Trendy business language like "siloed," "drill down," and "put a pin in that" may set your teeth on edge, and you're not alone. But hear me out on making room for just one more bit of verbiage. You may have already heard the phrase “business enablement” getting tossed around, and if you’re like a lot of people, you don’t quite have a handle on what it means. I hope you'll be relieved to hear that unlike typical corporate buzzwords, business enablement has actual significance and relevance in today's business world.

Before I continue, I want to address something that's probably lurking in the back of your mind. The term enabling has a negative connotation for a lot of people. And within the right context, I'd agree. But in terms of business, there's a far more powerful definition of enablement… without the implication of unhealthy consequences.

Here's a brief overview of business enablement and what it could mean for your company.

Business Enablement Definition   

Business enablement is the process of implementing technology-driven initiatives to increase productivity. Or, to put it another way, business enablement occurs when the individuals who understand the current state of business, as well as potential opportunities, are empowered to initiate improvements systematically, with intention.

Business enablement is about alleviating the bottlenecks to growth and progress without opening your business up to safety and security concerns. It's about empowering your business to adapt and modify processes without running into roadblocks or inhibiting growth today. Most importantly, business enablement, and everything it entails, depends entirely on your specific business goals. 

Typically, business enablement focuses on business technology and the potential it has to either facilitate or disrupt progress. Not all business technology works toward enablement. Sometimes, business technology can keep an organization from realizing organic growth or seizing opportunities. For example, businesses operating without a scalable, integrated infrastructure might encounter growth hurdles.

Is Business Technology Synonymous With IT Enablement? 

While business enablement is deeply connected to business technology, it's not that simple.

At its core, business enablement should be focused on driving simplification and efficiency efforts. It should find a balance between empowerment and security, and enable your business to set long-term goals while accommodating a quick pace and a continued call for flexibility.

Leadership has a vested interest in business enablement. And there is a proven ROI in developing support initiatives that enable growth. Not only do these principles have the potential to differentiate your business from that of your competitors, but they can also aid in employee retention.

The problem is, if your leadership team and IT staff are focusing on day-to-day business maintenance simply to keep your technology up and running, there may not be enough time to dedicate their talents elsewhere, like improvements and simplification. But if they have the time, and they're empowered to act, business enablement allows your IT team to be proactive with your business technologies, instead of reactive.

Business Enablement Can Be Simple, But Significant

While this can be difficult to remember when your servers won't communicate and your firewalls block data transfers, business technology is meant to simplify. That being said, simplification doesn’t happen automatically.

To take full advantage of the benefits of an integrated infrastructure without added security risks, you need more than just a technology solution. You need a partner who will help you find a customized, integrated, differentiated solution to help you achieve strategic business goals and build sustainable growth.