Member Article

Think big for IT success

In the life of any business, regardless of its size or sector, driving innovation holds the key to continued success. The use of technology is vital in achieving this.

This responsibility usually falls on the shoulders of the IT team, to identify and implement the right solutions across the business. Their choices are defining and usually have significant impact on the business and also on that individual’s career. When Colt talked to over three hundred key IT decision makers, 77% agreed that their career success is defined by key moments that generate recognition and deliver success.

But this isn’t isolated to just large companies. Any leader must equip themselves with the tools that will give their businesses every chance to succeed. The role of IT as a business enabler has become very prominent in today’s economy, so leaders must hone the ability to identify and drive those moments that help deliver business transformation and better serve customers.

For those currently looking to drive IT transformation, we have applied the following blue chip learnings that ring true for even the smallest of companies:

1. Become the ’trusted advisor’:

Analyse how the business communicates internally. Are you all singing from the same hymnbook when it comes to business processes? As the person who is championing digital innovation, it is important that the whole team understands and trusts that the suggested direction will transform their roles and the business as a whole.

2. Nurture relations:

To be an effective leader that champions innovation, one must have a good understanding of each subsection of the business. Seek out and grow relationships at all levels of the company. Get to know your peers who are in different roles, in order to get insights into each of their pain points, tolerance for risk, and also how they can use technology to enhance their business processes. This way you can work together to better leverage digital technologies which will benefit the entire company.

3. Test the limits:

It is well known that with any change comes a level of risk, and the most successful leaders are those that manage this risk properly rather than totally avoid it. Colt’s study shows that 76% of modern-day business leaders are feeling increased pressure of making key decisions for their companies, than five years ago.

However to be able to identify the right technologies that truly shift the needle toward success for a company, a business leader must be able take risks to spot, analyse and integrate the next disruptive technology. Also, it is important to make sure that the budget is available to support the digital transformation through all stages of implementation.

Many larger UK businesses are now focusing on digital transformation strategies to guarantee they are inspiring innovation and opening the door to realise all of the opportunities that technology brings. These strategies can be applied to companies of all sizes, across all sectors. However, the key is for ambitious business leaders to work on getting in the position to make the right decisions and to effect change in the moments that matter for their companies.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Kershaw .