Making IT-business alignment work

Making headway on the business front requires both strong and consistent customer service as well as a constant quest to lower costs while not degrading services. As one expert outlines, both require IT's help. For CIOs and other top tech leaders the goal is IT-business alignment, and that requires identifying the company's core functions, assessing the various competing corporate strategies and determining the top priorities on which to focus. A good approach is to ask yourself some key questions, such as what competitors boast the greatest business threat, why they're successful and whether competing with them is a primary need.

For more on making IT a competitive advantage:
- read this article at CIO