IT groups are likely to be subject to reorganization into next year as companies continue trying to match their technology with changing business needs. While reorganization is nothing new, its success or failure hinges largely on whether it is a well-conceived strategy or a hasty reaction to market blips, writes Bob Violino in an article at Computerworld.

Historically the goal of the IT reorg was to maximize the department's service delivery, but now it is more about improving the integration of IT and business, said Bart Perkins, managing partner at the consulting firm Leverage Partners. To improve the odds for a successful reorganization, Perkins recommends a compelling reason, careful planning, early notification to staff, and not laying anyone off.

The IT group for the city of Franklin, Tenn., embarked on a reorganization about two years ago along application lines, Violino writes. Previously, the city's IT pros worked with multiple applications even it they had expertise in one. In the reorganizaiton, new manager positions were created for different applications to help ensure that the software is used and stays up-to-date.

Putting individuals in charge of specific applications created greater structure and promoted a sense of project ownership and accountability, said Fred Banner, IT director for the city. "We're letting them make some decisions about how the hardware and software should function in their area," he said.

Next summer, the IT staff will be further reorganized along business lines, "redefining the application managers into business units, to work with users in defining future opportunities for the city," Banner said.

Instrumental to the reorganization's success so far was communicating early with staff about the reasons for the changes and enlisting their support. "You must find people who are going to be the project managers, the doers and the thinkers, and you've got to get that group on board," he said.

For more:
- see Bob Violino's article at Computerworld

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