We commend an article for your review

There is a very good article in the August, 2007 issue of Baseline magazine entitled, "The CIO and CEO, In Sync", by Robert Hertzberg. In it, he lists the "10 core principles" for making IT alignment work. For those of you familiar with our work, these will look very familiar indeed. For others, this is a good starting list.

Comments:

1. I would have some disagreement in the priority order of the items listed, but none with those listed.

2. Certainly the list is not exhaustive as there are some items more important than some of those listed. A couple of these include:
- IT and business working together as a team to identify and prioritize IT projects based on business strategic goals.
- Dynamic review of IT projects against changing business goals (quarterly at best and at least twice a year).

3. On his "Best Practice #2 - Establish an IT Steering Committee" -- We certainly agree with this one. In fact, it is this group that has the power to keep IT and business aligned with business goals (supported of course by the IT/business teams within each of the business units.)

4. "Best Practice #6 - Install a high-level IT liaison in every business unit" -- To us this is the IT team member of the IT/business team within each unit that initiates IT projects for review by the IT Steering Committee. The mixed results we have experienced with these liaisons usually arise because either the wrong individual is assiged, they are assigned at the wrong level, they are given too little authority, or they are given no budget.

5. "Best Practice #4 - Measure the right things" -- of course we think this in critical. You manage what you measure and if IT alignment is not measured you can't manage it.

6. "Best Practice #7 - Distribute a list of ongoing projects to the business as well as IT" -- this is OK as long as these projects don't take on a life of their own and become sacred. When goals change, IT and business must be willing to move on from previously blessed projects.

7. "Best Practice #9 - Create multi-discipliniary teams for high-priority projects" -- When this is done properly, I have seldom seen a project fail. Properly includes (as the author points out) co-location of the team members as well as one point not included e.g. rotating team leadership between IT and business managers depending upon the project's timeline. For example, Business lead during design and IT lead during development etc.

But all-in-all, I commend this article to you. We invite your comments.