Ashish Pachory - Aligning Technology with Business for Digital Transformation

Aligning Technology with Business
for Digital Transformation

Aligning Technology with Business
for Digital Transformation

Plugging in IT to Light up your Business

Ashish Pachory

Aligning Technology with Business for Digital Transformation: Plugging in ITto Light up your Business

Copyright Business Expert Press, LLC, 2020.

Cover Image Credit: Golden Sikorka/shutterstock.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by anymeanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations, not to exceed 400 words, without the priorpermission of the publisher.

First published in 2020 by

Business Expert Press, LLC

222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017

www.businessexpertpress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-94999-176-5 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-94999-177-2 (e-book)

Business Expert Press Information Systems Collection

Collection ISSN: 2156-6577 (print)

Collection ISSN: 2156-6593 (electronic)

Cover and interior design by Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd.,Chennai, India

First edition: 2020

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America.

Abstract

Over the last decade, digital technology has made deep inroads into every walk of life, but perhaps nowhere more than in the world of business. Enterprises must ride the digital wave without losing their grip on the business basics required to stay afloat. Technology now plays an enhanced role in driving business success, creating an entirely new paradigm in which business and technology are inseparable. In this backdrop, businesstechnology alignment is not a slogan or platitude, but a reality brought upon us by compelling and irreversible changes in our environment.

Aligning Technology with Business for Digital Transformation is an intuitive and practical guide to discovering the power of businesstechnology alignment in the digital era, arguably the most decisive, yet overlooked factor in determining digital enterprise success. Gleaned from decades of experience with global corporations that have shaped the current businesstechnology landscape, the book covers an indispensable organizational requirement in a simple and relatable way. The basic concepts talked about in the book remind us of the need to seamlessly intertwine new technology with business basics as a sure success formula.

Businesstechnology alignment is applicable to every member of the digital workforce, as well as those aspiring to become a part of it in the future, and not just the experts and leaders. Hence the book treats the subject in a generic way, focused on orientation rather than specialization. The clearly articulated ideas and insights, relevant examples and stories, and the self-diagnosis tools and exercises presented in the book should, therefore, help not only organizations in unlocking their true potential but also individuals in building the skills and aptitude necessary for succeeding in the digital world.

Keywords

alignment; aligned to win; business-technology alignment; business-IT alignment; business-IT integration; career; chief information officer; cloud computing; customer experience management; customer lifecycle management; digital business; digital economy; digital education; digital enterprise; digital mindset; digital technology; digital transformation; digital vision; digital workforce; enterprise mobility; future of work; ICT; information technology; innovation; IT for non-IT; IT services; new-age IT; outcome-based IT; SMAC; technology for business; technology management; transformation

Contents

One of my hardest decisions yet was to step down from corporate life into the uncharted world of writing, to fulfill an abiding passion. The support and encouragement I received from my family, most notably my mother, Mrs. Madhuri Pachory, and my wife Seema in this difficult transition is invaluable. It is what made this book possible. I, therefore, dedicate it to them with gratitude and pride.

Behind every story and anecdote in this book are people who lent me their time and insights through interviews and survey responses, patiently bearing with my persistence. Without their support, the narrative would have been incomplete, or at best, obscure. I wish I could name all these people individually and express my deep gratitude but am bound by confidentiality.

This book is but a compilation of the ideas, thoughts, experiences, and stories of the many wonderful people with whom I was privileged to share my long professional journey. Many of the life lessons that make up the essence of this book are drawn from these brilliant folks who will never cease to inspire, and to whom I shall be forever indebted.

Writing a book is not a road on which you travel alone. To all who have walked beside me on this exhilarating path, I can only say this: Thank you for being the wind beneath my wings.

Great things happen at intersections. Some of our finest creations are a product of intersecting ideas. Think about it. On its own spoken language was a great idea, but when intersected with the human aptitude for sketching, it gave us writing and thus a way to chronicle information. The rest, of course, is history! The idea of the internal combustion engine when intersected with improved production processes gave us the automobile revolution. Electric power and vapor compression crossed paths to create refrigeration, which, in turn, intersected with shipping to alter the eating habits of people around the world. More recently the intersection of telephony with radio has given us the mobile revolution. Mobile technology has intersected with computer software to place a smart device in our hands that has changed our socializing, banking, and shopping ways forever. It has also replaced many older deviceslike camera, video recorder, audio player, calculator, alarm-clockby further intersecting with advances in micro-miniaturization. The possibilities are limitless.

The magic of intersection has worked in professions too. Through much of history, though, occupations have existed in isolationoften under a religious authority or diktatunable to realize their combined potential and forge new advancement. This was probably the root cause for the Dark Ages (circa 500 to 1500 AD), a period of human history almost devoid of economic or scientific advancement. Cross-fertilize or perish is the clear message to us from our past.

Fortunately, we have learned some lessons from history. We do understand now the value of collaboration and teamwork in our day-to-day business. For many of us, our careers have been liberally interspersed with pursuits aimed at improving cooperation among cross-functional task forces and teams. There is negligible emphasis on achieving alignment, however, since this is assumed to be a derivative of teamwork. As we shall explore in this book, alignment goes much beyond teamwork. Let us look at some quick points of difference between teamwork and alignment in .

Table 0.1 Teamwork and alignment