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IT Metrics - Innovation and IT (Innovation in everything we do)

Innovation is a key enabler for productivity but also for change management. Consequently Innovation is a matter of priority for IT organisations while driving change through technology.

IT has to become a major asset for organizations which are looking towards new business models, this independently where these organizations are located or which are their business models. For many years now IT organization worldwide has been focusing on major ERP transformation programmes and some so called Business Intelligence activities, most of them related to a pure 2nd level of management information.

The IT model I’m willing and ready to help you implementing in your companies is the one that uses Innovation as a strategic weapon for people development and mindset redefinition. Is nothing related with technology only but something crossing all the management areas, from programming to customization, from process design to project implementation, but also from strategy definition up to budget control.

In a business world currently focusing on cost control and business optimization is where IT and Innovation within IT can make the difference. The only business driver which will never reach a dead point is innovation. All other management capabilities such cost control, project efficiency and effectiveness, etc will end up somewhere in time in a cul-de-sac. Whether this is because no more efficiency-effectiveness will be achievable using the same managerial model or whether cost control will be no longer sustainable without affecting business operations is not the real matter. The matter is to understand that only by always looking for continuous improvement through innovation is when we can achieve sustainable growth in business.

Hence the need for our IT organizations to become more flexible, agile and open mindset on the way we approach the new business reality. Virtualization, open sources and technology standards are only few of the tools and capabilities we have to use in our daily work if we want to be succeeded. The major difference has to come with a complete managerial change on how we position ourselves and the IT departments within the business. We have to challenge the way IT is understood within our organizations, from a pure technology department to a more business centre of innovation.

Our mind as IT leaders has to remain open to the following principal - Business development and improvement result from innovation, creativity and perseverance, not from an static and monolithic management of systems architecture and people.

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