Value of IT services: from support to strategic partnership
26 May 2025
In this material, you will find a structured approach to the development of competencies of the IT leader, depending on the scale of the business-from the startup to large corporations. You will get acquainted with modern tools for describing and creating values: a canvas of a business model, a value for a value supply template and a valuation card. You will learn what guidelines should form a culture of modern IT organization and how to effectively measure the value of IT through key metrics.
Particular attention is paid to the practical aspects of the promotion of IT functions within the company-from regular reporting to effective marketing of your achievements.
Regardless of whether you lead a small IT team or lead a large-scale IT unit, the material offers specific tools and approaches that will help you rethink your role and move from technical support to strategic leadership.
“The strategic partner is not the one who is invited to the table, but the one who himself created the reason to be heard,” George emphasizes.
Key concepts and terms
George began his presentation with key concepts, explained what organization, service, support, plan and strategy are. The latter is a set of elections and actions that determine how the organization will achieve long -term goals in the conditions of a changing external and internal environment. This integrated set of solutions is aimed at achieving a competitive advantage in the selected area. The plan is a list of actions that the organization intends to perform. A plan of strategy should be distinguished. An effective strategy takes into account the competitive advantages and the path to their achievement. The plan is specific steps and actions aimed at implementing a strategy.
Any organization exists to provide services. A service is a way of providing value. It should be valuable for the consumer, for interested parties. An important point: the value of the service is universal, but unique. The same service, the same action, the same product for different interested parties will be useful to varying degrees.
Support is aimed at ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of services. Any leader, starting his professional path in IT, is faced with support issues and gradually grows up to the strategic leader.
The structure of an effective strategy
Strategy is the result of a deep analysis. It includes the development of ways to achieve goals, their definition, evaluation and adjustment, as well as analysis of the current situation. The implementation of the strategy requires the selection of approaches and methods that provide competitive advantages.In this case, it is necessary to understand what the organization seeks to achieve, monitor the results and amendments, the assessment of the internal and external environment of the organization, as well as the development and implementation of the action plan.
To do this, you can use the four -dimensional control model. It provides a comprehensive approach to managing services, which allows organizations to take into account all aspects affecting the provision of values to customers, helps to identify and eliminate narrow places and improve the interaction between IT services management elements.
“A key issue of the strategy is how to win in the chosen market, creating a unique value for customers, otherwise what competitors do?” Says George.
The structure of the effective strategy is simple: analysis, determination of the goal, development of ways to achieve, implementation and evaluation. Any control methodology is based on a classic cycle: plan, do, check, act.
“Strategy is an integrated set of decisions that have to be done. The plan is a list of actions, specific steps, ”says George. -While we are thinking how to become the best Cio among all, someone has long understood, to succeed. He acts, not plans. While we strive for excellence, someone is already acting. It is important to broadcast a strategic vision to the team, creating a common desire for the goal. Each leader should think strategically. Without vision, it is difficult to achieve results. We strive for partnership, act as strategists.”