Matching IT with a business’ risk profile moves IT back into the business Once a full picture of the IT estate has been built along with the dependencies between IT and the data centre facility, better advice can be provided into the business based on matching the available options to the business’ own risk profile. This way, IT becomes a trusted advisor to the business where facilitation is now key – rather than a constraint to the business where fear of change makes the IT department or facilities management far more likely to say “No” than “These are the options”. 

Granular cost models enable the business to make informed decisions With budgets under severe pressure not only at the IT level but all the way through the business, organisations have to be able to take decisions based on a whole set of variables. Only through the provision of information based on highly granular data can IT ensure that what it is advising the business can be discussed sensibly and the correct final decision reached.

To respond to the business’ needs, IT has to move towards a far more dynamic and meaningful means of predicting the impact and cost of change and in advising the business on which technologies and technological approaches make the best sense to match the business’ needs and fit within its risk profile.

With around 70% of an average IT budget being spent on maintaining existing systems, it is obvious that savings can be made. However, without a full knowledge of the technical and business impacts that any change will create, the impetus for change tends to be strangled by the inertia of the perception of safety in just continuing as things are. This then creates a spiral of problems for the business – strategic aims cannot be maintained within the timescales dictated by the market, leading to losses to competitors who are more nimble and fleet of foot in the market. Such losses mean that the business has to look to further savings, and IT can only maintain its position for so long.

By providing a set of alternatives to the business, all couched within terms of value, cost and risk, IT provides a full service to the business. Rather than being seen as constraint to the business, IT becomes a true facilitator. The business is back in control, IT makes sure that it is has the competitiveness that its business strategy demands.

Predictive modelling is the only way that this can be carried out effectively.