A high-performance information system (IS) is an essential strategic lever for supporting digital transformation and achieve the company's ambitions. Yet aligning IT with business objectives remains a challenge for many IT departments. Here are 10 practical best practices for achieving this in the long term.
1. 🎯 Understanding the company's objectives
Before taking any action, the IT Department needs to have a detailed understanding of the company's strategy: growth, cost reduction, improving the customer experience, digital transformation, etc. Take part in management committees to anticipate needs and contribute to strategic choices.
💡 Tip: Map strategic priorities over 3 to 5 years to guide IT projects.
2. 🔍 Identify key business processes
Which processes create value for the business? Production, logistics, customer service, marketing... By prioritising those that have the greatest impact on results, the IT Department can focus its efforts where they count.
🔧 Method: Work with the business to map out critical processes.
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3. 📊 Assessing the current state of the IS
Carry out an in-depth diagnosis of your IS: technological maturity, technical debt, redundancies, level of integration, cyber security... This assessment is essential to identify areas of friction or improvement.
🔧 Tool: Use repositories such as COBIT, ITIL or TOGAF.
4. 🔁 Modelling business processes
Digitalisation without modelling means risking drift. Formalise current and target business processes using BPMN or other modelling tools. This will enable a better common understanding between IT and the business.
💡 Tip: Set up co-construction workshops with the business units.
5. Defining a target architecture
On the basis of the objectives and processes modelled, build a target functional and technical architecture (IS urbanisation). It must be scalable, modular and interoperable to support future transformations.
Example: Favour a service-oriented architecture (SOA) or microservices for greater agility.
6. 📅 Drawing up a structured action plan
Turn your vision into a roadmap: which projects? What deadlines? What success indicators? Include quick wins and structuring projects. Align budgets and resources.
💡 Tip: Structure your plan as a portfolio of projects.
7. Setting up an effective management system of the IS
Steering means making informed decisions. Define performance indicators (KPIs), a monitoring committee, steering rituals (project reviews, arbitration committees) and appropriate tools (PMO, PPM, etc.).
🔎 To be continued : Meeting deadlines, ROI, business buy-in, quality of deliverables.
8. 🗣 Communicating and involving stakeholders
IS-business alignment depends on smooth communication between IT and the business. Organise regular meetings, create business sponsors and promote transparency when making decisions.
💡 Good practice: project newsletters, solution demonstrations, summary infographics.
9. 👥 Managing change and supporting users
Getting users on board is a major success factor. Provide structured support: awareness-raising, training, start-up assistance, post-project support.
📚 Example: Online training targeted by user profile, support in the field, video tutorials.
10. 🔄 Adopt a continuous improvement approach
Information systems cannot stand still. Set up feedback loops, analyse feedback and incidents, and continuously adjust your solutions.
🔧 Tool: Implementation of a project post-mortem review process and user satisfaction indicators.
In a nutshell
Aligning the IS with the company's objectives is not a project, but an ongoing process. This presupposes a proactive stance on the part of the IT Department, capable of dialoguing with the business lines, steering with rigour and anticipating needs.