Ask ten people what ‘business value’ means and you’ll likely get ten different answers. Finance teams might think in terms of revenue, cost savings or ROI. Product teams may focus on customer engagement or adoption. Operational leaders might cite improved processes or faster delivery. These interpretations aren’t wrong, they’re just partial. Everyone sees value through their own lens.

It's easy to get caught up in the buzz around Gen AI, cloud and data analytics. The tech is impressive. The teams are talented. The ambition is real. But if all this doesn't drive business value, it risks becoming just another IT project.

CIOs who successfully communicate the business value of information technology will maintain 60% higher funding levels than their peers who don't (Gartner).

Let’s face it – technology modernisation, AI initiatives and digital innovation aren’t just about technical mastery. If you want funding, support, and sustained investment, you’ve got to make technology a business conversation.

Questions about the business value of tech often come from senior business executives outside of IT. This can happen at the initial stages of a programme of work or a during execution.

Many technology initiatives stall or fail to unlock their full potential due to a fundamental misalignment between strategy and execution.

In today's fast-paced business environment, rigid strategies often struggle to keep up with rapid technological advancements and shifting customer expectations. Business leaders must embrace a more flexible, dynamic approach.

I’ve been told that business cases have no place in agile delivery. The degree of planning and detail required to assemble a business case contradicts agile thinking.

'You cannot manage what you cannot measure'. Without feedback loops, build-measure-learn becomes guesswork. It undermines the seriousness of continuous improvement.