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Relationship with the Business and

Overall IT Governance

Technology is complex and rapidly changing, yet organizations expect their IT services to be
secure, efficient, reliable, up to date, and cost-effective.
This section will cover IT as a cross-functional business unit that is an essential service provider
to the organization. The relationship between the organization and IT should be clearly
understood, and IT governance should be set up to deliver value to stakeholders. Additionally, IT
management should ensure that IT services and projects delivered are monitored for quality and
compliance with laws and regulations that are increasingly disparate and changing rapidly.

In organizational and business activities, IT has become intrinsic to creating value, enabling
competitive services, innovating and supporting critical strategies, and supporting internal devices
and applications. No longer is IT a silo of activity operating with limited contact among
employees, customers, and partners. Business interfaces and transactions, whether business-to-
business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C), are enabled by technologies and IT operations,
such that devices (e.g., PCs, mobile phones, laptops, tablets) are part of daily life at work and
home.

Business Enablement – the Goal of IT

The overriding goal of IT is business enablement, which requires a strong relationship and
understanding of the organization’s business function. Technology enables almost all core
business processes and the direction of IT should align to the organization’s business strategies.
There should be transparency between the organization and IT concerning costs, service levels,
options, and what optimizes and provides the most value to business units and the overall
enterprise.
Because of its fundamental organizational presence and because it operates as a business within
a business, IT leadership should have a “seat at the table” to better understand business
initiatives, strategies, priorities, and changes. IT should participate at the initiation stage of
projects to provide meaningful input regarding key business decisions that will require direct or
indirect IT support.

The chief information officer (CIO) must enable the organization while tactically balancing and
optimizing the direction of IT strategies and architectures.

5 — theiia.org