According to a study by the BDU in 2018, the growth prediction for the IT governance and compliance consulting sector is 8,0 %. This shows that more and more companies are recognising the relevance of this topic.
Definition: What does IT governance mean?
Information Technology should optimally support the corporate goals – that is the most important aim of IT governance. To this end, it conveys the corporate objectives to those responsible for IT. In this way, the strategy of the IT department can be adjusted to that of the company – and corporate success can be increased further.
Generally speaking, IT governance is a task for company management. Depending on the size of the organisation, IT governance management can be taken on by a member of the management board or a specifically appointed person. Further training of employees is another way to integrate IT governance into the organisation. However, companies should only rely on certified providers of that training service.
How does IT governance work?
The task of IT governance is to precisely examine the proper functioning and structure of in-house IT. Above all, it is about what they can contribute to business success. Management and monitoring of all processes are put to the test, as are the required conditions. The company management should then introduce the necessary measures.
Risk management and mitigation is a particularly important part of IT governance. Those responsible for governance can establish and minimise risks through precise inspection of IT. Compliance also has a role to play in this. In the context of IT management, ensuring standards and laws affects data protection, for example.
It is now the job of management to weigh up the costs and benefits that can be derived from the findings of IT governance. A framework containing rules and examples of the implementation of governance measures can help with these financial decisions. Ultimately, a performance measurement will show Managing Directors whether the new regulations have been integrated well.
Frameworks – the ground rules of IT governance
Frameworks are collections of rules and processes that provide enterprises with the scope to implement IT governance measures.
There are various IT governance frameworks with different focal points:
- COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology)
This model is superordinate to all departments and is a holistic approach to satisfy all stakeholders.
- ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
This framework manages IT services throughout their entire life cycle.
- TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
TOGAF primarily deals with the structure of organisations. It helps plan and optimise enterprise architectures.
This certificate is evidence of good functionality of IT services and thus ensures a standard in IT operations.
This guideline specifies requirements for monitoring and systematic evaluation of IT.
The all-rounder COBIT is one of the most popular IT governance frameworks. It is based on five principles:
- Fulfilling the requirements of individual stakeholder groups
- Covering the full scope of the company
- Using a comprehensive and integrated framework
- Implementing a holistic approach
- Differentiating between governance and management
COBIT provides guidelines for common practices and examples of best practices. It makes it easier for enterprises to define targets by providing approaches and processes. New processes are implemented from the top down, while success is measured with a bottom-up structure.
What do you need to be aware of when using IT governance frameworks?
Frameworks are becoming increasingly comprehensive. Open-source versions can contain inconsistencies. That is why companies should question a framework during implementation and check it makes sense.
Fundamentally, those responsible for IT governance should base their thinking on the core ideas of the relevant framework and implement the elements that suit the company structure and strategic goals.