The consultancy approach to aligning business and IT

Some see a decentralized consultancy approach to IT as a way to be more responsive to business needs. The relationship between IT and business is seemingly an age-old problem, but new thinking, changes in organizational structures, and new business mandates may finally align these seemingly disparate partners. New ways for IT to be structured within the enterprise include deploying staff within a specific business department or assigning them to a finite project team within a particular business unit. Often, accomplishing this sort of restructuring involves significant cultural and structural changes within the organization, which makes some executives and personnel uneasy. The ultimate goal is to benefit the business; IT must adapt to fit the organization's goals.