7 steps for better business-IT collaboration

Despite such advice and general agreement with it, many CIOs still struggle to get their teams and the business units to collaborate effectively. A 2021 report from software company Dynatrace showed that 49% of the 700 CIOs surveyed said that their IT and business teams continue to work in silos. Such figures underscore a hard truth: that breaking down barriers and building partnerships takes time and effort. “These things don’t happen through osmosis. It really is challenging work, and the larger the organization and the IT organization, the more effort it requires,” says Ryan Smith, vice president and CIO at Intermountain Healthcare.