ITSM Strongly Endorsed by Tech Users
By Pankaj Maru
Mumbai, Mar 26, 2008

Technology leaders, ranging from IT heads to government officials, vouched for the importance of implementing IT Service Management (ITSM) at CXOToday's Power Breakfast held in Mumbai on March 25. With such strong endorsement of the concept, the event started on an encouraging note.

Ajay Alur, sales solution specialist, of HP Software during his presentation briefed the group about the role of ITSM in business.

Sujit Agrawal, VP (Global Architecture and Delivery Information Technology) of Tata Communications and also the moderator of the discussion shared his views and experiences related to the growing necessity of IT automation processes and the changing role of ITES.

"Today, IT is no more a back hand process but it's a front hand business partner. The role of IT is no longer just service provider as IT managers are now consultants in any business organizations," Agrawal said.

He emphasized the need to understand the IT aspect better, even while co-relating IT services with customer requirements, as businesses these days are highly IT dependent and IT has become a core function.

Alur raised a key point of the existing gaps between business demands and IT's ability to meet those demands and deliver desired results. "Strategy, Application and Operations are the key parts in the IT Supply Chain Management (SCM) around which companies formulate its IT budget allocation along with business initiatives," he added.

With each participant sharing their IT perspectives, the discussion got progressively interesting. Amidst this debate, the moderator put forward a Gartner report that focused on a survey of 100 IT companies. According to the report, 60 of these companies owed their success to efficient IT implementation. These 60 companies had grown by 500% and their IT spends were a healthy 10% of their overall budget, the moderator explained.

V. Subramanian, CIO of Otis Elevator Company spoke about the pace of IT with business growth. "Enterprises have to implement e-governance and automate all departments. Use of IT shouldn't be just operational, it should be strategic. There needs to be more compliance and not control, which can make IT more visible in any organization," Subramanian said.

According to Alhad G. Apte, head (Computer Division) of Bhabha Atomic Research Center (Government of India), the government is implementing IT in a major way and using it in its governance initiatives. However, "Compared to the private sector, government bodies have their limitations, the working methods are different. Hence the pace of movement towards IT is more gradual," added Apte.

The discussion gradually led to the acceptance by all the participants of the importance of IT in business functions. The participants also spoke of pain points and challenges faced by companies while planning their IT strategies for alignment with business goals.

"It's important to have internal surveys and service feedbacks that works as effective tools and assist in prioritizing IT services," said Sanjay Khanna, deputy general manager (Shared Services Technology Group) of ICICI Bank.

The group discussed how ITSM should be quantified and parameters for such valuation that can help enterprises draw a comparison of business growth with IT strategy. About the quantification aspect, Pratap S Gharge, VP and CIO of Bajaj Electricials said, "The perception about IT and services in business is that they are equal. However, there are minute clogs even with ITSM that go unnoticed or need some fix or solution."

While on the issue of companies looking at short terms gains with ITSM, the group stressed on adopting a mature approach towards IT. "Technology takes time to mature, hence companies shouldn't expect immediate gains with IT implementation," opined Subramanian.

"Technology can provide long terms benefits to organizations and help drive businesses forward. Hence, the organization has to understand the role and proper implementation of IT, along with business needs," concluded Agrawal, the moderator.

The highly interactive ITSM discussion at CXO Today's Power Breakfast ended on this positive note.


Related Links:

CXOtoday's Power Breakfast Widens IDAM Awareness