IT governance is one of the most talked about and debated issues in the business world today – and for good reason. 

As organisations place ever-increasing value on the importance of Information Technology, having a framework in place that aligns IT strategy with business strategy is becoming an essential part of achieving long-term success.

That's a big part of the reason why many businesses are investing in COBIT 5 training courses which equip employees with proven reference models and established methodologies for governing and managing enterprise IT.

Having an IT governance structure in place should be a priority for organisations of all size, both in the private and public sector. Despite this, some organisations are still struggling to convince stakeholders and key decision makers of the value of this investment. 

So what can your organisation do to build a business case for better IT governance?

The first and most important step is to ensure both the IT department and your internal managers and on-board and convinced as to just how valuable an IT governance structure can be. If either of these parties are acting independently or with different motives, it will be very difficult to convince the board of directors of the true importance of this initiative. 

Next you need to begin looking at IT governance in tangible terms, in order to communicate its importance.

This doesn't necessarily mean breaking everything down into economic values or ROI figures, but it does mean demonstrating how an IT governance structure will benefit your organisation as a whole. 

Having a structured governance policy for IT and data leads to better strategic decision making, greater data ownership, improved accountability and transparency, and stronger data security – all key advantages that can improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your business.

At the end of the day, the most important part of your IT governance business case is this: The value of information and technology is only going to increase over the next decade, and any organisation without a method of monitoring, assessing and evolving IT strategies and objectives is putting itself at risk.

Once you have communicated this to your key stakeholders, you should have no trouble getting them on board with future IT governance initiatives.