In the enterprise world, there is a long-held stereotype that business teams are constantly at odds with their IT counterparts. Friction between the two sides often boils down to a lack of understanding of what each team actually needs out of the relationship. A careful balance has to be struck to ensure that both IT and business concerns are addressed in a way that benefits both, as well as the customer.Â
The still-popular but antiquated model of interaction between business and IT groups often begins at the start of the fiscal year. Business users have a wishlist of new features and functionality that is bursting at the seams, but the IT team first has to approve those ideas and then find room in the budget, if any exists.Â
A long waiting period could force business team members to find a shortcut, often in the form of a costly new purchase or a patchwork of existing features that may — but in most cases do not — work well together. When some cog in the new software solution eventually breaks down, it is up to IT to fix it, further delaying work on the requested features.Â
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There is frustration on both sides, but it is the customer that ultimately pays the price. A poor user experience, extended downtime, and delays to new features may drive customers away or, at the very least, give them a poor impression of the company as a whole. Here is how balancing business needs with IT’s concerns can transform the customer experience and the steps your organization can take to do so.
Work Together
This one sounds so simple and obvious, but it is extremely nuanced. You have to start by finding what is preventing the business and IT teams from feeling like they are on the same team. It often comes down to some basic organizational structures and workflows that can be modified to everyone’s benefit.Â
Rather than treating IT like a steakhouse, where business users place their order and then wait for the solution to be delivered (only to realize that the solution is medium-rare when they thought it would be medium), the two sides should approach the problem with iteration in mind. Working on a solution together and making sure both sides are comfortable with the progress and expected result would ensure that the solution is exactly what is needed.
This requires IT to feel comfortable showing off prototypes and early-stage versions of their work and the business users to give their honest feedback in a timely manner so that work can advance at a fast pace. Once the solution is fully built, it should be a perfect fix to the problem rather than a “better than nothing†upgrade.Â
Keep Customers Top-of-Mind
It is easy to forget that when making changes to customer-facing systems, those upgrades are being designed, built, and often tested without any input from the actual users. Teams might think they know all of the areaswhere customers have issues, but unless you get first-hand input from those customers, problems are bound to be overlooked or ignored.Â
One of the most important things to remember when going through the iteration process is how the final product will look and function for an everyday customer who has not been involved in its creation. Getting feedback from customers early on can help both the business and IT teams identify sticking points and speed bumps in the customer experience long before the project goes through its final testing. At this point, those unseen issues might have been baked into the fabric of the “solution.â€Â
Keeping customers top-of-mind not only ensures that the team members and internal users are satisfied with the results, but the customers see it as an upgrade too. The approval of the customer is the true test, so do not wait until the last second to loop them in.Â
Choose Solutions That Empower Both It and Business Teams
IT teams are typically focused on large projects. This means that smaller requests and feature suggestions fall into a list that is addressed when time and budget allow. Instead of waiting for IT to get around to it or patching together something that barely works in the meantime, embracing a low-code platform that empowers business teams to take the reins on building a solution can be a great option.Â
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By enabling business team members to optimize their workflows with custom solutions built within acceptable guardrails, IT can focus on the data flow, integrations, and governance without causing hiccups in day-to-day operations. After all, it is those customer-facing employees that have the most experience with the areas where customers struggle. Meanwhile, IT can make sure things are flowing smoothly behind the curtain.Â
A low-code platform can provide business teams with the power to solve small problems by enabling employees who may not have a technical background to become citizen developers, expanding opportunities for more efficiency and streamlining processes across the board. For instance, the team responsible for small business loans can transform their manual, paper-based application to a dynamic, online form that minimizes mistakes and routes the application to relevant parties. This alone saves the team time and resources from having to reject improperly filled-out forms, manually routing the applications to the correct department, and more. Additionally, low-code platforms allow IT to focus on more challenging tasks while others handle simpler development jobs with low-code technology. It is a win/win for both the business team and IT group, and the customer reaps the rewards by getting access to new features at a more rapid pace, enhancing their experience along the way.Â
What steps have you taken to address IT and business teams’ concerns? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .