Some IT Questions

Recently I fielded some IT questions from a client. I thought it might helpful to share the conversation with others. IT strategy is critical for association success, we need to consider IT from the perspective of the IT staff and other leaders.

Should IT be a separate part of a budget or should each major cost center should have an IT budget?

IT needs to fund infrastructure hardware and software that benefits the entire organizations such as the costs of laptops, virus software and Microsoft Office. However, enterprise software (e.g. AMS) that benefits specific departments need to be a shared responsibility between the department(s) and IT.

I have led cross-department teams in the selection of enterprise software such as Ad-serving and E-mail marketing. In all cases, licensing costs were allocated to each department that was benefiting from the software.

At a recent ASAE meeting of IT leaders, Reggie Henry, ASAE’s CIO described a similar cost sharing arrangement that he has with other ASAE departments. If a department wants to purchase software that will cost a significant amount of money (e.g. >$25K), the department partners with ASAE’S IT department and they share the costs of the software.

As IT becomes critical to everything we do from program management, marketing, financial management, etc., is the “IT department” still responsible for making it work? Or do you see each staff member having to “own” the IT skills it takes to make things work while the IT staff just offers guidance?

IT is critical for association departments such as marketing and education. If an association can afford an IT staff, the IT staff still needs to take the lead in resolving software problems. However, association executives and the board of directors need to become more “digitally literate.” They need to understand what enterprise software systems the associations has, how much the software costs and whether or not the software is meeting the needs of the staff of the organization (e.g. ROI).

Do you see a future where everyone will have more IT skills to bring to whatever position they are in?

Both now and in the future, I do not think everyone needs to have the technical knowledge of IT executives and staff. However, association executives and staff need to know how technology can benefit their organization and they need to have the ability to discuss their technology ideas with IT executives.

For example, in marketing, executives need to know how marketing automation software and content management software can help increase membership growth and retention and meeting attendance. In education, association leaders need to understand how webinar/virtual events software can increase member engagement and provide additional revenue streams for organizations.

Executives (including the executive director) need to able to discuss their technology ideas with the IT executives of their organizations. For many associations, the lack of interaction between executives and their IT department is a source of frustration both for the IT department and the executives of the organization.

Too frequently, IT people and non-IT people often speak different languages. IT people do not always know how to apply their knowledge of technology to business situations. Conversely, non-IT people often do not know how to discuss technology issues with their technology person. For IT strategy to support the success of associations, IT people and non-IT people need to learn to communicate effectively.