How to assess your IT Management capability to deliver on business objectives? Read On!
A maturity model is a framework that provides a structured way of assessing the as-is situation of an IT organization and deriving and prioritizing improvement measures. There are different types of maturity models, but all share the same goal: to provide a basis for decision making with regard to the direction of further development. In order to achieve this, each maturity model defines a certain number of dimensions (or areas) on which the company’s IT capabilities are assessed. The assessment is based on predefined criteria and is usually carried out by a team of experts. The result of the assessment forms the basis for devising a roadmap with specific improvement measures for each maturity level.
Maturity models serve as a measuring stick for organizations to establish a baseline and track their progress on the journey to better performance. The ideal end state of a maturity model is never actually reached, but it provides a target that pushes enterprises to reach new levels of excellence and competitiveness.
IT management is responsible for designing and utilizing efficient IT systems that improve a company's competitiveness. In IT Management, a maturity model is an important tool for a CIO because it allows them to see their organization's current state, set goals, and plan a path to achieve those goals. It also enables stakeholders to have effective discussions about their goals and approach to reach them. Additionally, maturity models can help CIOs identify the right technological capabilities to deliver on the organization's business strategy.
We refer you to an excellent IT Management Maturity Model with related roles and responsibilities to provide a roadmap to improving IT capability. CIOs can use this maturity model to assess the competence of their IT Organization in five critical functions of IT management.
The IT Management Maturity Model Guide provides:
- A step by step process of creating an IT Management Maturity Model
- A description and understanding of what functions must be included to capture all aspects of IT Management Maturity
- How each of these functions can be used to assess the maturity of the organization within the function
- The characteristics of each level of maturity
- The role of the CIO/stakeholders within the functions at various levels
The guide argues that all attributes and traits across all functions are important and, when applying the model, moving from one level to a successive level for even one trait is beneficial. Organizations can conduct self-assessments using the model and consider sequencing its improvement initiatives.