Survey Results: Size Changes How IT Operates

IT shops within small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) are less standardized, more constrained in capacity, more oriented toward the utility archetype, and infrequently view technology as a differentiator. Their people are less specialized, do multiple jobs simultaneously, and have fewer resources for career advancement. Large shops differ from small shops in that their CIOs frequently report to the most senior executive, they are organized more often around business units, and they're more aggressive in their plans to standardize both processes and the management of vendors. Furthermore, large IT shops more frequently centralize strategic functions such as the project management office (PMO), vendor management, and architecture.