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Risk and compliance considerations in IT product management strategy


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Risk and compliance is no longer an after-thought but is instead a significant input variable and a differentiator for global IT Product Management (PM) strategy.

The first two decades of the 21st century highlighted how truly global and far-reaching technology can be. Globalization allowed countries and geographies to overcome several capacity constraints in order to adopt newer technologies. In recent past, however, we witness that local regulations limit adoption of modern technology, and products require more tailoring to meet regulatory demands.

In this article, we explore two such regulatory challenges and have recommended a revision to the IT strategy framework, especially applicable for product managers and CIOs who manage global IT portfolios.

 

Two regulatory challenges for CIOs:

  1. Managing Intellectual Property (IP) is a monumental challenge for global CIOs where every infringement needs local adjudication.
  2. Managing Data Residency and Protection has led to significant financial and engineering overheads for designing and implementing global products.

Revised IT product management strategy framework:

 

The early IT strategy frameworks for product management assumed linear progression of capabilities. With the advent of agile methodologies, the prevailing IT strategy frameworks allow for iterative advancements of capabilities from run to grow to transform and then onto the run stage of the next “s-curve”. We now have a fourth dimension: risk and compliance.

 

While risk and compliance always been understood to be a requirement, it now shapes the direction of the global IT portfolio. Some key themes include budgetary allocation for risk and compliance, decentralization of technology standards, developing strategic alliances with vendors, defining more meaningful KPIs, revising offshoring strategy, etc.

 

Technology will continue to play a much greater role in global business strategy. However, the shift in regulatory oversight will now drive a more complex and diverse portfolio of solutions, making IT even more complicated than ever. And technology companies with a balance of global and local aspirations will thrive.

Special thanks to Paul Cassidy (Executive Director, Ernst & Young LLP) and Rishikesh C. Muchhala (Manager, Ernst & Young LLP).

Summary

Technology has played and will continue to play a much greater role in business strategy. And technology companies with a balance of global and local aspirations will thrive. The shift in regulatory oversight will now drive a more complex and diverse portfolio of solutions, making IT even more complicated than ever, and ushering in new ways of managing and delivering value for the company. CIOs and product managers who incorporate this shift into their thinking will have a distinctive edge when seeking competitive advantage.


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