IT Alignment
Bridging Business and IT Strategy
Business strategies and IT strategies are interdependent. IT strategies must follow business strategies (e.g., business processes must be supported by IT). From the other direction, IT investments enable and extend business strategies (e.g., new business models through digital technologies). Both directions must be adequately considered in IT strategic planning.
IT alignment is a capability of IT strategic planning and designates the degree to which the IT investments of an enterprise directly enable and support the business strategy. The objective is to achieve and maintain consistency between business and IT strategies. IT alignment leverages value from IT investments and increases enterprise performance and competitive advantage as a result.
The IT Alignment Guide is a lean and effective framework for IT strategic planning to accomplish and sustain consistency between business and IT strategies. It describes management practices, processes, phases, events, and artifacts for effective application in enterprises.
Features of the IT Alignment Guide:
- It includes best practices for IT strategic planning.
- It is a state-of-the-art framework based on recent scientific findings.
- It is complementary, i.e., it closes gaps and matches other guides (e.g., PMBOK, TOGAF, COBIT, and ITIL).
- It provides flexibility and simplicity in implementation.
The IT Alignment Guide is value-focused to improve the financial performance of an enterprise and increase its competitive advantage. It integrates recognized concepts from strategy management science and the newest research about IT business value, IT alignment, and IT architecture management.
The IT Alignment Guide connects five management practices: innovation management, strategy management, enterprise architecture management, project portfolio management, and project management.
Pictures (Glacier 3000; Costa Rica, New York) by C. Gellweiler
