Computable, Netherlands: Cognizant Business Consulting Director Writes About Disruptive Technologies and the Changing World of the IT Department

“Disruptive technological developments, specifically in the area of social, mobile, analytical and cloud (SMAC) have forever altered the way we do business, creating opportunities for organisations to achieve more growth, solve market-specific problems and work more effectively and more efficiently,” writes Gabriel Schild. “Consequently, the IT department is now taking on a crucial strategic role within organisations to enable them to make the most of these innovations.”

He adds, “Increasingly, we are seeing that the role of the IT professional may need to change to keep up with the developments within the business world, requiring a different set of skills and potentially opening up new career opportunities…As their roles change, ongoing training and refocus will be the way forward and create positive change management.”

According to Schild, the two most important changes IT organisations need to implement to become the powerhouse behind strategic growth within a company are where the IT professional becomes the vendor manager and the IT professional becomes the business consultant.

“The trend where organisations outsource IT and related activities will become increasingly sophisticated,” he notes. “More critical business processes, such as rewriting applications in line with the changing demand from the business, are gradually being undertaken by trusted third-party partners, with innovation being high on the agenda.”

Schild adds, “In the future, the decision on allocation of monies will veer more and more towards new solutions and innovation.” It is therefore imperative, he writes, that the IT department takes a strategic lead, anticipating developments in the market and creating innovative IT solutions that assist the organisation not only in anticipating future trends but also in taking a leadership role.

Click here to read more (in Dutch).