Updated Q2 2011: Assess Your Enterprise Agility

Since Forrester published the original version of this report in 2007, few firms have adopted a strict definition of agility. Given the recent uncertainty, CEOs are talking even more about agility, but they still do not strictly define and measure the kind of agility their business requires. Turning agility from a buzzword into a business capability requires firms to measure and manage their ability to change — and agree on what agility means for their enterprise. For a long time, CIOs focused on costs, and they optimized the delivery and process of IT to the point where they did not tolerate variants or changes. But the crisis seems over — at least for the moment — and companies are again looking to move, innovate, open new markets, etc. The current information system was conceived in a time when the business did not change much, and it can no longer follow the pace of change; therefore, EAs must take the lead, striving to better understand the differences between lines of business as well as how the business is changing so they can adapt the information system to meet the current pace of change.