IT, Business Teams Collaboration a Must

Data is essential for decision-making, innovation, and success. Since the pandemic, 67 per cent of organisations have become more digitally aware. However, many still struggle to fully utilise their data due to a disconnect between IT and business teams, which hinders collaboration and potential.

Businesses are heavily investing in data initiatives. Countries like the UAE are building infrastructure and skills for data analytics in the Middle East, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain are launching open data portals. Despite these efforts, international benchmarks such as the Global Data Barometer indicate the region is still in the early stages of open data initiatives. Saudi Arabia leads with a score of 29 per cent, followed by the UAE at 27 per cent, Qatar and Bahrain at 22 per cent each, and Oman with the lowest score at 14 per cent.

The Great Divide: IT sector versus Business Teams

A study by Harvard Business Review highlights that disconnected systems can lead to inefficiencies. Teams can spend up to 60 per cent of their time on activities like extracting and entering data across multiple systems. The disconnect between IT and business teams often stems from their individual departments. IT teams focus on technology, while business teams prioritise operational goals. This separation leads to inefficiencies, redundancies, and missed opportunities. Business teams may need timely access to data, while IT teams might need insight into business priorities, leading to misaligned efforts.

The consequences of the IT-business divide are severe, both in terms of security and operational efficiency. Fragmented data systems lead to subpar data quality, increased risk exposure, and sluggish responsiveness. Siloed operations make maintaining consistency and integrity across data challenging, leaving organisations susceptible to breaches and cyber-attacks. Moreover, inadequate communication between teams delays the detection and response to security threats, amplifying the risk of exploitation.

Overcome the Divide?

To overcome this, IT and business leaders must align their goals and foster effective communication. A unified, cross-organisational approach to data initiatives is essential for true digital transformation. IT and business teams ought to have a new partnership approach—one that emphasises communication, alignment, and shared accountability for achieving organisational goals.

Consolidate Data Ecosystems

Adopting a centralised data architecture that supports hybrid data and cloud systems can simplify the data landscape, reduce redundancies, and streamline processes. This not only eases the burden on IT teams but also provides business teams more accessibility to the data they need. For instance, Bouygues Telecom consolidated its data ecosystem onto a modernised platform, enabling faster data processing and significant operational efficiency. By centralising data, organisations can enhance customer experiences, improve financial control, and quickly detect data.

Foster Open Communication Channels

Adopting new technology isn't a magic bullet for alignment. Proper alignment requires a culture of open communication and clear channels that align the strategic objectives of both IT and business teams. Tools like reoccurring priority alignment meetings, shared internal communication platforms, and joint planning sessions can facilitate these interactions. This approach ensures that both teams work together towards digital transformation and fosters a culture of collaboration.

Make Data Visible and Accessible

Data management and analytics shouldn't be the exclusive domain of IT. Effective data-driven decision-making requires active collaboration from both IT and business leaders. While IT handles the technical aspects of data infrastructure, business leaders need to define data requirements and drive strategic initiatives based on insights.

— Ahmad Shakora, Group VP of Emerging Markets – Middle East and Turkey, at Cloudera.