Hornbill Systems Limited, provider of service management systems, is also a strategic partner of The Help Desk Institute (HDI). Following the HDIís announcement of the top level findings of the unique research project ìWhat has IT ever done for Business?î Hornbill says there are still gaps in contractibility between IT and the Business.
The objective of HDIís research was to examine the tactical and strategic aspects of the role IT plays in a business and to explore how well IT really aligns itself to organisationsí needs and corporate objectives. The research also reported on how well IT and business work together when planning major projects and improvement initiatives both internally and externally to the organisation. The sample was taken from UK public and private sector companies with interviews conducted amongst; IT managers, IT directors and line of business managers
Commenting on the survey, Patrick Bolger, Hornbillís sales & marketing director, ìDespite the desire for collaboration, there still appears to be some clear gaps in contractibility between IT and the Business. The research shows that 62% of companies surveyed have IT represented at board level, it is therefore surprising that ìcritical issues such as Capacity and Availability management are not considered board issuesî and over half of these companies rely on IT steering groups to manage these issuesî.
According to HDI the research points positively to a desire for IT and Business to become more closely aligned in the achievement of objectives. However the wider implications are that there is still some way to go before both parties are comfortable. IT is aware that service provision in areas such as Availability is crucial but contractibility between the two is still weak and suggests issues of trust may be prevalent.
ìSince Y2K, IT has not had true visibility at board level. However, IT and Corporate Governance are now appearing on board agendas, offering a real opportunity for increased alignment between IT and the Business.î Bolger concluded.
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Hornbill Reacts to HDIís Report, What has IT ever done for Business?
There are still gaps but IT and the Business realise greater alignment is required
