Tug of War Between Business and IT Over Digital Advancement

Author
Natalie Hahn
Publication Date
16 August 2019

Tug of War Between Business and IT Over Digital Advancement

Remember those middle school “field days” where everyone was excused from classes and forced outside to compete in games and athletic competitions? And tug-of-war was usually against that other homeroom team who thought they had the cooler kids and who always won the hot dog eating contest. 

Or was that just my school?

Anyway… That memory often gets stirred up for me when we talk to IT and business leaders about preparing for the digital future. The two sides may share a vision for what this future looks like and is capable of, but are often at odds when it comes to time frames, budget and the ability to execute against that vision. 

Business wants to plunge ahead into creating powerful, engaging digital experiences today. They need this agility and broad support to be competitive, to drive customer loyalty and to effectively grow the business. And they need it NOW. IT wants to build a flexible digital platform that meets the demands of business but is also stable, secure and compliant.  This takes thoughtfulness, budget and TIME.

And I’m not the only one who has noticed this challenge. In fact, Forrester recently highlighted the issue in a report  from earlier this year. When they surveyed enterprise software decision makers they found that while security and budget were the number one (36%) and two (33%) challenges they faced when orchestrating a software strategy, inflexible culture and lack of alignment between IT and business were a close three (27%) and four (26%) - From: Jones, Duncan. “Create A Collaborative SaaS Migration Road Map That Is Fast, Not Perfect.” Forrester, 2.19.2019.

So how do we move ahead from here?

Both sides are very much right in their priorities and desired outcomes. But when not truly aligned in their discussions, a tug-of-war takes place over expectations, timing and resources. Here’s where an outside resource can play a critical role. By keeping all parties focused on what initiatives and activities will truly drive forward business growth, we can come to an amicable alignment and prioritize next steps.

If you’re tired of the push-pull and just want to move your business forward, come talk to us. At Mobiquity, we build bridges between IT and business teams, ensuring everyone is in the same race, aligned with the same strategies and cheering each other on as they reach the finish line. 

Let our expertise complements yours

We believe that addressing customer challenges gives you opportunities to delight. Using our proprietary Friction Reports and  strong industry expertise, we dig deep into customer sentiment and create action plans that remove engagement roadblocks. The end result is seamless, relevant experiences that your customers will love.