We frequently interact with companies that experience a disconnect between their IT departments and executive teams. While company leadership usually agrees in principle that technology is important, they often don’t see the full business value of specific IT initiatives.
By effectively articulating how technology strategies contribute to operational efficiency, competitive advantage, and overall growth, IT leaders can foster understanding, support, and investment from their leadership teams, ultimately driving innovation and success across the organization.
To show the value of IT for your business, be sure to:
- Be accessible and transparent
- Show the ROI of IT
- Demonstrate IT’s competitive advantage
- Make informed decisions
- Remember that all companies are technology companies
- Know your customer
- Talk about cybersecurity
Communicating the Business Value of IT
To truly showcase the business value of IT, you need to focus on being accessible and transparent while actively connecting with stakeholders and learning their needs. It’s also important to tailor your messages for different audiences, ensuring that everyone understands how IT impacts them. Plus, highlighting cybersecurity measures can help everyone feel more secure and promote a culture of innovation within the organization.
1. Be accessible and transparent
One of the most critical steps leaders can take to demonstrate IT’s business value is to ensure accessibility. Unlike stereotypes of IT professionals who stay siloed from the rest of the organization, your role demands active engagement and availability.
It is essential to have a thorough understanding of your stakeholders’ needs from IT. This allows you to be proactive in addressing their concerns and resolving issues. When questions arise regarding processes or decisions, seek additional details to fully understand their requirements. This approach ensures that you consistently deliver the highest level of service.
Maintaining transparency is also crucial. Regularly share project updates and reports with the entire organization, even if everyone isn’t reviewing them. Their availability signals openness and accountability on your part. Transparency fosters trust, and trust is the foundation of effective communication.
2. Show the ROI of IT
Communicating the business value of IT involves effectively demonstrating the ROI of IT initiatives. This is essential for focusing on the quantifiable benefits your investments bring to business operations. Rather than merely tracking financial expenditures, consider how IT solutions contribute to operational efficiency and productivity.
For example, implementing an advanced email filtering system can significantly reduce the time employees spend managing unnecessary communications. By blocking an average of 100 irrelevant emails daily across an organization, this system could save approximately two weeks of productive time annually. Such tangible outcomes provide compelling evidence of IT’s value, enabling you to make informed decisions about future technology investments.
This approach not only highlights the financial benefits but also underscores the strategic alignment of IT with broader organizational goals. It ensures that investments yield meaningful returns and support the organization’s long-term business objectives.
3. Demonstrate IT’s competitive advantage
Leveraging IT as a competitive differentiator can be a powerful driver for organizational growth and success. In the modern business landscape, pioneering IT initiatives can provide a significant strategic advantage. Your organization can position itself as a market leader by identifying and implementing innovative technological solutions ahead of industry peers.
Occasionally a great buy-in for your IT strategy is that you can beat your competitors to an innovation. This first-mover advantage enhances operational efficiency and creates unique selling propositions for sales and marketing teams.
Emphasizing the potential for industry differentiation can be another compelling argument when presenting IT strategies to stakeholders. Executives should consider how proposed IT investments can set the company apart from competitors, potentially leading to increased market share and brand recognition.
4. Make informed decisions
It’s not enough to merely track emerging IT trends—you need to understand the underlying reasons for their emergence. This comprehensive understanding and communication of IT’s competitive advantages ensure that technology investments are aligned with long-term business goals, ultimately driving growth and innovation.
While some trends may be fleeting fads, others offer substantial business value and warrant investment. By critically evaluating these trends, executives can articulate the rationale behind their decisions to stakeholders, demonstrating a commitment to strategic, data-driven choices rather than trend-following.
This approach enhances the credibility of your IT initiatives and fosters a culture of informed decision-making throughout the organization. Educating all levels of staff on the business value of IT trends can improve company morale and support, aligning everyone with the organization’s strategic objectives.
5. Remember that all companies are technology companies
The integration of technology into core business operations has become indispensable, transcending traditional industry boundaries. Without technology, modern businesses would struggle to function effectively, as it serves as the backbone of operational efficiency and strategic growth.
As our CEO Brian Strong pointed out in a recent interview:
One thing we talk about when discussing why IT is so important is that we really all are technology companies that do something else. If you took away your technology, could you function? We’re not going to get atlases anymore, right? Those days are over. Those days are gone. Technology and how we use technology is really the centerpiece of how we function as businesses and then we happen to do whatever that function is.
By embracing this perspective, your company can better align its technological investments with its overarching goals, ensuring it remains agile and competitive in an ever-evolving market.
6. Know your customer
When communicating the business value of IT initiatives, it is crucial to tailor the message to the specific interests and priorities of each stakeholder group. Executives and decision-makers must recognize that different levels of the organization have varying concerns and motivations.
While broad organizational benefits are important, articulating how IT solutions directly impact individual roles and responsibilities can significantly enhance engagement and support. You can more effectively demonstrate the relevance and importance of technology investments by aligning the communication of IT value with stakeholders’ personal and professional interests.
This could be based on:
- Operational efficiency
- Cost savings
- Competitive advantage
This targeted approach ensures that the business value of IT is understood and appreciated across all levels of the organization, fostering a culture of technological adoption and innovation.
7. Talk about cybersecurity
Cybersecurity considerations permeate every aspect of IT infrastructure, making it a critical factor in all technology-related decisions. In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity threats pose significant risks to organizations of all sizes, potentially impacting:
- Financial stability
- Operational continuity
- Reputation
By highlighting how IT initiatives enhance cybersecurity measures, you can demonstrate tangible value to stakeholders. Articulating the cybersecurity benefits of IT investments addresses a universally recognized concern and aligns with regulatory compliance requirements and customer expectations.
To effectively demonstrate the business value of IT, prioritize accessibility and transparency while engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs. It’s vital to communicate the ROI of IT initiatives and leverage technology for a competitive advantage. Tailoring messages for different audiences and emphasizing cybersecurity can enhance understanding and foster a culture of innovation.
