Who is Stealing Your BSM Thunder?

CIOs must involve IT directors and IT managers in BSM strategy and implementation. But delegating BSM to an IT Director is rarely the best approach. BSM cuts across all groups within IT and also links with the business. This calls for CIO leadership. CIOs must also recognize that the CEO, COO and business line managers are key stakeholders for BSM and work closely with them. If the CIO wants to earn and retain a seat at the executive table, he or she must provide clear value to the business through programs such as BSM.

IT leaders today are not only responsible for delivering technology but delivering technology based services that support the most critical business needs. CIOs in particular can be left behind if they are not driving initiatives to support improved business performance.

To establish or maintain leadership, CIOs need to think and act ahead of others that have a stake in BSM. The idea is not to create an internal political competition for BSM ownership but to establish leadership where it most belongs. BSM adoption is best initiated by the CIO. However, the CIO alone (or even the IT organization alone) cannot drive BSM without broader support. CIOs need to stay involved in BSM adoption and make sure the right people and job functions are included. Otherwise someone else may steal their BSM thunder – and perhaps their job.

Paul Burns is a senior analyst with Boulder, Colorado-based Enterprise Management Associates (www.emausa.com), an industry research firm focused on IT management. Paul can be reached at [email protected]