These days, constant innovation and improved service delivery are bywords for business success. With IT services growing exponentially, forward-thinking digital transformation has never been more vital.
Fortunately, consumer organisations, IT vendors and academic institutions have devised a solution for transforming the business of IT. IT4IT™ is a vendor-independent open standard that can lower costs, reduce risk and boost evolution across your organisation’s IT landscape.
Achieving comprehensive ecosystem management, delivering more for less and rapidly adopting the latest technologies are CIOs’ dreams. IT4IT makes them a reality. The secret to successful deployment is finding the right IT4IT implementation partner to support you along the way. So, which traits should you look for in your expert IT4IT sidekick?
A clear overview of your IT4IT implementation, from start to finish
IT4IT provides a comprehensive end-to-end blueprint for managing the business of IT. Naturally, its scope can be overwhelming at first, so establishing a clear overview of your IT4IT implementation is key to success. If CIOs aren’t able to explain the deployment in manageable, bite-size chunks, it’s likely to overwhelm business, finance and IT teams alike.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and IT4IT requirements for deployment won’t be met in an instant. The end-to-end transformation will likely span multiple years. Over that time, changes will naturally occur. Issues will come up. Priorities will need adjusting. So, it’s vital to manage expectations and show positive results at each stage. That will guarantee ongoing support and - crucially - funding behind your IT4IT implementation.
So, the right implementation partner will take a measured approach. At DXC, we outline a clear multi-year blueprint to support clear-headed, gradual deployment. Our IT4IT implementation strategies are also devised so that each incremental step brings added value in its own right. This enables CIOs to maintain vital momentum, safeguarding the implementation from start to finish.
An agile mindset when it comes to IT4IT, with a healthy dose of rational thinking
If it’s not managed properly, the sheer scale and potential of IT4IT can provoke resistance to change, resistance to funding the framework long-term and resistance to the collaboration and evolution that’s needed.
Often, employees fail to grasp where to start with IT4IT, where it’s heading and what’s in it for them. So, they hunker down in their silos and refuse to budge. Stasis sets in.
A quality implementation partner will help you avoid this by telling the IT4IT story in ways that align with each segment of your organisation. At DXC, for example, our consultants naturally tune how they introduce the framework to each and every department, so that its potential - and achievability - fully resonates. We’re well-versed in taking on this advisory role, with complete capacity to oversee comprehensive change management.
A global outlook on IT4IT implementation, promoting ongoing collaboration
Overseeing IT4IT requirements for deployment is certainly enough to occupy a CIO’s headspace while the process is ongoing. But life after implementation has to be considered, too.
As we’ve seen, effectively strategising how you’re going to introduce IT4IT - on both a technical and human level - is crucial for its success. But that’s by far the end of the story. Once the framework’s up and running, management and maintenance will top your priority list. So, which would you rather have: an implementation partner that ups and leaves as soon as the IT4IT requirements for deployment have been met, or an implementation partner that’s driven to create an ongoing, supportive partnership?
The right implementation partner will consider the future of your IT4IT framework. They’ll look to construct a mutually-beneficial relationship, to facilitate sharing insights and tackling problems as they arise. What’s more, the right partner will prioritise adding intrinsic value for the client, even at their own expense. DXC, for example, unfailingly indicates when its own on-the-ground IT4IT implementation services are no longer required. Of course, our team still stays on hand to respond to issues and queries, but the client’s independence comes first.
In our experience, major consulting firms tend to point out organisations’ problem areas, then up sticks and leave the client to find solutions. By contrast, DXC actively engages with clients, identifying solutions as well as issues. We pride ourselves on this complete care approach, gladly holding ourselves accountable for delivering on our promises.
A trust-based approach to IT4IT, with reliable continuity built in
Entrusting a partner with your full-scale IT transformation is not a decision that can be taken lightly. With a multi-layered deployment on the horizon, you need to know you can rely on your IT implementation partner for consistent support. Many consulting firms don’t grasp the importance of providing a permanent team for each client’s unique IT transformation. Instead, they use a one out-one in model, constantly bringing in new consultants to manage a single deployment.
As a result, clients find themselves reintroducing and recapping over and over. Clearly, that affects efficiency. More importantly, it also undermines trust. In reality, the client should be able to rely on a dedicated, recognisable team that knows the ins and outs of their transformation.
DXC guarantees a permanent IT4IT implementation team, as we’ve seen that approach propel deployments from strength to strength. We pride ourselves on building highly trusting partnerships with our clients, allowing us to deliver consistent, reliable guidance.
In addition, our trust-based links with our clients enable us to tackle any issues head-on, providing clear and honest advice. This mutual respect lets us go against the grain when needed, always safeguarding our clients’ best interests.
In the right hands, IT4IT implementation is plain sailing
End-to-end digital transformation is no walk in the park. But, with the right IT4IT implementation partner, you can make it a reality while ensuring business stability throughout the process.
Ambitious yet realistic blueprints, agile thinking, a global outlook and trust-based continuity are the core traits of a solid, reliable IT4IT implementation partner.
At DXC, we bring these characteristics to the table for each and every one of our clients. If you’d like to find out more about how our consultants can help your organisation transform with IT4IT, our team would be happy to set up an appointment. We’ll ensure we understand your unique situation and goals to devise the blueprint for your IT future.
[1] IT4IT is a registered trademark of The Open Group
This blog post belongs in the series: IT transformation
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