The IT of IT is not sufficient for digitization

(Picture source: © Artur Szczybylo/stock.adobe.com)

Digital transformation is about using digital technologies to improve business processes, culture, services and the customer experience. Companies want to benefit from new technologies, keep up with the latest trends and integrate these innovations. To do this, they need an IT organization that is able to facilitate this change and help them to modernize processes and optimize workflows by integrating new technologies. The aim is to strengthen security and increase the profitability of business processes.

Most CIOs are now busy restructuring their IT organization and introducing new working methods such as agile development, continuous delivery and DevOps. Unfortunately, this rarely takes place on the basis of a well thought-out and future-proof IT management architecture. Attempts are being made on various fronts to optimize the planning, development and delivery of IT services with new approaches and to meet the pressure of omnipresent digitalization. In many cases, however, these tool-focused adjustments are not enough. There is often a lack of coherence between the numerous innovations and initiatives, and the number of IT management tools has increased significantly in a short space of time, with a separate lifecycle to be managed for each individual tool. There is often a lack of a clear plan that links everything together. As a result, the business of IT is still not handled quickly and professionally, and there is no insight into the actual costs, risks and added value of IT.

What many CIOs underestimate: IT transformation is the backbone of digital transformation for the business. For a digital transformation of the business to be successful, it must be based on a well-implemented IT transformation. Such an IT transformation often does not take place - or then only insufficiently. The teams in IT organizations simply do not have the technical and organizational skills they need to meet the requirements of digital transformation. They often lack the necessary maturity and capacity, and digital transformation is hindered rather than accelerated. The digital transformation can only take place as a continuation of the changes made during the IT transformation in the company. The transformation of the IT organization should first create a solid, future-oriented technical and organizational foundation on which the digital transformation - the business-oriented phase - can then take place. IT must be implemented on an operating model that is geared towards the future of the company. An IT tool salad must be avoided at all costs.