EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

While the immediacy caused by the pandemic proved to business leaders that Digital Transformation projects could happen far faster than previously thought , many IT departments were under such pressure to spin up technologies to support the business that they often didn ’ t have the necessary time to complete their usual due diligence .

This involves the management of tech debt – the off-balance-sheet accumulation of all the

technology work a company needs to do in the future . If this is continually deferred , then it can prevent companies from being competitive as they focus their attention on managing the challenges hidden in the architecture .

However , CIOs still have to grapple with old infrastructure which isn ’ t designed for the modern digital age in that they can ’ t support critical data services or business models needed today .

This legacy also makes it much more difficult to consolidate , migrate , scale or provide access to data , causing IT teams to have to go through disruptive enterprise storage refreshes .

These challenges are amplified under the additional pressure and uncertainty caused by the pandemic , meaning IT departments cut corners on various aspects , which in turn increases tech debt later in the innovation cycle .

Businesses need to build a strategy that prioritises Digital Transformation and manages tech debt more sustainably . There are five ways to do this :

CIOS STILL HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH OLD INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH ISN ’ T DESIGNED FOR THE MODERN DIGITAL AGE IN THAT THEY CAN ’ T SUPPORT CRITICAL DATA SERVICES OR BUSINESS MODELS NEEDED TODAY .

• Align on IT and business strategy : Clarify the overall business strategy and define the capabilities needed at an enterprise level .

• Prioritise automation and elevate human innovation : Automate as much as possible to free up resources to focus on creating a culture of innovation and enabling long-term thinking .

• Choose flexible consumption models : Choose flexible consumption models whereby you only pay for what you use .

• Secure the right talent and allocate it accordingly : Ensure you have access to the right internal and external skills .

• Nurture and maintain employees as the world changes : Make sure employees are being supported and educated .

While the pandemic has taught organisations that fast change is possible , it ’ s now even more critical to balance the focus of that change on business agility . A strategy of total reliance on the latest software to mitigate tech debt should also be avoided .

Technology alone can ’ t solve these issues , a company ’ s culture and processes must evolve with or ahead of the times . Businesses now face the challenge of getting the right balance between moving fast but doing it in a way that avoids tech debt . x

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