How to make your IT family happy

EVERY company's technology situation has unique aspects, yet most companies share a common trait: No matter how much they spend on technology, executives are often disappointed with the results. This creates a tension similar to how Leo Tolstoy described families: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." And with technology spending expected to grow at 3.1 per cent annually over the next five years, information technology (IT) leaders feel intense pressure to deliver better results.

This is particularly true at companies embarking on broad digital transformations and searching for effective and efficient ways to self-fund the expansion of their digital capabilities. How companies achieve cost savings and long-term sustainability depends on their starting point. We find that most IT organisations fall into one of three types: neglected, indebted or gold-plated.

These three archetypes can be helpful as IT leaders think about where to focus their efforts in managing technology spending. Regardless of the starting point, IT leaders should ask three salient questions: