What are the most effective ways to measure your technology governance program?

First of all we should have clear objectives and KPIs, without a clear roadmap, measurement is meaningless. Always thinking of objectives as the "whys" and indicators (KPIs) as the "hows." Objectives must be always aligned with business strategy, this will ensure synergy.

The most effective ways to measure a technology governance program involve a comprehensive assessment of key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with the program's objectives. This includes evaluating the efficiency of IT processes, the level of compliance with regulatory standards, and the overall alignment of technology strategies with business goals. Regular audits, risk assessments, and compliance reviews can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of governance mechanisms. Additionally, measuring the responsiveness and adaptability of the program to technological advancements and changes in the business environment is crucial.

To effectively measure your technology governance program, focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with your program's goals. Metrics such as compliance rates, risk mitigation effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction provide valuable insights. Regular audits and feedback mechanisms contribute to continuous improvement. Embrace a holistic approach that considers both quantitative and qualitative aspects to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of your technology governance program.

In implementing a technology governance program, define specific objectives aligned with organizational goals. For instance, if the objective is to enhance cybersecurity, indicators could include the number of security incidents and the time taken to resolve them. Clearly linking indicators to objectives ensures that the measurement process remains focused on strategic outcomes.

In my experience before talking about any KPI's it is very important to define the "Steering Committee" members that will be regular participants in this IT Governance program. This committee should be diverse and with enough seniority to impel strategic actions - not just long coffee drinking marathons.

To make the strategies a reality, appropriate solutions should be selected, developed and implemented. At this stage, the integration of old systems and software with new solutions and software should also be analyzed. In order to get the best solutions, you need to collect the right and relevant data and do a detailed analysis so that you can make the right decisions.

There are many important things about data: 1. You must ensure the accuracy and completeness of the collected data, considering data validation processes is key. 2. Establish regular intervals for data collection and analysis, and ensure clear communication of insights and findings to relevant stakeholders. 3. Beyond text-based reports, you should also use charts, graphs, and dashboards to enhance data communication and engagement. And the most important thing in my experience is taking action into the inputs data is giving you.

Data to support well defined IT policies (pillars, principles, etc) is key to ensure that established action plans are in line with the overall business objectives which in most cases include, besides revenue generation, compliance, risk mitigation and operational excellence, among others. So, to find data within all these areas is crucial to create a roadmap with metrics of success on an annual basis (and beyond where applicable).

Consider a data analytics platform implementation. Regularly collect data on system performance, user satisfaction, and adherence to security protocols. Analyzing this data provides insights into the program's effectiveness. For example, a spike in user-reported issues might indicate the need for additional training or system optimization.

Visualize data in key, and is what we normally intend when we work on a data project that has to impact on KPIs, if we can see (literally) how the indicators are performing we can make the proper decisions, this is completely true. But there is another big area in this field that we need to cover and develop which is Data integration if we can put together different types of data and also generate reports by crossing wisely data from different sources that produces business sense the impact of data project will be magnified.

There’s always a price to pay for ignoring what’s happening in your business environment. Along my expertise, I definitely use benchmarking, it helps to measure progress in the use of IT processes and behind that analysis we can improve.

In our modern business world benchmarking is key to foster best practices, discover what works or to pivot to try something else. The ITIL framework is very popular to control IT processes, from assessment to outputs but also there are many other tools available such as: industry trends analysis, products lifecycle research or even the "old" mystery shopper. So always go and get information on a regular basis about what your competitors are into (UX, UI, Product Offer, Processes).

Comparing your program's performance against industry standards or competitors can provide valuable context and identify areas for improvement. Even though there are many internal factors that may vary from your competitors you should always be aware of their behavior. What we don't measure, we cannot control or correct.

In a cloud adoption initiative, comparing your organization's progress with industry benchmarks offers valuable perspective. Benchmark against key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost efficiency, scalability, and system uptime. This comparative analysis provides actionable insights, enabling your technology governance program to stay agile and adapt to evolving industry standards.

Certainly, anything that isn't measured can't be improved, so it's crucial to establish moments of analysis in the development of any technology. Conducting a checkpoint with the team, reviewing the project's direction, and seeking continuous improvement are key considerations to ensure that efforts are not in vain.

Here is where the Agile and Lean mindset could fit in a very useful way. Establishing periodic revisions, and a cadency of incremental improvements is an incredible source of knowledge and commitment for teams, and also will bring success in medium and long-term visions. It has been demonstrated that iterative and incremental methodologies, based on the generated commitment mentioned previously, make autonomous teams that will review their work and performance and determine by them selfs the way to achieve their goals and progressively become in high-performance terms. That's the ultimate goal, Data and KPIs are just tools that they use.

Excessive measurement often becomes surveillance rather than true oversight. Apple’s resistance to the FBI’s demands for backdoor encryption access. Quantifiable metrics would dictate accommodating the authorities to enable law enforcement. However, Apple chose principle over metrics, valuing privacy and security above appeasing external demands for “transparency.” While controversial, their stubbornness sparked vital debate that continues shaping technology ethics today. Rather than tightly tracking constrained metrics, governance should empower diverse internal voices and nurture dissent. Progress emerges from tension, not forced harmony. Leave space for humanity rather than drive it out through rigid quantification.

One effective way to measure technology is through governance. By establishing clear policies and procedures, technology can be evaluated based on its ability to meet specific objectives and goals. This can include metrics such as system uptime, response times, and user satisfaction. Additionally, governance can help ensure that technology is aligned with business strategy, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about future investments and improvements.

Assessing the success of a technology governance program involves measuring policy compliance, managing risks, monitoring regulatory compliance, and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. Regular audits and performance metrics are essential tools for conducting this evaluation.