Capturing Business Awareness
Design information collation principles so that the IT function can recognize and comprehend relevant changes as they occur in the rest of the business — for example, this could include new business plans or project reports. Identify and develop tools and approaches to support this feedback loop.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Capturing Business Awareness at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Outcome
- IT is unaware of the information it requires from the business, and lacks any process for capturing information.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Define information requirements and sources from standard corporate reports (e.g. annual financial statements, etc.).
- Outcome
- IT is able to obtain a very basic understanding of the business.
- Metric
- % relationships with defined information requirements
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Define and document formal and informal business-level information requirements for all key areas of the business (e.g. business plan, goals, budgets, etc.) in agreement with business.
- Outcome
- IT has basis for understanding the processes, structures, and goals of the business .
- Metric
- % relationships with defined information requirements
- Practice
- Define and implement collection methods for information requirements for all key areas of the business in agreement with business.
- Outcome
- IT has repository of up to date information on the organization.
- Metric
- % relationships with defined collection paths
- Practice
- Ensure forums exist to discuss business requirements on both a major project level and also for minor changes to existing systems
- Outcome
- IT has a full picture of business requirements across all areas of the organization.
- Metric
- Y/N change forums exist
- 4Advanced
- Practice
- Define and document formal and informal information requirements for all areas of the business (e.g. business plan, strategic plan, key business projects, performance reviews, organizational changes, budgets, etc.) in agreement with business.
- Outcome
- Consistent view of information requirements shared by both IT and the rest of the business.
- Metric
- % relationships with defined Information requirements (agreed by business)
- Practice
- Define and implement collection methods for information requirements for all areas of the business in agreement with business.
- Outcome
- Formalized process for collecting information from the business.
- Metric
- % relationships with defined collection paths
- Practice
- Create a list of all of key issues facing the business and their respective IT priorities in conjunction with the business.
- Outcome
- IT possesses a detailed understanding of the complexities facing the business.
- Metric
- % relationships with issues identified
- Practice
- Prioritize and review all changes to existing systems and requests for new systems/projects against strategic IT/business goals through the IT/business forums.
- Outcomes
- IT resources are continually optimized to ensure that business needs are met.
- This optimization exists for new large it projects as well as minor changes to existing IT systems.
- Metrics
- # forum meetings held.
- Frequency of forum meetings.
- # changes captured, approved, and implemented.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Update information requirements definition for relationship management continuously, within a defined review period.
- Outcome
- Relationship management information requirements are kept up to date, reflecting any changes in processes within the business.
- Metrics
- Lead time to introduce change.
- # changes processed.
- % reviews overdue.
- Practice
- Distribute information collected to relevant parties within IT via automated means.
- Outcome
- Relationship management information is communicated to a wider audience facilitating the IT decision making processes.
- Metric
- % IT satisfaction with relationship management capability
- Practice
- Ensure IT works in partnership with the business to develop mutual understanding of business requirements and proactive response to those needs.
- Outcome
- Investments in IT are optimized to ensure that the business is getting a return for its investment and keeping existing systems current.
- Metrics
- # forum meetings held.
- Frequency of forum meetings.
- # changes captured, approved, and implemented.
- # reviews of major investments.