Q: When I ran a 600-person, multilocation, offshore IT team for a large computer company in Austin, Texas, my clients were IT directors. They had the attitude of “What right do you have to tell us IT directors what resources we can and cannot have?” Just as doctors make the worst patients, IT directors make the worst customers. A: This example of the extended supply chain underscores the importance of integrating the demand management processes in order to minimize handoffs (which just transfer the problems down the supply chain and further away from the customer). Start by explicitly designing the demand management processes with your IT clients. Identify the integration points where all parties need to be looking at the same information so that they can reach agreement about what work should be done, by whom, how and when. This requires a mutual understanding of the strategic filters, portfolio targets, multiyear funding projections, project approval processes (with delegated authorities), financial and resource budgets (with delegated checkbooks), architectural standards and value accountability. To see more reader questions and answers from Susan H. Cramm, go to www.cio.com/leadership/agenda.html. Cramm, a former restaurant CIO and CFO, is president of Valuedance, an executive coaching firm in San Clemente, Calif. You can contact her at susan@valuedance.com and learn more about Valuedance at www.valuedance.com. Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe