IT managers and business managers are learning to love one another, according to research from Accenture.

The IT department and other parts of the business have not always shared the same goals. But now a vast majority of both camps believe that better technology use has helped productivity in recent years. The survey found 76 per cent of IT managers and 84 per cent of business managers believe better use of technology has been the main driver of improved productivity in the last three years.

Nearly half of both groups believe increasing business ownership of IT projects is a challenge. For improving productivity IT managers and business managers agree (70 per cent, 83 per cent) that simplifying business processes should play a big role.

The survey also found that when business and technology are not properly aligned there is a greater chance of IT projects failing. Nearly a third of all those surveyed reported failure rates of between 41 per cent and 70 per cent - of these execs only 17 per cent described IT and business within their companies as "strong" or "totally aligned" .

A small majority, 56 per cent, of those surveyed believe IT spending in their organisation will increase over the next three years.

The survey, carried out by the Bathwick Group, questioned 307 execs in the UK and Ireland.®

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