Your IT organization makes 200+ technology decisions per year, yet 60% get stuck in committee reviews for 3+ months. Meanwhile, business units launch shadow IT projects because official channels are too slow. The result: €2M+ in duplicated effort, security gaps you don't know about, and IT losing credibility as a strategic partner.
This isn't about working harder. It's about establishing governance that accelerates decisions instead of blocking them. Organizations are transforming IT governance in 60 days and seeing decision times cut in half while actually improving risk management.
IT governance has become synonymous with "bureaucracy" in most organizations. According to McKinsey's 2024 IT Leadership study, 71% of business leaders say IT governance slows them down more than it helps. The average technology decision takes 14 weeks from request to implementation—by which time business conditions have often changed.
The cost is staggering. Research from Forrester shows that governance delays cost large enterprises an average of €2.3M annually in missed opportunities, duplicated efforts, and workarounds. But the deeper damage is strategic: when IT governance becomes an obstacle, business units simply work around it.
I've seen this pattern repeatedly across healthcare systems and hotel chains. A hospital CIO told me they were "governing themselves into irrelevance"—clinical departments were launching telehealth pilots with consumer-grade tools because the official approval process took 6 months. A hospitality group discovered 27 different guest feedback tools across their properties, each purchased independently because central IT approval was too slow.
The root cause isn't what most organizations think. It's not that you need better documentation or more rigorous review processes. Three systemic problems create governance dysfunction:
First, decision rights are unclear. Nobody knows who can decide what. Every decision escalates to the top, creating bottlenecks. I've seen technology decisions under €50K requiring CIO approval because the organization never defined who can approve what at each level.
Second, governance focuses on control instead of outcomes. Traditional governance asks "Did you follow the process?" instead of "Did we make a good decision quickly?" Compliance with process becomes more important than business results, which is backward.
Third, governance operates in a vacuum from business strategy. IT makes governance decisions based on technical criteria (architecture standards, vendor preferences, security requirements) without understanding business urgency or strategic importance. A €10K tool that could save €200K annually gets the same review process as a €500K infrastructure upgrade.
The urgency to fix this is real. Gartner research shows that organizations with mature IT governance grow 40% faster than those with dysfunctional governance. The window to modernize is closing as business units increasingly bypass IT entirely.
The 60-Day IT Governance Framework
The 60-Day IT Governance Framework establishes clear decision rights, streamlined processes, and business alignment without sacrificing control. Unlike traditional governance redesigns that take 6-12 months and require consultants, this framework is practical and implementable by your existing team.
What it is: A systematic approach to redesigning IT governance in four 2-week sprints, focusing on decision velocity and business outcomes while maintaining appropriate controls.
How it works: You don't throw out existing governance and start over. You identify the decisions that matter most (the 20% causing 80% of delays), clarify who can decide what, and create fast-track paths for common scenarios. Everything else uses simplified processes focused on outcomes, not paperwork.
Why it's different: Traditional governance redesigns start with frameworks (COBIT, ITIL, etc.) and try to implement everything. This approach starts with your actual pain points and fixes those first. You get immediate results while building toward comprehensive governance.
The benefits: Organizations implementing this framework see decision times decrease by 50-60%, shadow IT decrease by 40%, and business satisfaction with IT increase significantly. More importantly, you actually reduce risk because faster decisions mean better decisions—you have current information instead of 3-month-old requirements.
What this is NOT: This isn't governance theater where you document perfect processes nobody follows. It's not a way to avoid difficult decisions—in fact, it forces clarity on who decides what. And it's not "governance lite"—you'll have stronger controls on what matters while eliminating bureaucracy on what doesn't.
The framework has four phases delivered in 2-week sprints:
Sprint 1: Decision Rights Mapping (Days 1-14)
Most governance dysfunction stems from unclear decision rights. When nobody knows who can decide what, everything escalates or nothing gets decided.
Week 1: Decision inventory and analysis
- Map all technology decisions made in the past 12 months (applications, infrastructure, vendors, architecture)
- Categorize by type, size, strategic impact
- Identify which decisions took longest and why
- Document who was involved in each decision
The exercise reveals patterns: In one organization, we discovered that 85% of delayed decisions were under €100K and required CIO approval only because nobody else had authority. The CIO was spending 15 hours weekly on decisions that could be delegated.
Week 2: RACI matrix design
- For each decision type, define who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed
- Apply decision thresholds (budget, strategic impact, risk level)
- Create decision escalation criteria
- Document in clear, accessible format
Decision threshold example for application purchases:
- Under €25K, standard architecture: IT Manager approves (1 week)
- €25-100K, standard architecture: IT Director approves (2 weeks)
- Over €100K or non-standard: Architecture review + CIO approval (4 weeks)
- Strategic applications: Executive team approval (6-8 weeks)
Deliverable: Decision rights matrix covering 20-30 common decision types with clear owners and timelines. This single document eliminates 60% of governance confusion.
Sprint 2: Process Streamlining (Days 15-28)
Once you know who decides what, eliminate unnecessary steps in how decisions get made.
Week 3: Process mapping and waste identification
- For top 10 decision types (by frequency), document current process step-by-step
- Identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and value-less steps
- Calculate time spent at each step
- Highlight steps that add no risk reduction or decision quality
Common waste patterns I've observed:
- Documentation for documentation's sake: Requiring 20-page business cases for €10K purchases when a 1-page template suffices
- Serial reviews that could be parallel: Waiting for architecture review, then security review, then operations review instead of concurrent review
- Approval by people who don't review: Requests sitting in executive inboxes for weeks because they don't have time to review technical details
- Rework from unclear requirements: Request bounces between requestor and IT 3-4 times because expectations weren't clarified upfront
Week 4: Redesign for speed and outcomes
- Create 3 process tracks: Fast (common, low-risk), Standard (typical), Complex (high-risk/strategic)
- Design parallel workflows where possible
- Replace approval gates with consultation checkpoints
- Define clear success criteria and timelines
Fast-track example: Cloud SaaS tool purchases under €50K, standard use case
- Day 1: Submit 1-page business case
- Day 2-3: Automated security/compliance screening
- Day 4-5: Architecture consultation (not approval)
- Day 6-7: Procurement initiation
- Decision time: 1 week vs. previous 12 weeks
Deliverable: Redesigned processes for top 10 decision types with documented time savings and risk controls.
Sprint 3: Governance Technology & Automation (Days 29-42)
Manual governance doesn't scale. Automate routine decisions and provide self-service tools for common scenarios.
Week 5: Tool assessment and selection
- Evaluate current governance tools (ServiceNow, Jira, SharePoint, etc.)
- Identify automation opportunities
- Design self-service decision support tools
- Select/configure technology platform
Automation opportunities:
- Pre-approved vendors/solutions: Catalog of pre-vetted tools that require minimal approval
- Automated compliance checking: Security, privacy, architecture standards checked automatically
- Decision routing: Requests automatically routed to right approver based on criteria
- Status visibility: Real-time dashboards showing where requests are in process
Week 6: Implementation and testing
- Configure workflows in governance platform
- Build decision support templates
- Create automated notifications and reminders
- Test with pilot group of 10-15 people
Real example: A healthcare system implemented a pre-approved technology catalog with 150 vetted solutions. For tools on the list, approval went from 8 weeks to 2 days. They added security automation that checked configurations against compliance requirements, reducing security review time from 3 weeks to 1 day.
Deliverable: Functioning governance platform with automated workflows for common decisions, pilot-tested and ready to roll out.
Sprint 4: Communication, Training & Launch (Days 43-60)
The best governance framework fails if people don't understand or use it. Invest in change management.
Week 7: Communication and training preparation
- Create governance playbook (who decides what, how to submit requests, timelines)
- Develop training materials (videos, quick-start guides, FAQs)
- Design communication campaign (email, town halls, manager briefings)
- Train governance team members
Key messages for different audiences:
- Business leaders: "Decisions will be 60% faster while maintaining appropriate controls"
- IT team: "Clear decision rights mean less escalation and firefighting"
- End users: "Self-service tools for common needs, fast-track for standard requests"
Week 8: Phased rollout
- Week 8 Day 1-2: Launch to pilot group (20-30 people)
- Week 8 Day 3-4: Gather feedback and refine
- Week 8 Day 5-7: Roll out to full organization
- Establish feedback loop for continuous improvement
Support structure:
- Governance office hours (2 hours/week) for first month
- Dedicated Slack/Teams channel for questions
- Weekly metrics review (decision times, satisfaction, bottlenecks)
- Monthly governance review and optimization
Deliverable: Fully operational governance framework with training, communication, and continuous improvement process.
Real-World Results: Hotel Chain IT Governance
In a previous role, I worked with a mid-sized hotel chain (35 properties, 4,500 employees) whose IT governance had become a running joke. The business complained that getting IT approval took longer than renovating a hotel room. IT complained that they spent all day in approval meetings instead of delivering value.
The Challenge
The IT team received 180-200 technology requests annually. Average time from request to implementation: 16 weeks. 40% of requests were still pending after 6 months. Business units were bypassing IT governance entirely, leading to 18 different property management system integrations, 12 different guest WiFi solutions, and unknown security vulnerabilities.
The CIO had tried to fix this by adding more rigor—more documentation requirements, more review checkpoints. It made things worse. Backlog grew to 200+ open requests. Business satisfaction with IT hit all-time low of 32%.
The Approach
We implemented the 60-Day IT Governance Framework:
Sprint 1: Mapped 180 decisions from past year. Discovered that 75% were under €50K and involved standard technologies (SaaS tools, network equipment, end-user devices). These low-risk decisions were taking same time as strategic initiatives. Created decision rights matrix with 5 approval tiers based on cost, risk, and strategic impact.
Sprint 2: Redesigned processes into 3 tracks:
- Express (40% of requests): Pre-approved vendors/solutions, 1-week turnaround
- Standard (50% of requests): Streamlined review, 3-week turnaround
- Strategic (10% of requests): Comprehensive review, 8-week turnaround
Eliminated 15 unnecessary approval steps across all processes. Changed from serial to parallel reviews, cutting 4 weeks from timeline.
Sprint 3: Implemented ServiceNow for governance automation. Created catalog of 80 pre-approved solutions. Built automated compliance checking for security, architecture, and procurement standards. Decisions routed automatically based on request characteristics.
Sprint 4: Trained 120 IT and business staff. Created 15-minute video explaining new governance. Launched with 2-week pilot involving 8 property managers and 5 IT team members. Refined based on feedback, then rolled out organization-wide.
The Results
After 6 months with new governance framework:
- Average decision time: 4.5 weeks (down from 16 weeks, 72% improvement)
- Decisions completed within committed timeline: 94% (up from 54%)
- Business satisfaction with IT: 78% (up from 32%)
- Shadow IT incidents: Decreased 63%
- IT team time in governance meetings: Reduced 40%
The Critical Success Factor
The CIO told me six months later: "The difference was moving from 'IT as gatekeeper' to 'IT as enabler.' We're still maintaining controls—actually better controls—but we're not blocking the business. For the first time in years, business units are coming to us first instead of working around us."
That's governance done right: faster decisions, stronger controls, better relationships.
Your IT Governance Action Plan
You don't need a massive transformation program to improve IT governance. Start with these actions to build momentum.
Quick Wins (This Week)
Action 1: Decision bottleneck analysis (45 minutes)
- List all technology decisions pending over 4 weeks
- Identify why each is stuck (unclear owner, missing information, waiting for approval, etc.)
- Categorize by pattern
- Expected outcome: Clear view of where governance is failing
Action 2: Identify quick delegation opportunities (30 minutes)
- Look at decisions you approved in past month
- Mark which could have been decided at lower level
- Calculate time saved if properly delegated
- Expected outcome: List of 10-20 decisions to delegate immediately
Action 3: Create express approval list (60 minutes)
- Identify 20-30 common, low-risk technology needs (standard SaaS tools, common hardware, etc.)
- Define which are pre-approved with minimal review
- Communicate to team
- Expected outcome: Immediate fast-track for routine decisions
Near-Term (Next 30 Days)
Action 1: Map decision rights (1 week)
- Inventory technology decisions from past 12 months
- Categorize by type, size, strategic impact
- Define decision thresholds and approval tiers
- Create RACI matrix for 20-30 common decision types
- Resource needs: 1 IT business analyst, input from IT leadership
- Success metric: Decision rights matrix that 80%+ of decisions fit into clearly
Action 2: Pilot streamlined process (2 weeks)
- Select 1 common decision type (e.g., SaaS application purchases)
- Redesign process for speed (target 50% time reduction)
- Test with 10 real decisions
- Measure time savings and satisfaction
- Resource needs: Process owner, 10 pilot participants
- Success metric: 50%+ time reduction with no increase in risk issues
Action 3: Build governance dashboard (1 week)
- Track key metrics: decision volume, cycle time, bottlenecks, satisfaction
- Create weekly reporting for IT leadership
- Identify improvement opportunities
- Resource needs: Analyst, access to request data
- Success metric: Real-time visibility into governance performance
Strategic (3-6 Months)
Action 1: Implement full 60-day framework (60 days)
- Execute all 4 sprints
- Transform governance across all decision types
- Deploy governance automation platform
- Train organization on new processes
- Investment level: €100-150K (primarily internal time + tools)
- Business impact: 50-60% reduction in decision times, 40% reduction in shadow IT
Action 2: Build continuous improvement culture (ongoing)
- Monthly governance metrics review
- Quarterly process optimization
- Regular business feedback collection
- Governance effectiveness scorecarding
- Investment level: 0.5 FTE governance program manager
- Business impact: Sustained governance improvement, adapting to changing needs
Action 3: Expand governance to broader IT capabilities (6 months)
- Apply framework to project governance, vendor management, architecture decisions
- Integrate governance into IT operating model
- Create governance as competitive advantage
- Investment level: €200-300K for broader transformation
- Business impact: IT viewed as business partner, not bottleneck
Take the Next Step
If you're struggling with IT governance that slows down the business instead of enabling it, you don't have to accept it as inevitable. The 60-Day IT Governance Framework has helped organizations transform from governance as obstacle to governance as accelerator.
I help organizations implement this framework through a structured engagement that includes decision rights mapping, process redesign, and change management. The typical engagement delivers measurable improvement in decision velocity within 60 days.
Book a 30-minute IT governance consultation to discuss your specific governance challenges. We'll assess your current state, identify your biggest bottlenecks, and determine if the 60-Day Framework is right for your organization.
Alternatively, download the IT Governance Maturity Assessment to evaluate your organization's governance effectiveness across decision rights, processes, and technology dimensions.
Your IT organization can either continue as a bottleneck that business units work around, or transform into a strategic enabler that accelerates decisions while maintaining control. The choice is yours, but the window to decide is closing.