P2P

57 I L T A N E T . O R G How Other Industries Compare Opkalla consults most often with companies up to 1,000 employees, with IT teams of 1-20 staff members, and in a variety of industries - from healthcare to manufacturing to SaaS to construction. Very few have a streamlined decision making process that isn't frustrating for IT staff and those who approve their budget. Luckily, more industries are appointing dedicated CIOs and CTOs, but still many IT teams are reporting to CFOs and COOs without IT experience. Decisions are heavily influenced by dollar signs, making IT a highly scrutinized cost center rather than viewing IT as an investment in revenue-optimizing activities. At our largest clients, we see IT decision-making separated out into purchasing departments. Decisions are thoughtful and planned out - but they can often be vendor-biased instead of needs focused. At newly merged or acquired companies, IT decisions can be made by people who don't work in IT and are only concerned with their bottom line. At manufacturing companies, IT systems are embedded through every step of the product lifecycle - so IT budget is spent on heavy enterprise systems that don't adapt quickly to an expanding or contracting workforce and eat any other available budget. At companies in the healthcare industry, decisions are led by compliance teams focused on limiting lawsuits, not optimizing IT systems. And at some of our smallest clients, IT decisions are left to their 1-2 IT professionals, but are criticized heavily when something goes wrong. It's incredibly rare for companies to make IT decisions that are 1) led by experienced IT professionals 2) presented to all internal shareholders and 3) happen at a reasonable and efficient rate of change. Adopting a shareholder focused mindset Not all companies have the desire or ability to offer shareholder status to their employees. They do, however, have the ability to build an internal structure that fosters innovation, supports an experienced IT team, and guides IT decisions in a way that benefits not only all employees, but all clients as well. "There's often a very direct correlation between an IT solution and the impact it will have on clients," Geoff explained. Showing that client-focused link to internal stakeholders, whether they are actual shareholders, an executive team, or just the end users you're trying to get on board, can help tie that solution to revenue in their minds. Companies don't need a Board of Directors nor Shareholder Meeting to justify an internal Technology Committee. They need an engaged IT leader and volunteers from each department who see the value of IT and want to be involved in making it better. ILTA Jim Campbell has spent over ten years helping companies navigate, select and implement IT solutions. As a Managing Partner at Opkalla, he works with IT professionals across industries to help them achieve more. From unbiased IT procurement to managed IT services, he leads a team of Opkalla consultants to help clients identify the best IT solutions in a transparent and unbiased way.

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