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1 Business-IT alignment assessment Proposed approach and methodology OCTANT 1 Introduction The domain of IT Governance, business-it alignment and process optimization is one of the cornerstones of BUSINESS & ICT CONSULTING. We help our clients improving their performance by applying our comprehensive and state-of-the-art approach, based on best practice methodologies and supported by a fully automated tool, OCTANT. OCTANT help to achieve a clear view on the As Is situation, to define the optimal To Be situation and to draft a realistic roadmap towards a more mature level of Business & IT alignment and an accepted Transition Plan. 2 Approach proposed Our approach comprises six sequential steps. 1. Kick-off Meeting; 2. Definition As-Is Situation; 3. Validation As Is Situation; 4. Definition To-Be Situation; 5. Definition Roadmap; 6. Communication & Knowledge Transfer. 2.1 Kick-off Meeting We start by organizing a kick-off meeting, in this meeting; we describe the proposed approach and applied methodology in detail to the key stakeholders. The purpose of the meeting is to get everyone at the same page, prior to commencing the execution of the mission. We also use this opportunity to minimize the resistance to change. Hence, presence and commitment of top management is critical to the success of the session, as well as to the remainder of the mission. During this meeting the internal sponsor and the interviewees are identified. Usually the interviewees include the top management like the CIO, a selection of clients of the IT services (representatives of the different BU s), and a selection of key users. This list is not exhaustive and is meant to give an impression on the possible people to be involved. We estimate the number of people to be interviewed around 10 to 15. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 1

2 2.2 D e f i n i t i o n As-Is Situation The basis for our assignment is an analysis of the As-Is situation. We do this by means of a documentation review and a series of interviews. First, we gather the key documents that provide insight into the current aspects of processes and governance. It covers both the business and IT and includes, but is not limited to: Strategy Plan; Decision making bodies, relative to the management of (IT) projects and services ; Objectives of the central PMO and interactions with them; Current initiatives taken by the different business units; Organization of IT department; Current demand management and interactions with the business; Current role of IT. We review these documents and take these into account when narrating the As Is situation. Secondly, we conduct the interviews with key stakeholders of the organization. We interview the people one by one and on an anonymous mode. This allows the interviewees to answer honestly to questions that might be perceived as touchy. OCTANT comprises over 200 key questions in the area of IT Governance and relation between IT and business, grouped by: IT Strategy, Planning and Management; Portfolio & Program Management; Strategic Enterprise Architecture; IT Governance Organization Management. Each of the four domains is split into themes comprising a series of questions; each question belongs to one of three categories: Process: How do we execute governance processes? Are we effective? Are there any redundancies? Organization: Are the roles defined and executed? With the right people? Technology: Are things automated if possible? Do we have integrated systems for IT Governance? Business-IT alignment Octant Page 2

3 Answers to the questions are scored between 0 (not existent) and 5 (highly effective). Although the input is stored per person, the results are reported anonymously. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 3

4 2.3 Validation As Is Situation OCTANT allows to view the outcomes of the As-Is assessment via different angles. This includes outcomes per person, the average for all persons, per domain, per category, by maturity level, etc. Our experience shows that these different views are eye openers to our clients. We do not just show the current level of IT Governance or business-it alignment, but we also reveal their perceived levels, which is at least as important. The outcomes of the As-Is Situation are discussed with the management prior to moving to the next step. The screen shots below provide an insight into the various functionalities of OCTANT. Scores of the different themes per domain. Breakdown of the four domains into three major categories: Process, Organization, Technology. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 4

5 The discrepancies among all interviews are highlighted; with an integrated function OCTANT display the scorecard from yet a different angle: spread between the most pessimistic answer and the most optimistic one. These discrepancies are usually explained during an intermediate meeting prior to releasing the final results of the assessment. Once the baseline model has been refined, the current level of IT Governance and Business-IT Alignment can then be determined, both from a global point of view and for the 3 categories: Process, Organization and Technology. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 5

6 2.4 Definition To-Be Situation We organize a number of sessions with key stakeholders (at least including IT management) to define the To-Be situation. The To-Be situation very much depends on the strategy of the organization and on the amount of change the organization is willing to absorb the coming period. OCTANT allows simulating the impact of the To-Be situation. It shows for instance for each IT Governance domain how much progress can be made when implementing certain improvement actions (if an action is executed, the score of a certain domain increases). This unique feature allows tailoring the To Be situation and the resulting roadmap to the exact situation and desired outcomes of the organization. We can focus on the areas that require most attention and/or are most beneficial. Moreover, we can demonstrate up to which extent certain actions contribute to the final outcome! 2.5 Definition Roadmap Once the As-Is and To-Be situation are documented, the roadmap is drafted. The roadmap is a concrete action plan, split into different time boxes: short term (quick wins), mid-term and long term. The actions are prioritized, in alignment with the desired outcome. bigger actions can be converted into formal projects. For each action, we assess the workload, both for the team executing the action and for the people who will eventually be affected by the change. We also assess the budget necessary to realize the actions. Finally, try to determine the possible impact of the various actions on the organization, in close cooperation with the management. This impact analysis is input for the change management plan. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 6

7 Our roadmap not only includes a planning document, but also a comprehensive report in which the actions and the rationale behind them are put into perspective. This Transition Plan is the final outcome of the mission and serves as a basis for any follow up activities in order to monitor progress over time. The table of contents for the Transition Plan: 1. Introduction 2. As Is Situation a. Description b. KPI s As Is (following the domains, themes and categories of the maturity model) 3. To Be Situation 4. Roadmap a. Description b. KPI s To Be (following the domains, themes and categories of the maturity model) a. Short term (quick wins) b. Mid term c. Long term 5. Change Management Considerations (focus on maximum adoption of changes) 6. Implications (budget, new projects, etc.) Business-IT alignment Octant Page 7

8 2.6 Communication & Knowledge Transfer At BUSINESS & ICT CONSULTING we do not deliver one-off services, but we embed change into the organization. We do this by applying a coaching philosophy. During an interactive workshop and a limited number of one-to-one sessions, we transfer the knowledge and communicate to all key stakeholders the relevant aspects of the Transition Plan. This communication includes both the big picture of the ultimate To Be situation, and the role of each individual in the Transition Plan to achieve this To Be situation. We coach your people to ensure they understand the need for change and get them involved i n t o the execution of the Transition Plan. This phase is a critical success factor to the ultimate success of the entire mission. BUSINESS & ICT CONSULTING offers change management services in order to facilitate the smooth transition to improved processes. This helps overcome resistance to change and results in faster and better adoption of process improvement. It contributes to the success of the missions. Business-IT alignment Octant Page 8