RequirementCoach

Checklist for Aligning IT with the Business

Alignment is extremely challenging for business and IT, and its on numeroustop issues lists for 2010. Why? IT strategies are increasingly essential tobusiness performance. Its not easy; business & IT units typically workautonomously toward self-set goals and measure performance by independentmetrics. Yet, failure to align leads to frustrating projects, underperformingsolutions, and even project abandonment. Most Common Reasons Solutions Fail:Nearly every IT project failure comes back to poor or insufficientcommunication, but there are several alignment challenges to watch out for:
 Business

Problem is not Well-Defined and Communicated The business problem must be clearly defined and understood before an appropriate solution can be implemented. of Proper Discovery Inadequate discovery of project needs up frontleads to poor decisions down the road regarding technology and processes. Requirements Those who write specifications sometimesmistakenly presume knowledge and omit steps. When specs reach IT, instructionsmay be misinterpreted, resulting in poor technical decisions for which IT isntresponsible, since their job is to follow specifications. of User Participation Although written communications are critical, schedule adequate face time between IT and business teams during each planningand review cycle and as problems surface. Execution The failures exist because there are humans in the process; humans make mistakes, cut corners, and never have unlimited access to all the information they need at every step in the process to make a perfect decision. Due to this, they over promise and under deliver to the vendor, lack quality project management, and do not follow the 3C Rules: communication, coordination & collaboration. or Flawed Testing Testing often gets short shrift due to alack of financial resources. Thorough testing is far more costeffective thanIT redesigning a solution and losing credibility due to insufficient testing. of Managerial Flexibility Regarding Timelines Never force IT tomake a project go live because of a deadline if the projects not ready. Itleads to mistakes, poor performance, and bad morale. of Change Management Requirements do change. A well-planned change to management processes is needed to manage changes to requirements and their impact.

 Lack

Poor

 Lack

Poor

 Inadequate

 Lack

 Lack

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RequirementCoach
 Failure

to Include Key Stakeholders Often, key stakeholders are inadvertently overlooked and their perspective is not considered in developing requirements. This creates several problems, such as missing important requirements which often involves costly rework later or resistance on the part of users to accept the solution because their needs were not considered. Solutions Shouldnt be Forced on Staff Regular communication betweenteams helps everyone feel included and eases adoption. Initiated Projects Run as an Interesting Technical Challenge Business initiated projects may have relatively simple and sensible scopes but get over-engineered by an excessively risk-averse IT department, adding so much cost and complexity that the project exceeds the cost/benefit or technical viability hurdles.

 New

 Business

Project Sponsor Checklist

 Establish

a clear, unified vision. Get input from diverse staffs fromall business areas, as well as IT. Unearth common needs. Make sure yourtechnology strategy, infrastructure, vendor, and IT staff can address them. solutions enterprise-wide, but implement departmentally. Considerhow technology and information can be shared and leveraged. Your decisionswill serve your enterprise better in the long term. that unless your funding and human resources are endless, IThas limits. Create two lists: what must be rolled out and what can beadded later. Revisit the list regularly with IT. your vision in clear, written terms that everyone understands. articulate goals that are financially feasible, realistic, andsupport the enterprise vision.

 Plan

 Understand

Explain

Establish

Project Manager Checklist

 Create

a project plan with actionable goals, realistic timelines,milestones, benchmarks and collaborate with IT, department managers, and vendors. IT staff time to examine departmental business processes. Thisprovides vital information that leads to strong, relevant solutions. expect realistic project timelines from IT unless you provideclear project specifications and indicate the resources youll commit. Adding resources mid-project creates a costly learning curve. Evaluateneeds and make clear commitments. communication gaps. Hold periodic project reviews with IT andstaff to avert or address problems as they emerge.

 Give

 Dont

 Close

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RequirementCoach
 Establish

metrics to ensure IT project performance is measured in waysthat support stated business objectives. Dont gauge success by the amountor level of IT services; measure by the solutions ability to achieve statedgoals. an internal business analyst in the project who understands thebusiness and knows how to use existing equipment and systems. This personcan help bridge gaps between IT and business. drag your feet on providing resources for IT to implement yourproject. If a project takes too long to implement, the need is likely tohave changed, rendering the solution irrelevant. adequate resources for testing. Buying additional hardware orsoftware to test a major IT solution is a minimal investment compared toerrors from insufficient testing. optimize, and make improvements on a regular basis. (Thatgoes for IT, too.)

 Involve

 Dont

 Plan

Evaluate,

Business Analyst Checklist

 Remember

that the purpose of technology in business is to fulfillbusiness objectives. Restate managements goals, objectives, and expectations; be sure youve understood them. time to understand business objectives and how business isconducted, step by step. Your solutions will be more effective. closely for shared departmental needs. Consider how technologyintegrations could streamline infrastructure costs and increase ROI. Helpmanagement to stretch their dollars for maximum effect. youre installing desktop hardware or automating complex processes, makesure business people test the solution, not just IT. to end users. Understand their challenges. Discover whereimprovements can be made.

 Take

 Listen

 Whether

Talk

Project Stakeholder Checklist

Review Listen

and gain an understanding of the projects purpose and objectives.

and be open to new ideas. that because of funding, resource and other limitations, compromises may need to be made.

 Understand Gather

and provide necessary information when requested. input on your needs. Be clear and concise.

Provide  Review

and validate the requirement specifications to ensure that they address your needs. Ask questions if you have concerns. an advocate for the project. involved.

Be

Stay

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