The McKinsey Quarterly has recently released an article called Memo to the CEO: Why we need an annual report for technology. It is premium content, but its broad premis is that to get the IT organisation and the business units more in tune, CIOs could suggest to the CEO that they jointly issue a technology annual report to the business.

McKinsey writes the memo from the CIO to the CIO, suggesting ”The idea is quite simple: you and I would jointly issue an annual report for technology—something analogous to the annual report for investors and the broader market. This document would not only provide a candid overview of our ability to extract business value from technology but also substantiate that analysis with hard metrics. We would share perspectives on the challenges of technology, convey our ideas about its role in our company, celebrate achievements, and articulate our plans and visions for the future.”

Whether this takes off within organisations remains to be seen – but I would suggest that IT companies could use this approach themselves – creating an “annual report” for the client based on the account plan they have, and the way they see their technology and services being taken forward within the account. They could map the annual report against the key goals laid out by the Chief Exec and Chairman in the organisation’s real annual report. It’s a great way to show early commitment and understanding.