As technology advances at record-breaking speed, IT financial management is undergoing a transformation. Organizations are not only grappling with ballooning technology budgets but also the growing challenge of demonstrating value for every dollar spent. Balancing the operational costs of “Run the Business” (RTB) activities with transformative “Change the Business” (CTB) initiatives has become a central tension in IT finance.
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At the forefront of this evolution is Titilayo Deborah Olorunyomi, a leader in IT financial management strategy and cloud cost management, whose work emphasizes aligning technology investments with measurable business outcomes. In an interview, Olorunyomi shared her insights on how practices like value realization reporting, showback, and deeper collaboration are reshaping IT financial management.

Technology budgets have become harder to justify as they continue to grow. Modernization and scaling demand significant investments, yet legacy systems and RTB activities still consume a large portion of resources.

“Modernization and innovation cost money, but you can’t scale without freeing up resources first,” Olorunyomi explained. “That’s why reducing RTB costs is essential—not just to control expenses, but to create the financial space for CTB initiatives that drive growth and competitiveness.”

Olorunyomi’s work demonstrates how efficiency models and process improvements can directly free up resources. For example, her models led to a 20% increase in operational efficiency, helping organizations reduce RTB costs and allocate more funds to CTB initiatives.

Traditional cost reporting focuses on how much is spent and where, but today’s organizations need to go further. Value realization reporting is emerging as a key practice, linking IT investments to tangible and intangible business outcomes.
“For years, IT finance was about tracking expenses,” Olorunyomi said. “Now we’re asking new questions: What value did this initiative create? How did it impact the customer experience? How did it drive business growth?”

Olorunyomi’s ability to implement KPIs and metrics to measure the effectiveness of IT initiatives is a cornerstone of value realization. In one instance, her framework led to a 15% improvement in reporting accuracy, enabling leadership to make faster, data-driven decisions.

For example, instead of reporting the cost of a CRM implementation, value realization measures improvements in customer retention, faster sales cycles, or increased revenue. Metrics like user adoption rates and time savings provide a clearer picture of ROI.

IT financial management continues to face structural and operational hurdles despite advancements in tools and frameworks.
One significant challenge is the rigidity of traditional finance policies, such as fixed OPEX and CAPEX categorizations, which fail to accommodate today’s flexible, cloud-based consumption models. “Historical policies weren’t built for the pace of change we see today,” Olorunyomi noted. “Instead of spreadsheets filled with budget numbers, I now present visioning sessions focused on initiatives, their value, and strategic importance to the business.”

Another pressing issue is the knowledge gap between IT, finance, and business teams. Technical managers often lack financial literacy, while finance teams may not fully understand the operational nuances of technology. “Managers need to grasp concepts like ROI and OPEX,” Olorunyomi explained, “while finance leaders must understand how IT decisions impact business outcomes.”

Data quality remains a persistent problem. Many organizations grapple with incomplete or fragmented data, which complicates value realization reporting and business case analysis. “We’re often building data sets from scratch,” Olorunyomi said. “Clean, actionable data is critical for transparency and trustworthy insights.”

Finally, with budgets under scrutiny, accountability and trust are paramount. “We need to tell the full story—successes and lessons learned,” Olorunyomi emphasized. “Even if assumptions change, transparency builds confidence for future initiatives.”
These challenges highlight the need for IT finance to evolve, fostering collaboration and adopting data-driven practices to meet the demands of a rapidly changing landscape.

The shift to value-driven IT finance requires closer collaboration between IT, finance, and business units.
“Finance can no longer work in silos,” Olorunyomi said. “We need to sit with IT managers, engineers, and even vendors to align on priorities, trade-offs, and outcomes.”

Through her use of automated dashboards and visual reporting, Olorunyomi has made complex financial insights accessible to all stakeholders. This approach has resulted in a 25% increase in stakeholder engagement and satisfaction, illustrating the power of transparent communication in building trust.

Storytelling is another powerful tool. “Data is powerful, but stories are what drive action,” she noted. “When you can say, ‘This automation saved $200,000 and freed up 500 hours for innovation,’ that’s a story that resonates.”

Olorunyomi envisions a future where IT financial management is fully integrated with business strategy.
“The future is about alignment—aligning IT spending with business outcomes, RTB and CTB priorities, and cross-functional teams,” she said.

Her expertise in Cloud FinOps also plays a key role in this alignment. By implementing frameworks for real-time cost monitoring, resource optimization, and continuous reporting, Olorunyomi has helped organizations manage cloud complexities while aligning their investments with long-term goals.

With advancements in analytics and automation, organizations will be better equipped to measure and report on both costs and value, enabling smarter, faster decisions.

Titilayo Deborah Olorunyomi’s vision is clear: IT financial management is no longer just about managing budgets—it’s about enabling growth, driving innovation, and demonstrating the value of technology investments.

“The role of IT finance isn’t just to count dollars,” she concluded. “It’s to measure impact, tell compelling stories, and show how IT empowers the business to thrive.”
By embracing practices like showback, value realization, and cross-functional collaboration, organizations can unlock the full potential of their IT investments.

With leaders like Olorunyomi driving this transformation, IT finance is poised to become a catalyst for business success in a rapidly changing world.
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