IT and the Innovation Imperative
Matt Carlin
Driving Innovation, Optimizing the Customer Experience, and Transforming Enterprises
It's almost a cliché to compare organizations to sharks. While not all sharks need to swim constantly to breathe (though this common misconception makes for a compelling metaphor) and some can swim backwards, the comparison to modern enterprises holds true: organizations must keep moving forward or risk extinction. Innovation is the driving force behind this forward momentum, and history has repeatedly shown us the costly price of stagnation.
The Price of Standing Still
As we have seen time and again, those who fail to innovate, fail. Blockbuster, Kodak, BlackBerry – these once-dominant companies now serve as reminders of what happens when organizations fail to innovate. Executives, today, are acutely aware of this risk. According to PwC's recent Annual Global CEO Survey, “45% of respondents doubted their company’s current trajectory would keep them viable beyond the next decade”
The message is clear: innovation isn't optional. This reality is already driving action, the survey results show “a whopping 97% of respondents [have] taken some steps to change how they create, deliver and capture value over the past five years.”
IT's Unique Innovation Perspective
Within organizations, IT departments are in a unique position to identify and drive innovation initiatives. Their unique vantage point comes from three key advantages:
Cross-Functional Visibility
As a shared service provider, IT teams can bridge the gap across silos. Multiple teams may be struggling with the same issue, but due to the disjointed ways of working never realize the scale of the problem. IT's mandate to work with every area of your business should put them in touch with these diverse groups and help uncover under-reported gaps.
Operational Insight
It is easy to put blinders on as we go through our day to day work and not think about the bigger picture of how an individual's work fits within the organization. IT teams, though, are typically tasked with smoothing the hand-off between systems, forcing them to look at the bigger picture in addition to the day to day tasks that need to be enabled. This macro and micro understanding of how operations work puts IT in a key position to understand where innovation can dissolve operational bottlenecks.
End-User Proximity
Finally, IT can be a bit of a punching bag for end users. We hear when something isn't working, or its frustrating to use or when a process just doesn't make sense. If we take the time to consolidate pain points, frequent issues, and unstructured feedback, we have a direct line to areas where innovation can make an immediate impact on our employees' and customers' lives.
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Best Practices for IT Lead Innovation
If you are a technology leader looking to spearhead innovation, consider these five helpful practices:
1. Foster Cross-Department Collaboration
2. Implement Structured Innovation Processes
3. Build an Innovation Culture
4. Apply Agile Principles
Innovation takes many forms. For some organizations, it might mean introducing cutting-edge products. For others, it could involve streamlining processes or adopting more flexible business models. The key is understanding that innovation isn't a one-size-fits-all concept.
IT departments, with their unique perspective and technical capabilities, are ideally positioned to become engines of continuous innovation. By leveraging their cross-functional visibility, operational insight, and end-user proximity, IT teams can drive meaningful improvements that enhance efficiency, boost satisfaction, and maintain competitive advantage.