Target Achievements: What has IT done for me lately?
Shift from tracking what we’re doing to what is the business value of this work
Too often, IT gets into the room with business stakeholders and proudly presents a list of technical work completed—and is disappointed when they’re not applauded.
It’s not that the work wasn’t important. It’s that it wasn’t framed in a way the business could understand or appreciate it. This is the gap we seek to close with our framework, Target Achievements.
A Target Achievement is a forward-looking, business-relevant outcome that clearly states what IT aims to deliver—and why it matters to the stakeholder.
Learning to communicate these is harder than it sounds. Many of us were trained to write in a technical style. Our comfort zone is describing system upgrades, integration layers, or deployment timelines. That’s not a bad thing—it’s just not what the business wants to hear.
What your stakeholders want to know is:
What are you doing this quarter that matters to me?
What will be different when this work is complete?
That’s the essence of a good Target Achievement.
The Anatomy of a Strong Target Achievement
At its core, a Target Achievement is forward-looking. It answers this question:
What outcome do we expect from this work, and why should the business care?
Let’s break that down:
- It’s not a project milestone.
“Finalize UAT scripts” is a task, not an achievement. - It’s not a vague aspiration.
“Improve reporting capabilities” is too general to be useful. - It’s not written in IT-speak.
“Implement API to InforAS via Enterprise PI layer” means nothing to a business stakeholder.
A strong Target Achievement does three things:
- Names a business-relevant outcome
- Uses clear, accessible language
- Identifies measurable results or leading indicators
From Technical Output to Business Outcome
Let me give you a real example from a team I worked with last year.
Original (Technical):
Configure real-time scheduling feedback in Enterprise PI for Solothurn site
This is accurate. But it only makes sense to someone deep in the system architecture.
Rewritten (Business-Facing):
Automate production schedule adherence tracking to enable faster production decision-making and reduce data collection time by 50%
Now we’re talking about something the Head of Manufacturing actually cares about. It’s not just about configuring a tool. It’s about making production decisions faster.
Here’s another:
Original (Technical):
Complete implementation of document management solution for medical affairs
Rewritten (Business-Facing):
Enable global access to critical medical documentation through centralized search and retrieval system, reducing manual request volume by 40%
Again, the shift is subtle but powerful. You’re not just installing software—you’re solving a real business friction point.
Why Measurability Matters
We always push for metrics—because specificity builds credibility.
When you say, “we’re going to streamline process X,” it may be directionally right, but it’s not compelling nor committed.
You don’t always need hard ROI numbers. Sometimes it’s a leading indicator:
- “Reduce manual reconciliation steps by 30%”
- “Cut data lag from weekly to daily”
- “Enable 100% of commercial teams to self-serve reports”
Even estimated or directional metrics are better than none. They show forethought, intention, and an understanding of what matters to your stakeholders.
The Bottom Line
Writing a good Target Achievement is a skill. It’s not something most IT teams are naturally trained to do—but it is something you can get better at.
Think in outcomes. Speak in business language. Anchor your statements in measurable results.
And most importantly, ask yourself:
Would this make sense to my business partner—and would they care?
If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.
