Why You Need To Understand And Utilize A Multi-modal IT Model

Multi-modal IT Model

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, understanding and utilizing a Multi-modal IT Model has become imperative for organizations striving to keep pace with change. As the pace of change is getting faster in organizations, and as many transform to digital, some struggles to keep up. Some organizations have worked to adapt to this and have developed different forms of operation to address the firm’s diverse needs. While they need to move quickly for digital, many organizations are not entirely digital yet. There are still other business operations to support and projects to deliver.

One of the major challenges that organizations face as they race to compete is how to continue to support and advance both of these areas while keeping up with or getting ahead of the competition. One thing is clear: a traditional model that moves at one speed for all technology needs is no longer enough. Organizations have been finding ways to adapt the IT model to address these difficult challenges.

Bi-modal IT Organization

The bi-modal capability is increasingly common in organizations. According to a prediction by Gartner, three-quarters of organizations would have this ability by 2017. The idea of a bi-modal IT organization is it operates using two delivery approaches. It operates at the same time as one another. One is a slower delivery for legacy and more standard IT work, and the other is a rapid development approach that suites digital innovation. This approach to IT activities is often undertaken as the organization adjusts to operating for digital. It typically sets up a digital department that takes care of all digital activities throughout the organization. The rest of the business continues working mainly in the way that it was in the past.

In greater detail, the IT approach towards digital aims to deliver market-leading technology and innovative approaches. It seeks to enter new markets and deploy digital architecture and technologies that may not have been adopted in the past. On the other hand, the needs of the legacy organization are addressed very differently. Costs are controlled, and there is usually just the most basic infrastructure in place. There is little innovation about the technology, but there is the support of standard services, and there is strong governance in this area.

There are many advocates of this two-speed approach. Gartner is one, and McKinsey analysts have also supported it. At first glance, it makes much sense because it allows “business as usual” to continue in IT. This happens while there is support in innovative new digital technologies and development. McKinsey suggests that over time the bi-modal approach is good for the IT organization. This is because it allows adaptation to digital and the development of IT architecture that can support that. At the same time, it works to continue to support the existing business and its required functionality at a slower rate. This better suits this aspect of the operation.

Problems with the Bi-modal Model

While the bi-modal approach is better than not adjusting for digital, this capability is somewhat limited. Having just a fast and a slow approach to operations is insufficient, as there may be different needs that do not fit into either of these. Other specialists in this field have reported that organizations that adopt the bi-modal approach have not been capable of adjusting to multiple speeds to meet the organization’s complex needs.

Another flaw with the IT organization’s bi-modal approach is that it assumes that non-digital projects can plod along slowly. This does not reflect reality in the business environment that most organizations face. Instead, all aspects of the IT organization need to work in an agile and flexible manner to deliver the technological change that organizations need at the pace they need. Slow just will not cut it anymore.

The third problem is that the bi-modal model can lead to the dislocation between a digital team and the rest of the business. This can negatively impact communication and team working.

The Multi-Modal or Multi-Speed IT Organization

The multi-modal or multi-speed IT organization can manage different speeds to meet different organizational needs. It is more complex than a bi-modal or two-speed approach because it recognizes various IT needs at other times.

While discussing these issues with CIOs in different organizations, I have had them ask me about the tri-modal model, which is one form of multi-modal or multi-speed approach. The tri-modal model is arguably better than a bi-modal approach. It recognizes that there are not just two basic speeds for IT activities and development. The tri-modal approach includes three different groups. There are the pioneers, the settlers and the town planners. The town planners are similar to the legacy support and IT operations in the bi-modal model. They keep the basic model operating as it has in the past. They also offer service integration to external and internal teams.

The pioneers are those who are working on the very innovative IT change. They deliver innovation and operates in an agile way. The settlers are the new component in the tri-modal model. They sit between the town planners and the pioneers and help address transitions. To ensure that new services work with the baseline architecture. This helps the business transform over time, rather than getting stuck in a bi-modal situation.

On a first look, the tri-modal model is rather attractive. The settler team will bridge the gap between the two other teams of a bi-modal organization. It breaks down the barriers that might otherwise build up between the two. This could be a helpful approach for adjusting to operating in a digital world and ensuring that no part of the business gets left behind. However, organizations will need to find the model that best meets their needs. Because of this, tri-modal approach may not work for all.

How to Implement a Multi-Modal or Multi-Speed IT Model

To put in place a multi-modal or multi-speed IT model there is a need for the business to acknowledge that IT is consumed at different speeds by different parts of the organization at different times. The IT model must transform to address this need. The architecture needs to also reflect this, so that there is sufficient support for both digital and legacy IT needs depending on consumption. To operate at multiple speeds, it is recommended to make the legacy architecture simpler.

In terms of managing projects under a multi-speed model, I recommend using the right governance depending on the speed needed. The waterfall method that was more traditionally used is good for IT development that does not need to move at high speed. On the other hand, agile approaches may be much better when new technology needs to be adopted and deployed very rapidly. IT teams need to be fully trained and adept in both types of approaches to be able to effectively deliver.

Summary

IT teams in organizations are finding ways to adapt to the new digital world. A popular means of addressing the needs of both the existing IT infrastructure as well as the new digital architectures and technology is the bi-modal approach. Bi-modal capability offers development and support at two speeds . One, a faster speed to meet the needs of the fast-changing digital environment. Two, lower pace that supports and adapts legacy systems. The organization then can continue to deliver products and services as in the past.

While the bi-modal approach is popular, it is not without its faults. Some analyst say that the two-speed approach leads to communication issues in the organization. Others argue that all IT needs to be agile and flexible, leading to a more flexible tri-modal or multi-modal capability. Whichever approach the organization takes it is critical that it supports the IT needs of the organization, allowing it to adapt to digital, quickly and effectively.

Until next time, you are up to date.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.