LONDON, July 20, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A new interest group called the Operational Agility Forum has been established by senior information technology and business professionals who represent some of the largest users of IT in the UK. Members of the forum work in senior change management roles in both business and IT functions within organisations such as BT, Co-operative Financial Services, Barclays, BSkyB and the NHS

The forum provides a confidential environment in which senior business and IT professionals can examine how complex organisations can respond more efficiently and effectively in real time to a rapidly changing business environment. The forum is focused on exploring new ways of empowering business operations to implement their own rapid change initiatives in partnership with the IT function. It specifically seeks to identify and share approaches and tools to achieving and delivering operational agility.

For members of the Operational Agility Forum it represents a conduit to the vast wealth of experience and expertise contributed and shared by senior staff of the member organisations.

The meetings we have already held, combined with the high level of participation and focus, we can see that this unique forum is already generating a lot of interest. The forum output to-date has reinforced the collective view of the participants that we have established a platform from which we can deliver real and tangible benefits back into our respective organisations, said Dave Hudson, Director, Service Operations BTW at BT Operate Chairman of the Operational Agility Forum

Some of the key findings from the forum include: - Most businesses do not have the means to react quickly to change, other than hiring more people or diverting key resource - IT programs deliver excellent long term benefits but are not always able to fully support rapid and agile responses to immediate business issues - A new approach - Business Led Computing - is needed to empower business operations with the ability to implement their own rapid change initiatives working in partnership with the IT function

The forum meets on a regular basis and membership is by invitation only. There are also regular meetings of special interest groups which meet to discuss specific topics. For more information on the Operational Agility Forum please visit the website http://www.operaltionalagility.com or email info@operationalagility.com

SOURCE: Operational Agility Forum (www.operationalagility.com)

CONTACT: Pat Geary, +44(0)7703-440-877, info@operationalagility.com