Out-Law News 2 min. read
08 Nov 2013, 10:38 am
IT law expert Iain Monaghan of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that a recent survey by Deloitte had highlighted the challenges in finding individuals who have both the technical and commercial nous to drive successful IT projects themselves. He said improving how IT teams and other departments work together within organisations would help businesses overcome the skills shortage and benefit from the kind of transformational change that properly deployed new technology can deliver.
Deloitte surveyed more than 700 chief information officers (CIOs) and IT leaders and found that most (78%) companies' IT budgets have increased or been kept at the same level as last year, with much of the additional money being put towards new digital technologies. Deloitte said that 42% of budgets are being put towards "change or growth activities".
However, the survey highlighted differences between what CIOs and IT leaders believe IT teams can do to support business innovation and their perception of what others in the organisation think of that capability. Three quarters of respondents said they thought there are "significant opportunities for IT to support business innovation" but just 35% – and only 19% of UK CIOs – thought their IT capabilities were "considered a plausible centre for innovative development within their organisation".
Many respondents (45%) to the survey said that their IT teams need to improve their "data and insight capabilities" but the majority (nearly 60%) said they had encountered problems recruiting people who can "think like the business, think strategically and communicate effectively".
Monaghan said that improving how IT teams interact within organisations can prevent new technology being introduced in a way that presents risks to business but said that it was important that people with "commercial nous" are also given a say in the rollout of technology to ensure new systems meet their needs within the time-scales necessary to derive the most benefits.
"IT is at the centre of a lot of business transformation," Monaghan said. "However, there is a perception that keeping pace with technological developments has become too important for IT departments to deal with alone. This perception, whether justified or not, can cause individuals or departments to introduce new technology into a business without consulting with IT teams or CIOs."
"Partnerships are needed between the technologically inclined and the business inclined," Monaghan said. "It may be difficult to find people who unite the two capabilities, but the solution is surely to create an effective partnership in the business between those with commercial expertise and those with technical expertise. Failing to ensure an effective partnership may mean that parts of the business move ahead with new technology rollouts without issues such as their reliability, their interoperability and their security being properly tested."
"This is particularly important given the prominence of data security as a financial and reputational risk and the potential of BYOD and the use of rapidly-developed apps to exacerbate that risk. There needs to be a balance between allowing technology to drive innovation at a rate that suits the business whilst ensuring security and other issues are addressed in an effective manner," he added.