--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is time to “align IT to the customer”…" description: "\"“It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than “align IT with the business.”\" — Pearl Zhu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg" --- # It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than… ![“It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than “align IT with the business.” quote by Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg) > ““It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than “align IT with the business.”” [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests shifting IT focus from aligning with internal business structures to directly serving customer needs, emphasizing a customer‑centric approach. **In simple terms:** IT should serve customers, not just business. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer alignment. Themes technology customer focus business strategy alignment IT Mood forward‑thinking strategic inspirational Type business leadership When to use this quote - product development - customer support - IT management - marketing Key Concepts customer centricity service design digital transformation strategy Questions to Reflect On - How will you measure customer alignment? - What changes are needed in your IT culture? A Different Perspective Customer focus can conflict with internal priorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Align](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/align/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Digitalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digitalization/) [It-management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/it-management/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Running IT as a business, IT performance has to be clearly linked with the business performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/running-it-as-a-business-it-performance-has-to-be-clearly-linked-with/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Often old IT thinking cannot move fast enough in the age of the digitalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/often-old-it-thinking-cannot-move-fast-enough-in-the-age-of-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT can weave all crucial business elements such as people, process, and technology into organizational competencies for running a living and fluid digital organization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-can-weave-all-crucial-business-elements-such-as-people-process-and/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT is part of business, and business is becoming IT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-part-of-business-and-business-is-becoming-it/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“A responsive IT means a lot of things for the digital transformation: Speed, innovation, agility, integration, modernization, intelligence, value creation, and maturity, etc”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/a-responsive-it-means-a-lot-of-things-for-the-digital-transformation/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT has to provide both business and technological insight into how they bring success to the company as a whole transparently, holistically, and continually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-has-to-provide-both-business-and-technological-insight-into-how/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“By setting the right priority and focusing resources and budget on the most critical areas, IT has the opportunity to not only be responsive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/by-setting-the-right-priority-and-focusing-resources-and-budget-on/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT metrics need to evolve to something that matters to the business audience, at the same time that “business sentiment” needs to get put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-metrics-need-to-evolve-to-something-that-matters-to-the-business/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Back to fundamental, IT is not the weakest link in the organization, it’s people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/back-to-fundamental-it-is-not-the-weakest-link-in-the-organization-it/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Organizational success comes when IT and business act from “IT vs. business” to IT is business” - a true partnership.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/organizational-success-comes-when-it-and-business-act-from-it-vs/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“A digital-ready CIO is a visionary and transformational leader, not just a transactional manager, for the long term.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/a-digital-ready-cio-is-a-visionary-and-transformational-leader-not/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“To reimagine IT, IT branding needs to be part of IT transformation effort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/to-reimagine-it-it-branding-needs-to-be-part-of-it-transformation/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT metrics have to evolve from being a cost center to becoming a revenue generator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-metrics-have-to-evolve-from-being-a-cost-center-to-becoming-a/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“IT is the business’s competitive differentiator to customer acquisition and retention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-the-business-s-competitive-differentiator-to-customer/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Trust means how to strike the right balance upon what IT can give up control, and what IT needs to control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/trust-means-how-to-strike-the-right-balance-upon-what-it-can-give-up/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## More by Pearl Zhu > [“By manifesting creativity from an individual endeavor to a team activity and a collective effort, the horizon of creativity is expanded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/by-manifesting-creativity-from-an-individual-endeavor-to-a-team/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“We need to choose to continue to learn, grow, and empower people to learn and grow as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/we-need-to-choose-to-continue-to-learn-grow-and-empower-people-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Be courageous to listen to what you don’t want to hear and have the guts to be innovative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/be-courageous-to-listen-to-what-you-don-t-want-to-hear-and-have-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The digital boards today should be informed on what benefit is being delivered by IT and aware of constraints and risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-digital-boards-today-should-be-informed-on-what-benefit-is-being/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Applying the right procedures and policies to asset management allows IT to create a realistic budget with few surprises, and keep best practices to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/applying-the-right-procedures-and-policies-to-asset-management-allows/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Knowledge does not stand still; it flows into the company, and it flows out of it; it erodes, and it gets created again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/knowledge-does-not-stand-still-it-flows-into-the-company-and-it-flows/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Running IT as a business, IT performance has to be clearly linked with the business performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/running-it-as-a-business-it-performance-has-to-be-clearly-linked-with/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The corporate board oversees the corporate strategy, and the business strategy is underpinned by business capabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-corporate-board-oversees-the-corporate-strategy-and-the-business/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Outlier” CIOs have better capabilities to connect innovation dots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/outlier-cios-have-better-capabilities-to-connect-innovation-dots/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The great communication is not to create more gaps but to bridge the difference and encourage creativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-great-communication-is-not-to-create-more-gaps-but-to-bridge-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Keep mindfully insatiable curiosity. It starts with your attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/keep-mindfully-insatiable-curiosity-it-starts-with-your-attitude/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“The board’s oversight of information management agenda helps to highlight the strategic perspective of IT and improve its differentiated value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-s-oversight-of-information-management-agenda-helps-to/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Some problems seem irrational as they are caused by people’s emotional reaction to a set of circumstances or events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/some-problems-seem-irrational-as-they-are-caused-by-people-s/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Problem-solving is about seeing a problem and actually finding a solution to that problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/problem-solving-is-about-seeing-a-problem-and-actually-finding-a/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Capability stands you out; capacity scales you up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/capability-stands-you-out-capacity-scales-you-up/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) [Explore all 442 Pearl Zhu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) ## More Align quotes > [Height should not matter, 'cause when you lay in bed with someone all body parts will align just perfectly :-)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rey-mellomida/height-should-not-matter-cause-when-you-lay-in-bed-with-someone-all/) [Rey Mellomida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rey-mellomida/) > [“With best thoughts, words and actions we align our past, present and future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-dallas-jr/with-best-thoughts-words-and-actions-we-align-our-past-present-and/) [John R. Dallas Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-dallas-jr/) > [Above all else, align with customers. Win when they win. Win only when they win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/above-all-else-align-with-customers-win-when-they-win-win-only-when/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Making a movie is still very difficult in Hollywood, regardless of what you have and what level you're at. It is a house of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-faxon/making-a-movie-is-still-very-difficult-in-hollywood-regardless-of/) [Nat Faxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-faxon/) > [What is clear is that business leaders must commit to champion change - to be transparent about their goals for change, to align their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/what-is-clear-is-that-business-leaders-must-commit-to-champion-change/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [“Extremists and their supports cause you to align yourself with something you're not in order to get as far away as possible from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/extremists-and-their-supports-cause-you-to-align-yourself-with/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [One thing I have throughout my career, it felt like I did my best to align myself with quality artists, quality work, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/one-thing-i-have-throughout-my-career-it-felt-like-i-did-my-best-to/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [Am I willing to go to Mars? Yes, but I'm not willing to spend nine months getting there, then wait 18 more months until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/am-i-willing-to-go-to-mars-yes-but-i-m-not-willing-to-spend-nine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One must not align himself with the beliefs that limit his thinking; free from all beliefs and superstitions; we all make difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/one-must-not-align-himself-with-the-beliefs-that-limit-his-thinking/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [I think people hear and feel the genuine nature of my passion for the causes. Specifically, with the non-profit in Uganda, my mother is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-dushku/i-think-people-hear-and-feel-the-genuine-nature-of-my-passion-for-the/) [Eliza Dushku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-dushku/) > [Now is the time to align our goals with God's goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/now-is-the-time-to-align-our-goals-with-god-s-goals/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [Absolutely, I think coming out has allowed me to align who I am with with my creative self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/absolutely-i-think-coming-out-has-allowed-me-to-align-who-i-am-with/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [Consumers no longer want only a great product - they want to buy products from companies that align with their own character and values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhtar-kent/consumers-no-longer-want-only-a-great-product-they-want-to-buy/) [Muhtar Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhtar-kent/) > [“When your passions and desires align you cannot hold them back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/when-your-passions-and-desires-align-you-cannot-hold-them-back/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [In greenside bunkers, the big thing is to adapt your stance to the shot. It's rare that you get a flat lie in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-spieth/in-greenside-bunkers-the-big-thing-is-to-adapt-your-stance-to-the/) [Jordan Spieth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-spieth/) [Browse all 37 Align quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/align/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than “align IT with the business.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pearl Zhu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-rather-than-align-it-with-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Align" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-rather-than-align-it-with-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/pearl-zhu-621_align_it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-r_399837.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is time to “align IT to the customer” rather than “align IT with the business.” — Pearl Zhu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pearl Zhu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is time to “align IT...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-rather-than-align-it-with-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/it-is-time-to-align-it-to-the-customer-rather-than-align-it-with-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```