IT Transformation, EA, and the Cloud (Part 1)

What roles does your IT organization play? Is that list of roles aligned with what its list of roles will be in 2015… or even 2013? Is your organization ready for IT Transformation? The answer – more than likely – is no. Your IT organization will change rapidly in the next few years, and Cloud computing will be both an enabler for and a direct competitor to the IT department of the future.

This is the first in a three part series. First, we’ll talk about how IT organizations will change in the next five years… and why. Second, we’ll talk about the growing role of enterprise architecture and why it will become the central function of IT departments moving forward. Finally, we’ll talk about Cloud-based solutions… and why they can be both enablers for IT change and competitors to solutions offered by IT departments. First, let’s discuss how IT will change in the coming years.

IT Transformation: The current scenario

Today, IT departments are both functional and technical. They manage the hardware & software infrastructure components like the servers and the ERP & integration software packages; they also manage project delivery and usually have a cadre of business analysts who are hybrid business/technical folks as well. Why are these project delivery managers and business analysts situated in our IT departments? Wouldn’t it be better to align those folks as closely as possible with their business counterparts? It certainly would, and that is where IT is going. If you’re a solution delivery manager or a business analyst and you’re tired of being in IT, we have good news for you: Your role will be shifted to be much closer to the business in the coming years.

Where does that leave IT?

IT will continue to have three major functions:

1. Define the enterprise architecture – how the systems fit together to provide the business solutions that the business units demand,
2. Manage the delivery of code for specific software packages – as part of cross-functional business/IT teams that will be run by the delivery managers situated within business units, and
3. Provide system and infrastructure support for those solutions that are developed.

Take a moment to think about how this would work within your IT organization today. Chances are you’ll come to the conclusion that this isn’t going to be a disruptive change. In fact, it will simply provide better business alignment for those who are always trying to align more closely with the business anyway. It’s the next evolution of IT, but the difference is that this evolution will be easy… and tremendously beneficial. It will be so beneficial that it will be a source of significant competitive advantage for companies that move in this direction more quickly than their competitors.

Next, we’ll talk about enterprise architecture and why that discipline will be the single most important discipline for IT departments in the coming decade. Second, we’ll talk about Cloud computing, why it can help make this transformation of IT both easier and more compelling, and how it will compete with IT departments that don’t change with the times.