Business Intelligence Applied: Implementing an Effective Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure

Organizational Enablers

ICT is rarely the only enabler that is necessary to bring about successful process improvement or innovation. Typically, an ICT infrastructure, the information that the infrastructure supports, and organizational changes must be well aligned to create a culture conducive to any change initiative. In order to achieve this alignment, a business analyst cannot be just a technocrat. The analyst must interact with the entire organizational structure, know how to garner resources, work within the organization to mediate and advocate for change, and be a party to setting the strategic direction of the organization.

Organizational enablers fall into two categories: structural and cultural.² The major structural enabler used in process improvement or innovation is cross-functional teams that bring sets of skills to change initiatives that aid in its success. Teams can facilitate the following activities:

• Brainstorming, decision making, and structured decisions.
• Group communication (e.g., face-to-face meetings, virtual teams, groupware, teleconferencing, electronic mail, and electronic discussion groups).
• Input of the group through documents produced for the change project.
• Analyses of the processes, activities, and operating procedures of the organization through creating teams with representation from all areas to be affected by the process change initiative.

These cross-functional teams are essential to the success of a process change initiative.

An organization's ...