IT plays an essential role not only in project management, but also in the management of a company (regardless of its size). The modern role of the CIO (Chief Information Officer) attempts to do justice to this situation by having a C-level manager specifically responsible for IT matters – at the highest level. This includes ongoing projects, process models, quality assurance, IT strategy, employees who work in the IT environment, budgets, change management, infrastructure, security and data protection – in other words, a “huge bouquet” of topics.
Process models
In contrast to software engineering, process models for IT management also describe those aspects that are not directly related to the creation of software. Typical areas in which process models are required are: Documentation, quality assurance, IT operations, employee training, strategy development. Choosing a model that suits the company or project lays the foundation for successful IT and enables CIOs to manage resources, budgets and deadlines. Without suitable process models, planning (and rescheduling) budgets, resources and deadlines takes on dimensions that are no longer manageable and can lead to project postponements, budget overruns or resource bottlenecks.
Subject areas
IT plays a central role in every company or project area. Managers are often non-specialist, i.e. their core competence is not primarily in the implementation of IT topics, but rather, for example, in the development of new products. in finance or in traditional business administration. Nevertheless, managers are expected to be able to familiarize themselves with every topic, set up teams to provide support in an advisory capacity and thus also make non-technical tasks “manageable”. Due to the multi-layered and sometimes highly complex topics, CIOs often build an organization of confidants and consultants who, on the one hand, translate specialist terms and concepts and, on the other hand, make the necessary framework aspects of individual decisions transparent. In the area of strategy, too, trusted advisors and consultants with experience are essential for successful implementation.
Communication
In the IT environment, appropriate communication is a key component for the success of projects or companies. Computer science in particular has produced a very technical language with many technical terms, formulations and concepts that users or managers are often unable to understand. But the specification of requirements or the introduction of newly developed or procured software also pose enormous challenges for communication. As an IT manager, it is your job to ensure that communication barriers are removed, that everyone involved finds a common understanding (and a common language level) and that information flows are organized quickly and efficiently. Experience shows that transparent and targeted communication makes things much easier and improves quality – but putting this into practice is a challenge that should not be underestimated.