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Many retail organisations believe that aligning their Information Technology
(IT) with business is their most important challenge, and quite rightly
so. Both, the business and its IT department must be driven by well designed
strategies, but it is also essential that everyone moves in the same direction.
However, you will need more than just an alignment if technology is to
give the business a real competitive advantage. Many retail organisations
that have invested heavily in IT have seen little return on the investment.
The main reason is that benefit rarely comes from systems alone. Far more
can be gained by changing the business to take full advantage of the system
once it is in place. Research indicates that most retailers have failed
to make such business changes, and this is why their investment in IT
did not deliver the expected return. The good news is that they still
have a unique opportunity to get a good return from the investments already
made, at a low incremental cost, as long as they now move to make the
process changes.
So, it is time to make the already available functionality work - it
is time to increase the useability of your systems. A key to success in
this area is the appointment of a System Champion. A senior executive
is required for this role, to drive business change so it can make full
use of the capabilities that IT can deliver. This is an ongoing effort
but the potential benefits are well worth it. The System Champion needs
to work closely with the users, the IT department, and the software vendor
to facilitate the change. But most importantly, the System Champion must
be empowered to make changes in the business process. It is the System
Champion who will create the real return on IT investment. Some analysts
estimate that as little as 30% benefit is derived from IT systems if the
IT department is left alone to maximise the use of systems and to deliver
the benefits. So, get yourself a System Champion - this will be one of
the best investments you have ever made.
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