Majestic CEO Tal Evans discusses the emerging role of the IT Department as one of the major drivers of an Organisation’s future strategy.
“Jaron Lanier’s quote shows us how much reach an IT department now has within an organisation. Far from just keeping the network up and running, the role of IT has evolved to have significant strategic influence over any organisation.”
The role of the IT department is to facilitate what it is that an organisation needs from a technology perspective. Although we may be tempted to view that only in terms of nuts and bolts, eg. making sure the computers are all working, the backup is running and the internet speed is good, there’s a far more important underlying layer. IT Departments are increasingly being called on to participate at a strategic level, advising on what the organisation can do and invest in, in order to achieve their required outcomes.
John Naisbit is famously quoted as saying “We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.” And he probably has a point. But why? I believe it’s because what we’re really starved for is a lack of strategy. The strategic attainment of knowledge should never result in an over-supply.
