Treating IT as a Business

Is your Information Technology Services (IT) function today treated as a support department or is it run like a business? If you are interested in understanding the difference, please read on.

HMG is about "business performance enhancement" in all elements of a company, so why is the business of IT always excluded in this conversation?  At HMG it isn't.  The business of IT and making your IT organization operate at optimum performance, while driving both the tactical and strategic needs of the organization it serves, is what we are all about.

Operating IT as a business basically mirrors how HMG approaches and subsequently manages our clients.  In order to be successful, the IT outsourcing provider has to figure out how to develop and manage an IT strategy and plan that complements the overall business strategy, provides high quality services at the lowest possible price points, and continuously measures and manages to performance standards.... all while trying to make a fair profit for the parent company.

When run as a business, the IT organization will have a structured and disciplinary approach as to how they are governed.  They will formally measure and report performance, both internally and up the chain, to the organization's leadership and be strategically integrated with all key business decisions.  The IT organization will be driven by an "operational excellence model" which will constantly turn the screws tighter every day (i.e.,  more with less) and will incorporate quality measures and reporting into almost everything they do.

This approach requires IT leadership that is energized around deploying and managing to best practices; that looks not at building a power base, but rather at operating as effectively and efficiently as they can while serving the needs of the organization. They are as relentless at achieving the business goals of the organization as are the senior leadership and are willing to measure and report openly how effective or ineffective they are.  Most importantly, this leadership must recognize their shortfalls and build in a continuous improvement process around everything they do.

HMG is about the business of IT --- so let us help you make your IT function run as a business.