Implementing technology to help their companies become more streamlined and easier to do business with is the No. 1 business priority for 1400 CIO's worldwide surveyed by Gartner. To help accomplish these elusive priorities, IT organizations are hiring business/financial experts as key members of the IT executive team. The idea is that these experts will be a catalyst for change, bringing a singular focus on business process alignment and value management within the IT organization.

Many C-level executives think these business-savvy managers hold the key to achieving the elusive silver bullet for improving return on investment from IT.

The most common problem is that these initiatives often face resistance from technical managers, who dont have the financial analysis backgrounds and do not always understand the benefits of a successful business case or what is needed to create one. Secondly, the collection of company-specific data is also a challenge.Even in cases where technical staff is supportive of IT investment analysis, it is often difficult for business unit managers to collaborate and reach consensus and mutual buy-in on opportunity analysis, project costs and risks, and ultimate benefit projections.

The new breed of IT professionals who have experience in the Financial management of IT is here to stay, and this new career path promises to be a good one, though it will take time to catch on - not with management, who are quickly reorganizing to add these valuable resources, but with the rest of the IT team members.

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Prashanth rai