At PTC, Abbas Faiq and Jacqui Boire have worked to align the company’s IT division with the business function of the company. As chief information officer, Faiq’s work centers on this goal as he oversees project development within his department and the company as a whole. As vice president of IT strategy and planning, Boire’s role functions symbiotically with Faiq’s to ensure that every member of PTC knows what to expect from the IT function and understands its initiatives.
As the business changes course, Faiq and Boire are working to remain nimble enough to adhere to the fluctuating demands of the market by employing appropriate assignment strategies designed to anticipate change and adjust accordingly.
A global technology company, PTC creates software for industrial businesses. As such, most of the business initiatives within the company include a technology component. Because of the ubiquitous role tech plays, coordinating IT with the rest of the business is imperative to achieve strategic goals.
Of course, combining the two very different functions comes with challenges. As Faiq and Boire work toward their goals, they must keep in mind differing priorities and perspectives between each team.
“Personalities between the business and IT are oftentimes very different,” Boire says. “I’m continually making sure that our IT team is keeping the business in mind at all times and making sure that they rise above and see their role and how they impact the business as a whole—not just as someone that helps intermittently but as someone who contributes in a more meaningful way. One of the biggest challenges is achieving this harmony.”
Through their efforts, Faiq and Boire have channeled the supportive environment of the company to grow and overcome these challenges. They’ve tapped into the business resources available to understand the vision and goals of each business group, then adjusted their own strategies with these concepts in mind. Over time, the IT team has developed a more holistic view of PTC’s operations. As a result, IT has become a “trusted advisor” to each of the business’s groups, aligning with their priorities and uniting with them under common goals.
“There happens to be a little bit of push and pull between each function’s priorities,” Faiq explains. “Interestingly enough, IT is one of the few departments that has a global view of what’s happening across different functions, so in some cases we help align different business groups with each other’s strategies. We’ve almost become mediators in some cases to help align business priorities and show them the bigger picture.”
PTC continues to work toward building alignment, and Boire says the effort is never done. At the start of each year, members of the IT and business leadership teams meet to assess areas within the company that require technology investments and areas that are running well. In a larger sense, the team “gauges the maturity of the organization on a number of different facets,” Boire says, then works to improve the areas that call for attention. Each assessment provides the company with a new benchmark of excellence, allowing its leadership team to compare the company’s progress year by year.
Continually evaluating these aspects allows PTC to adopt and maintain best business practices while also advancing its competitive edge in the industry. Overall, this process “is an important part of making sure that things continue to move forward in a positive direction,” Faiq says. “We are walking in the shoes of the business, even if it’s not a technology issue. We must be in line with where their strategy is going so that we can get ahead of it and align it with where the business wants to eventually go.”
As PTC moves toward the future, Faiq and Boire are spearheading efforts to build a world-class organization. Over the past three years, Faiq has led this charge, which has resulted in significant improvements in the areas of architecture, risk management, strategic planning, and business engagement. In concert with these efforts, he and Boire will continue to enhance the connection between their function and the business side through open, consistent communication.
Fuze is a global communications and collaboration software company connecting the digital workforce. Through a consumer-inspired experience, Fuze enables seamless transition between calling, meeting, chatting, and sharing. Fuze congratulates Abbas Faiq, CIO of PTC, on his achievements. This is a well-deserved honor, and we’re proud to partner with PTC.
