We all know that the IT world is constantly in a state of flux. The demands for fluid and uninterrupted service are continually pouring from clients in all sectors of business, economics, and education. How do we keep up with these demands? How can IT leaders achieve top level service and support while remaining in control of this ever changing environment? The Life of P.I.E approach is a combination of a business model and lifestyle that revolves around continuous Partnership, Innovation, and Excellence.
Many business and institutional leaders employ popular frameworks for managing service and support such as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) or Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT). These commonly used tools have helped many IT organizations achieve success as they continually develop and implement IT management and governance practices. However, not every environment is the same. The general theory doesn’t always apply, and there lies the problem: how do you control objectives for information and related technologies when you are dealing with a wide variety of users on a narrow playing field?
One way to approach these challenges is to adopt a “Life of P.I.E” approach – not to confuse with the 2012 blockbuster movie “Life of Pi” or a tasty dessert. The Life of P.I.E approach is a combination of a business model and lifestyle that revolves around continuous Partnership, Innovation, and Excellence. The three fundamental pillars create a robust foundation that helps bring the COBIT framework theory into play and also enables a lifestyle that IT leadership can adopt as they serve their clients, organizations, and team members.
So How does a “Life of P.I.E” approach work?
A true partnership requires us to develop a more flexible approach to services and to remember that “one size doesn’t fit all”.
Partnership
Building relationships with our partners across the organization is vital in order to understand their goals and align with the direction taken by them. A true partnership requires us to develop a more flexible approach to services and to remember that “one size doesn’t fit all”. To truly serve the needs of an organization, we must partner with our clients and stakeholders to provide the best services that support their work, even if those services require us to provide a larger number of options and support models.
Innovation
In an ever evolving business environment that is moving more and more toward a digital world, we must become more technologically innovative in order to meet the needs of our students and faculty. In order to remain relevant, we remain passionate and innovate as we develop and deploy new technologies. To successfully move forward as an organization, it is important to remain flexible and willing to change in order to deliver more innovative solutions.
Excellence
Delivering top notch service and support is crucial for any organization. Part of this is building a reputation for efficiency and reliability with our clients – both in and outside work. As our clients begin to build professional relationships with us, we are obligated to continuously deliver excellence. Mediocrity is poisonous and can quickly tear an IT organization apart. Hence, it is important that we continue to meet demands and expectations from our clients.
IT is not only a service but also a way of life. By adopting a life of P.I.E approach, we not only set our clients up for success but even ourselves. The life of P.I.E approach can also be used in our everyday lives because Partnership, Innovation, and Excellence – these three pillars are the only way to achieve success.
