Johannesburg, 29 Mar 2004
META Group kicked off its METAmorphosis 2004 Conference & Technology Showcase in San Diego, Barcelona and Sydney, drawing record attendance at each venue.
This year`s conference, The Adaptive Organisation: Building Value by Remodelling for IT Flexibility, provides actionable guidance on how companies can become adaptive organisations by aligning IT capabilities, costs and goals with those of the business.
Organisations must also be able to sense and respond to change - good or bad - across the entire organisation, truly intertwining business and IT goals and disciplines. Although the basic concepts of being adaptive are well defined, the significant impacts on the underlying architecture, infrastructure, economics, sourcing and performance are not well understood, leaving many organisations wondering how best to take action.
"In SA, with 28 days to go, the registrations for METAmorphosis 2004 are well ahead of the last four years` levels. We believe this increase is a direct influence of the relevance of topics being discussed and the calibre of speakers attending the event this year," says Peter Riches, managing director of META Group South Africa. METAmorphosis South Africa runs from 4 to 6 May at Caesars Gauteng.
To meet every mandate that business throws over the wall, IT`s "house" has to be built on a foundation of efficiency and effectiveness. While some IT organisations (ITOs) have made great progress, others still do not have a rock-solid relationship with their lines of business and are in dire need of renovation work.
"Until the ITO has its own house in order, it will be unable to support the business in exploiting the benefits of becoming adaptive," said META Group Senior Vice-President and Director Karen Rubenstrunk. "METAmorphosis 2004 will sort through all the hype and provide actionable guidance on becoming an adaptive organisation."
An adaptive transformation of the business requires an adaptive transformation of the ITO. This begins with better alignment within the ITO, breaking down organisational boundaries that persist and lead to inefficient processes. This will require a cultural shift to foster more cooperation and less "me" thinking - which can be a daunting task. Success will require investing in change and undertaking it in reasonably scoped projects.
A recent META Group survey of 300 IT and business managers showed over 90% of respondents are involved or plan to be involved in adaptive efforts or technology. The primary reasons for the activity are the desire to drive business-level cost savings (14%), increase revenues (13%), enhance resource utilisation (11%), and improve business processes (10%). There was a clear emphasis on driving cost savings across the study - not just reducing the cost of IT, but also reducing the cost of doing business.
Although organisations are properly placing emphasis on the business benefits of adaptive efforts, many have reservations about execution. Most respondents perceive little to no change in business processes (66%) and business structures (74%). They also identified the biggest barriers to becoming adaptive as a lack of staff support (34%) and too much business process change (30%). For organisations to avoid the risk of falling behind the competition (the number-one perceived risk with 49%), they will have to realise that changes need to be made across business processes and the IT processes that support them. Becoming adaptive must be perceived internally as an "evolutionary" change, because "revolution" scares people away and breeds the perception of pending failure.
"Companies must evolve to become adaptive organisations. Becoming adaptive is a long-term transformation (10+ years) that will encompass business and IT change," said Rubenstrunk.
"Establishing a vision will set the stage for proper identification of what investments to make, and when. Companies that begin renovations now will gain critical agility, have greater command of their IT resources, and become better positioned to quickly - and proactively - meet constantly changing business demands."
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META Group is a leading provider of information technology research, advisory services, and strategic consulting. Delivering objective and actionable guidance, META Group`s experienced analysts and consultants are trusted advisors to IT and business executives around the world. Our unique collaborative models and dedicated customer service help clients be more efficient, effective and timely in their use of IT to achieve their business goals. Visit metagroupsa.co.za for more details.
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