What’s the relationship between lines of business and BT like across organizations?  

To help us answer this question, we surveyed hundreds of BT and lines of business professionals as part of our State of Business Technology report

We quickly learned that the two groups are by no means operating in complete harmony. And after looking at the data more closely, we identified some of the reasons why.

Read on to learn about 3 factors that are driving a wedge between BT teams and lines of business!

You can also access the complete report here.

1. Each Group Wants to Build Different Automations 

When we asked BT and lines of business professionals about the automations they’d like to have, each group offered up (mostly) different answers.

Here are the top 5 automations that BT wants:

The top 5 automations that BT wants.

Lines of business, meanwhile, prioritized the following:

The top 5 automations that lines of business want.

Though there’s some overlap between the two groups, the fact that significant disparities persist is likely to cause friction. In fact, it likely contributes to the feelings outlined by BT professionals in the section that follows.

2. BT Professionals Feel Underappreciated 

Nearly all of those (94%) who work in BT told us that they believe their function is a key productivity and innovation-driver at their organization. Lines of business don’t seem to share the same sentiment, as merely 18% of those in BT say that they feel very appreciated by lines of business.

Perhaps this 18% figure will rise as BT departments grow in influence and as the transparency between them and lines of business improve. But even then, it’s hard to imagine the rise being substantial. 

3. BT’s Current Integration and Automation Tools are Dividing the Two Groups Even Further

When we asked BT professionals about the specific frustrations they have, it became clear that their largely ineffective integration and automation tools were hurting their performance and their relationship with lines of business.

Here are the top 3 frustrations that BT professionals cited:

BT professionals top 3 frustrations

One of the frustrations specifically calls out integration/automation tools, but the other two are also likely related to their ineffectiveness. For example, BT professionals may have to say no to stakeholders’ demands because these tools prevent BT from fulfilling them. And they may not be able to deliver fast enough because of their integration and automation tools.

Investing in more robust and versatile integration and automation tools isn’t a cure-all, but it’ll likely go a long way in improving the relationship between BT and lines of business.  

What’s the relationship between BT and lines of business like at your organization? Do you need advice for improving it? You can share your experiences and get the support you need by joining the largest community for business systems professionals, Systematic.

You can join the Systematic community here!

Anusha Kuppahally
About Anusha Kuppahally

Anusha is currently studying Business at Georgetown University. She's excited to learn from and write about the Business Systems Community as she earns her degree.