MARCH 2020CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM9governed by people separated from the reality on the ground, and by one-size-fits-all solutions that do not allow for variations in customer requirements. On the other hand, a purely Business-Driven approach can lead to needless duplication of effort, higher costs and risks without increased benefit, and may even result in areas working at cross-purposes.Additionally, where the Centralized approach can provide cost savings and greater consistency across the organization, being Business-Driven can foster speed, creativity and innovation. Certain characteristics from each end of the spectrum offer compelling advantages. I will use the rest of this article to describe a structured approach to help decide what's best for your organization.A Structure for Making DecisionsWith an awareness of the spectrum, it makes sense to consider a number of options that fall on different points along that spectrum to frame thediscussion on which way your organization will go. There are doubtless many other organizational configurations that could be considered, but I suggest the following as a starting point. · Option 1 ­ Purely Business-Driven organization: This option represents the right end of the spectrumemphasizing dedicated resource pools, mission/purpose-driven strategies, a high level of flexibility and responsiveness, and processes geared toward specific business goals.· Option 2 ­ Exception-based Business-Driven organization: This option is primarily Business-Driven, but allows for Centralized exceptions that take advantage of enterprise services where it makes most sense for each particular business unit within the organization.· Option 3 ­ Hybrid: Functional organization: This option falls in the center of the spectrum attempting to balance the trade-offs that increased centralization brings for the business unit and the enterprise.·Option 4 ­ Exception-Based Centralized Organization: This option is primarily centralized, but allows for Business-Driven exceptions to centralization for high-profile, unique programs. This option acknowledges that supporting the unique systemrequirements of a single program could be disruptive to all other programs in the enterprise. · Option 5 ­ Purely Centralized Organization: This option represents the left end of the spectrum requiring a shared resource pool, a standards-driven approach, a high level of repeatability, a high level of structure, and processes oriented toward effective use of technology.With the options defined, we can now add assessment criteria and score each option against those criteria. An example of assessment criteria could bePeople, Processes, and Technology, with various sub-criteria that support the discussion. To demonstrate the process, I am using an analysis structure we used in early preparations for the 2020 Census, and showing only the Technology criterion. I suggest the graphic approach below, scoring elements in relation to your organization's capabilities from "relatively less able" to meet the criteria (clear circle) to "relatively more able" to meet the criteria (filled-in circle). This technique should reflect your organization's historical or research-based indications of relative ability. Ultimately, both filled-in and clear circle options are potentially valid choices from an organizational point of view.Technology Options Assessment ExampleThis criterion seeks to address the ability of the organizational model to manage technology and adhere to standards while balancing the responsiveness to individual business area demands.Any number of criteria can be considered and included in this approach. The point is to provide a stable foundation for the best possible discussion and decision in the context of your organization's strengths, weaknesses, and goals ­ and I believe we can all use a little more stability in an IT world that, first and always, promises changing times.
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