When it comes to business technology projects, there are many different ways to approach them. IT executives need to be aware of "what" tech is being deployed and "how" such a rollout is planned to happen. These are important because they affect cost, employee actions and future decisions. However, very few focus on the "why?"
That is the opinion of IT consultant Erika Van Noort. She expressed it in a recent InformationWeek column, Using the framework of a unified communication deployment, she declared that technology investments are about more than just the IT itself.
When she meets with clients, there is silence when the conversation turns to deployment success. Business decision-makers think about it in terms of being on time and budget, and not in how the solutions actually affect daily operations or how employees operate.
"As their roles continue to evolve, IT leaders must accept they're fast becoming 'enablers' of technology in the enterprise, not just 'implementers' of the technology," Van Noort writes. "In the case of UC, this means IT needs to regularly reach out to business users and understand why UC is necessary to meet their goals and objectives. What does success look like to them?"
While Van Noort focuses on business communication systems in her post, this idea can easily be used when talking about any IT deployment. If a company decides it is time to allow access to mobile devices, knowing "why" will ensure the company can optimize the solution. An IT consulting firm that specializes in handling an iPad deployment can help businesses implement the technology.
