IT organizations typically set metrics and KPIs for activities they can directly control, such as service uptime, help desk responsiveness, and the time it takes to update a system or fix a bug. “These are all valuable and important indicators of efficiency,” Haddad notes. But because efficiency is a bare minimum for the business, it's never a good idea to try to hide subpar KPIs. “IT leaders need to be held accountable to and share the same metrics as business leaders,” he advises.
Conversely, IT should be able to leverage business metrics to evaluate how well they are supporting critical corporate operations. “For example, if increasing sales is a business goal, IT can ask itself, have we created the tools needed to sell efficiently?” says Haddad.
6. Learn from research
Surveys should be designed with the goal of providing deep insight into the overall business vision, including strategy, key priorities and required capabilities. Palmer notes that IT surveys have traditionally focused on technology and service quality in areas such as help desk support, delivery reliability, system stability and security. But times have changed. Modern surveys need to focus on how IT helps drive the business vision. “The goal is to understand the outcomes you need to win against your core strategy, such as growth, profits, customer experience and innovation,” says Palmer.
