Information technology — or IT — has come to be regarded as a critical component of an organization's business strategy. In fact, companies may not reach their potential if their IT strategy isn't closely integrated with other business strategies. By collaborating with the business leaders in their organizations, IT managers can create technical solutions that support business objectives and add value to the organization.

In companies where IT and business leaders work together successfully, IT can be used to improve business processes and to drive innovation and change. This often results in new products and capabilities that give the company a competitive edge. So to get the most value from technology, leaders should take an integrated view of IT in their organizations. They can do this by ensuring their business and IT strategies are aligned.

This course can help you evaluate how well your company's IT and business strategies are aligned. It begins by describing the elements that an IT-influenced business strategy typically contains.

You'll find out how you can analyze the current IT situation in your own organization to determine at which stage of strategic alignment your company is.

You'll also learn to assess how your organization currently uses IT — and the value your organization hopes to gain from its IT systems.

Finally, you'll explore some strategies you can use to improve alignment between the activities of the IT Department and the business goals of your organization.

By learning how well the IT and business strategies are aligned in your own organization — and how to improve strategic alignment if necessary — you can help ensure that IT fully supports your business and plays a key role in its future success.

Sorin Dumitrascu