencies of fiscal responsibility, aligning IT to the business, and developing an IT vision and strategy are going to have a very hard time in coming years.
Don’t run for the hills…Seize the opportunity!
On the other hand, those IT pros who have developed their professional skills will receive the opportunity to magnify their standing and influence within the organization. If you prove your ability to handle the challenging and complicated work of transitioning the business to digital systems, then you may find yourself becoming a key player in business processes you never were allowed near in the past.
If you want to develop the professional skills needed to survive this transition, or if you just want to brush up on your core competencies to maximize your opportunity, then click here to receive your FREE copy of my book on the subject—The 11 Secrets of Highly Influential IT Leaders.
