Social initiatives need to become a priority for many organisations, especially given the increase in business social media use. Building a compelling business case for social initiatives could be difficult, however, according to a new report from research organisation Gartner.
The organisation has outlined necessary steps for IT social initiatives – specifically, how to gain approval for such endeavours within an enterprise.
“As collaboration and social software initiatives are becoming more costly, complex and risky, IT leaders can’t treat them as basic infrastructure rollouts, or simply assume they will benefit the business,” explained Nikos Drakos, a research vice president at Gartner
“They must make a clear business case, setting out the expected costs and business benefits in an appropriate level of detail.”
An outline of the stages
- Stakeholders and metrics – This stage should focus on the overall strategic vision for the social initiative, and what needs to be achieved. It’s then important to align the objectives for the case, commonly enhancing commutations and teamwork.
- Measuring performance – Businesses need to measure current performance to create a baseline for future improvements.
- Outline solutions – The IT leader in charge of the initiative needs to outline how the solution will deliver tangible outcomes.
- Targets and ROI – Setting expectations comes next, followed by a calculation of the initiative ROI. Setting targets is key, as well as estimation of the financial impact granted by the improvements.
Social initiatives need to be implemented within business operations, but what’s the best approach for a company? Often, training or certification in a strong IT framework can be useful. When the organisation is able to utilise the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), for example, it’s easy to manage the implementation of a new technology.
ALC Training offers a range of ITIL training courses able to grow an extensive understanding for personnel. When it comes time to take on a new social initiative, this framework will likely prove invaluable.