How you operate and your security are critical when most communications, interactions and financial transactions are conducted and processed digitally. In order to realize the full potential and capabilities of a digital presence, IT governance is required to provide the appropriate digital framework. It can be overwhelming at times, but you can start with these 10 basic steps.
What is IT governance and why is it needed?
IT governance is simply the governance system of the IT industry, where most of the typical roles are the same as in other industries. For example, management hierarchies, reporting structures, business objectives, etc. are most common across industries.
There are some nuances to the IT industry and how it supports almost every other industry, since most communications and transactions are now digital. How communications are handled, secured, and encrypted, the many security protocols that must be followed, how to improve customer experience, and more.
Putting these factors together, it's clear that every business, whether small, medium or large, can benefit from IT governance. With the help of proper governance, seize new opportunities and use them to create value.
1. Selection of frame type
Depending on the goals and vision your company is pursuing, you should choose one of the most popular frameworks such as ISO 2.000, COBIT and ITL. The main function of these frameworks is to guide you through most of the steps in building a functioning organization. These are best practices, so you will want to review a lot of data before going live.
2. Know each framework and understand it to adapt it to your needs
These frameworks are designed to make it easier for you to follow the signposts on your roadmap to success. But who says there can't be detours, rest, and rejuvenation? You can create intersections, roundabouts, and even places where people congregate. Any roadmap is incomplete and inadequate if it does not fit your needs and functionally contribute to your vision.
3. Understand the requirements of IT governance
Now, before you completely transfer the frame to the designer clothing line on the catwalk, you need to know what's actually going on. The first requirement is what does your company want to achieve in approximately six months and how to achieve them by setting short-term goals. Stakeholders and beneficiaries also need to be highlighted in order to understand the overall goals. Continue to address other important factors in this manner, such as budgetary constraints, integration with existing systems, workforce maturity, etc.
4. Redesign when necessary
For example, adapt the framework to your requirements and work structure. When you hit a roadblock, consider some guidelines. Encourage healthy behaviors and practices that benefit your goals without compromising what matters most. These practices will help your business become a larger, more growth-oriented business.
5. Align with business goals
We've addressed this in the previous steps, but your IT pros should ensure that IT governance is not a controlling factor, but rather an encouragement of more effective communication. Define key KPIs that align these combined goals so everyone sees the big picture.
6. Focus on something with more stable functionality
We recognize that making difficult governance decisions is important and that experimentation is necessary but should not be the focus. When making changes and assigning protocols to governance, you should always start with what is functionally best for your goals. As we'll read in other key steps, a commitment to improving tools and practices that have added value and an improved approach to stability will increase their effectiveness.
7. Set an Appropriate Budget
Countless companies spend millions of dollars on marketing and sales thinking the merch might be here to stay. Unfortunately, marketing strategies have limits beyond which there are diminishing returns. Assess your governance needs and allocate an appropriate budget to devote sufficient resources and time. Reconsider the budget every six months so that the entire infrastructure can sustain support.
8. Management involvement
Most companies begin by training executives to use various governance framework approaches. As they become more aligned with company goals and understand the overall implications, they can support teams in restructuring their day-to-day work. Aligning your workflow with strategic decisions can increase efficiency and make more meaningful contributions.
9. Integrate with existing and working systems
Governance works well with the tools and mechanisms your team is accustomed to. You can't ask them to stop using a system that works like a well-oiled machine. This is too much to ask and will prevent them from making valuable contributions. For example, if you already have a suitable communication tool such as MS Teams or Slack, add built-ins to the framework to improve automation and experience instead of porting it to a new tool or system. The same applies to reporting structures and logs such as emails, flags, tickets, admin, etc.
10. Make strategic decisions
Governance doesn't apply to cars. You have to work hard, get things done and decide what's important and when. While this doesn't mean you have to make decisions every step of the way, you can make strategic decisions for long-term key milestones like a roadmap. Another important factor to consider when making strategic decisions is whether certain goals are in conflict due to ambiguity among team members.
Let's recap what we've discussed
If you get it right, you can reap a lot of benefits from effective and efficient governance. The initial goal should be to assess what your team needs to be successful and protect your investment. You'll then examine what areas are valuable and productive, and how to align them with your biggest goals. Tag your senior management to communicate strategic decisions to your team members. Make your team members perform better in a healthy environment and more. These key steps will help you better understand how and why IT governance is critical to business growth.