When applied well ICT becomes a major business enabler. Amazon was a bookstore; Netfix a video rental store. What made them different is their recognision of Information Communication Technology as core business enabler. They don't see IT as a cost, but rather as the most effective way to do business.
They develop completely new skillsets. Some people call this 'agile', others 'Lean'. We could also call it: common sense in a complex domain. When we recognise we are working in a complex world, we can learn new approaches to survive and even excel.
The skills needed to deliver agile results are not few. One core driver is to maximize the testability of the solution. Without the ability to run all regression tests (functional, integration, system) we risk breaking a system that business is depending on. If this takes too long, we either take the risks, or deliver only a few times per year. To keep up with - or stay ahead of - the market, we need to do better. We need to deeply understand what this 'devops' is all about and develop a learning attitude to replace 'delivery fever'.
IT engineers specialize to structure and model information and processing of information. A skill that is required to find the best possible solution for your business needs. Business teams can learn how to get most out of their IT. Primarily by asking the right questions at the right time.
Focus here lies on 'what is the business value ?' In order to move fast but effective, we need to go beyond writing large documents and lengthy processes. We still need their intended benefit, but we need it faster and with more quality.
To make all of the above happen, we need leaders that have a clear vision, and a mindset and behavioral patterns to support their teams. This is quite a change when you're used to a 'command and control' culture. But if we realise we want to have : better solutions, delivered faster and of higher quality, we can't do it alone anymore. We will engage more brains creatively focussed on the right job, and supported by the best possible working-environment. And leaders that give up imaginary control and strive for real value. We recognise that delivering value in a complex reality cannot be planned, so we stop planning output and rather get better at defining what value is. Key concepts are the insights of the cynefin model.