Pull-up A Chair IT, You’re Needed:

Why is information technology important? Most everyone undoubtedly recalls a family occasion or holiday where the adults had their own table and the kids had a special table of their own.

The grownups of the family would engage in “adult” conversations about current events, politics and topics deemed “adult” in nature, while the children would be left to their own diversions and conversation under the watchful eyes of their parents.

Now, take a moment to think about your own company or organizations ongoing top-level conversations. Most certainly they are on topics like business strategy, operations, and finance; subjects deemed critical in nature to the health of your company and required in order to meet business objectives and initiatives, and yet some key players aren’t present.

IT departments and its leaders have long been vital business resources; it’s true, but now, in today’s digital world, IT “is” the business environment.

Ongoing advances in information technology, along with increasing global competition, are adding complexity and uncertainty of several orders of magnitude to organizational environments. With the role of technology shifting, IT leaders can no longer be left out of these critical business conversations, in fact, IT provides businesses with a decision support system, uncovering valuable insights needed for planning and solving complex problems. This allows businesses to make better decisions, quicker and more strategically, all while promoting internal alignment.

So, who should pull up a chair? Well, for starters, your IT department leader.

IT leaders are often a CIO or CTO. They should be well-versed in and responsible for the information technology (IT) infrastructure and the applications that enable and drive overarching business strategies and goals. Then again, not all companies have a CIO (Chief Information Office) or CTO (Chief Technology Officer) on their staff to participate and finding the right candidate can often be a time-consuming challenge. It is also difficult to find a CIO/CTO that has the level of experience and knowledge needed in today’s ever-expanding technology market. If this is the case for your organization, it’s suggested you hire a consultant.

IT consultants typically have experience in a wide range of technology and solutions. It’s their job to keep up with the latest trends and innovations that benefit businesses; no matter their goals, and assist with strategic planning. IT consultants are typically part of a team of other IT professionals that draw upon a wide knowledge base of experience and expertise, which often comes in handy.

Either way, you choose, the objective is to get IT resources involved in your business planning and ensure they have a seat at the table, always.

Need help? Contact us to learn more about integrating IT into your decision-making.

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