IT Governance vs. IT Management: What’s the Difference and Why it Matters

Source: The difference between IT governance and Management (ISACA)

The effective management of information technology (IT) is essential for any business to stay competitive in today’s digital age. To ensure that IT operations are running smoothly, both IT governance and management should be employed. However, it is important to understand the differences between these two disciplines in order to maximize their effectiveness.

What is IT Governance?
IT governance refers to a set of processes and procedures used by an organization’s board of directors or executive team which are designed with the purpose of ensuring that decisions made about information technology resources align with organizational goals and objectives. The goal here is not only efficiency but also compliance with laws, regulations, policies as well as industry standards where applicable. It requires strong leadership from top-level executives who have a clear understanding of how best use their company’s technological assets while minimizing risks associated with them at all times possible without compromising on quality or performance expectations either internally or externally imposed upon them by customers/clients alike if they provide services/products related directly towards those ends respectively.”

What Is IT Management?

On the other hand, Information Technology (IT) management involves overseeing day-to-day operations related specifically towards maintaining hardware components such as servers & networks alongwith software applications deployed across different platforms within an organization including its external facing environment(s). This includes activities like installation & configuration tasks; monitoring system performance; troubleshooting issues; implementing security measures etc… All these activities need regular maintenance so that any unforeseen problems can be addressed promptly before causing disruption in service delivery especially when dealing with mission critical systems which may involve customer data being processed through various stages until completion for example ecommerce websites etc…

Key Differences Between IT Governance And Management:

There are several key differences between IT governance and management. Here are five of the most important differences, along with examples:

1. Focus and Scope: IT governance focuses on the strategic direction and oversight of IT, while IT management focuses on the day-to-day operations of IT. IT governance ensures that IT aligns with business goals and manages IT risks and compliance, while IT management focuses on delivering IT services to meet business needs. For example, IT governance may involve creating policies for IT investments, while IT management involves managing the IT infrastructure to ensure the smooth operation of business processes.
2. Decision-making Authority: IT governance has decision-making authority over IT policies, standards, and investments, while IT management has decision-making authority over IT operations and service delivery. IT governance may involve setting IT priorities and making investment decisions, while IT management may involve allocating IT resources to meet business needs. For example, IT governance may decide to invest in a new ERP system, while IT management may be responsible for implementing and maintaining the system.
3. Accountability: IT governance is accountable to the board of directors or executive management, while IT management is accountable to IT governance and business stakeholders. IT governance is responsible for ensuring that IT supports business objectives and managing IT risks, while IT management is responsible for delivering IT services that meet business needs. For example, IT governance may be accountable for ensuring that IT investments align with business goals, while IT management may be accountable for meeting service level agreements with business stakeholders.
4. Time Horizon: IT governance has a long-term time horizon, while IT management has a short-term time horizon. IT governance looks ahead to ensure that IT investments and decisions support the long-term goals of the organization, while IT management focuses on delivering IT services in the short term. For example, IT governance may decide to invest in a new technology that will support the organization’s growth over the next five years, while IT management may focus on delivering IT services to meet immediate business needs.
5. Metrics and Performance: IT governance measures IT performance against business objectives, while IT management measures IT performance against service level agreements. IT governance focuses on ensuring that IT investments and decisions support business goals, while IT management focuses on delivering IT services that meet business needs. For example, IT governance may measure the return on investment of a new IT system, while IT management may measure the uptime and availability of the system to ensure it meets service level agreements.