From Strategy to Execution: How One Company Realigned IT Priorities

Every organization has a strategy. But when it comes to execution, especially within the technology function, many companies find themselves disconnected from that vision.

This was exactly the challenge facing a mid-sized enterprise (let’s call them Company XYZ) after completing a strategic planning process with a top-tier consultancy. Their business goals were clear, but their IT department was stuck translating those goals into day-to-day decisions, investments, and initiatives.

The Challenge: Strategy Without Execution

Company XYZ had solid business priorities.But when it came to the technology function, leaders faced key questions:

• Which initiatives are driving our strategic themes?

• How much are we really investing in innovation?

• Are we measuring what matters?

  
  

Most of the IT budget was allocated to operations — infrastructure, licenses, internal teams — leaving little visibility (or funding) for innovation, transformation, or customer value.

The Approach: Aligning IT to Business Value

Working with Avalia, the organization took a step back.

Step 1: Translate Strategy Into IT Priorities

Together, we mapped strategic goals into clear focus areas for IT. Then, we identified how to measure progress using a combination of existing business and IT metrics.

Step 2: Link Initiatives to Strategic Themes

Every project — in backlog, approval, or execution — was mapped to a strategic area. We created a unified view of project status, risks, and investment across the portfolio.

Step 3: Make Investment Visible and Actionable

For the first time, leadership could see:

• Which initiatives were progressing, stalled, or at risk

• How much was being invested in each strategic area

• Where gaps existed between intention and execution

  
  

The Outcome: Visibility, Clarity, and Realignment

This effort sparked immediate insights. One stood out:

Most of the investment was going into compliance. Innovation and growth were underfunded.

Armed with this visibility, the organization realigned priorities and restructured parts of the IT portfolio. Strategic and operational teams began working with shared context. Project updates became clearer. Business KPIs were connected to expected project outcomes.

In short, IT became more than a support function — it became a strategic lever.

The Takeaway for Technology Leaders

If you’re a CIO, CTO, or executive responsible for driving transformation, ask yourself:

• Can I clearly map our IT portfolio to business strategy?

• Do I know what’s underfunded — and what’s overfunded?

• Am I measuring the right signals to make decisions with confidence?

Realigning IT with strategy isn’t a massive reinvention. It starts with clarity, connection, and control.

And it leads to what every leader is looking for: smarter decisions, faster progress, and better results.