In the realm of transformation projects, conflicts between the business side and the technical side can sometimes arise, causing misalignment and communication breakdowns. In this conversation between D4M and Eric, they discuss the importance of clear goals and objectives for a transformation
program, emphasizing the need for alignment and understanding between business
and IT.
Jean: Have you ever been a part of a project in which the business side and the technical side did
not necessarily see eye to eye? And if so, how did you fix that problem or improve lines of communication?
Eric: First of all, we need to assume that the IT side did our homework, and we did our preparation. If we are prepared, then we will have very clear goals and objectives for this transformation program.
Eric: Second, the goals of the transformation need to be properly communicated and understood so
that by BOTH the business and IT sides. When communicating the goals of the project, both the business side and IT department need to know that the main objective of a transformation project is standardization without jeopardizing the operations.
Eric: Lastly, the underlying objective specific to the transformation programs is to keep the scope and the timeline as close as possible.
Eric: In that way, the whole organization can realize value faster, which is often a major concern on the business side.
Jean: Any additional thoughts about aligning the goals of the business and IT department in a transformation project?
Eric: One last thing: if there is a difference between the perceived goals of the business and IT side of a project, both sides need to properly communicate/understand the reasoning behind to deviate from the original scope and timeline. If the deviation from the goals is caused, for instance, by individuals who have needs to trigger by a legal requirement or end customer requirement that cannot be adjusted to the template/standard process, then both sides need to know its happening to change the plan/bring the both departments back to original outline. This is especially important when dealing with mandatory elements such as legal requirements, contracts, or customer requirements that cannot be modified.
Eric: Then after realizing that, we need to help the business and IT to be aligned. An example might
be when an IT group or team member has the tendency to develop too much of a non-standard solution where the business unit will be in the other/opposite side in this agreement of what needs to be developed.
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