* Report delves into how IT leaders can best contribute to the top-line growth of their organizations
There are many different ways for companies to grow revenue, and the trick as CIO is figuring out how you can use your IT resources and staff to help enable that growth. A recent report from Gartner Executive Programs (EXP) delves into how IT leaders can best contribute to the top-line growth of their organizations.
The report, “The Seven Layers of Growth,” maintains that CIOs must adapt a growth-oriented mindset and enable enterprise growth through each of the main drivers.
“IS organizations have traditionally been focused and resourced to provide reliable, efficient services to help run their businesses,” says Dave Aron, vice president and research director for Gartner EXP. “However, there are opportunities and, in some cases, imperatives for CIOs and their IS organizations to take a greater part in enterprise top-line growth.” He continues, noting that CIOs must organize and apply scarce IT assets and staff to contribute to corporate growth.
Key is understanding what the planned and likely growth levers are, according to the report. For each of the seven growth levers, the opportunity for IT enablement are as follows:
* Operations improvement: Strengthen operational systems
* Product innovation: Provide flexibility in enterprise applications
* Capitalization on channels: Architect for multiple channels
* Targeted customers and markets: Build scalable infrastructure and apps
* Corporate acquisition: Ensure agility to absorb new business
* Connection of the ecosystem: Build a plug-and-play architecture
* Creation of blue oceans (a business strategy for creating untapped markets): Provide innovation and collaboration tools.
Here are a few recommendations from Gartner on how to prepare your company for growth:
* Identify enterprise growth levers and where IT should contribute.
* Instill deep business knowledge and behavioral capabilities in IT. Contribute proactively to business project definition and prioritization.
* Move past traditional project management.
* Help your staff shift the mindset from “order taker” to venture capitalists who focus on maximizing the value of IT investments.
