Lack of understanding causes inadequate IT compliance
During the first half of 2004, KPMG conducted a global survey examining the adequacy and depth of implementation of formalised IT governance procedures in organisations in 19 countries.
The conclusion is that IT governance \'just happens\' in many organisations. The main factor that appears to contribute to the informal nature of IT governance is a general lack of understanding surrounding IT governance concepts. A contributory factor is the growing knowledge gap between board executives and the information available in the IT profession and industry. There is an enormous strain on C-level executives to bridge the gap between technical issues and business issues, according to ITWeb, but this remains an important requirement to ensuring that adequate IT governance structures are put in place. A 2003 study by Governance Metrics International shows that the benefits available to companies implementing formalised IT governance procedures are tangible: businesses with strong IT governance policies outperformed those with weak ones in terms of shareholder return. They also appeared to be better prepared to deal with increasing regulatory requirements. Full IT Web report