CIO as a Service

We are surrounded by a set of trends that is forcing change in everything we do. These trends are mostly driven by technology, though its impact is felt across all areas— social, political, business, education, and even human behavior. What does it mean for the CIO and his role? It is a question that has been the topic of discussion for many years now. We have come away with answers such as ‘the CIO needs to be the champion of business’, ‘the CIO needs to demonstrate business value’, ‘the CIO needs to deliver innovation’, and many such statements.

But these statements don’t move the needle for anybody. There are two reasons. For one, we haven’t cared to specify what the CIO should be doing. Secondly, the CIO is soaked in so much of information that it impedes action. The comfort of knowledge is the enemy of action; it plays out very well in this case.

In 2015, CIOs should take some concrete steps to move forward. The closest port of call is marketing. Incidentally, there is also the CIO-CMO relationship discussion that is rife in the IT circles. The issue simply cannot be ignored. The reality is that if the CIO doesn’t proactively ally with the CMO, the latter will eat the former’s lunch, sooner or later. Even IT vendors like IBM, SAP, Oracle and others will cold shoulder the CIO in the days to come. Marketing is now largely digital. It behooves well for CIOs to understand the landscape, seek common ground with the CMO, and take on the responsibility of enabling few new marketing capabilities. Depending on the industry, there are enough areas where technology can yield higher value in marketing.

The other area is data. Identify areas where better use of data can make a difference. It may range from using analytics to improve supply chain performance to cutting procurement costs to as simple as being able to close your books earlier. It is an opportunity to delight the CFO and the CEO. The CIO would need to don the hat of an internal consultant to understand the pain points of other business functions and examine opportunities where technology can allay those pain areas and even transform the function.

To do this, the CIO will have to get out of his office often, spend time with colleagues in a new spirit of cooperation, set shared goals, and throw his weight behind complex endeavors. It is a good time to start. Let the CIO role be of service to the entire organization.

Wish you all a happy 2015!