The IT department at the service of business: breaking out of the technical straitjacket to become a strategic lever
An article by Josselin Ollier, CIO, Groupe JJA
When 75 % of business leaders declare that their company's activities depend heavily on innovation, In today's business environment, rethinking the role of IT is becoming a strategic imperative. An IT department that truly serves the business is an IT department that supports growth and creates a sustainable competitive advantage.
IT departments are generally portrayed as the architects of corporate digital transformation. This vision, while seductive, masks a more complex reality: many IT organizations still operate in a vacuum, sometimes considering themselves indispensable while losing sight of their primary mission. IT must resolutely turn its attention to the business it serves.
Breaking down silos to create value
The first step in a successful transformation is to fundamentally rethink the organization of the IT department. It's no longer a question of structuring teams around technical skills, but of organizing them around business needs. This approach involves deploying Business Partners as close as possible to the business departments, thus creating a permanent interface between IT and the company's operational challenges.
This proximity enables us to move beyond a simple customer-supplier relationship and build a genuine strategic partnership. When IT understands business challenges intimately, it can anticipate needs, propose innovative solutions and proactively support corporate strategy. It's this change of attitude that transforms a submissive IT department into a sought-after performance lever.
Cross-functionality as a driver of efficiency
Beyond organizational silos, a new challenge is emerging. Corporate projects are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. The ability to coordinate cross-functional initiatives is becoming a major differentiating factor. The IT Department must play the role of conductor, ensuring that projects and business practices are coordinated and consistent with business processes.
This cross-functional dimension is particularly critical for structuring projects such as ERP rollouts, which cannot be implemented without perfect IT and business coordination. It's this approach that avoids silos and creates real synergy between the company's various functions.
