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DQI Bureau

21 May 2006 00:00 IST

New Update

With levels of automation scaling new heights, CIOs have become
vital functionaries for India Inc. While traditionally the CFOs, COOs or may be
the CMOs were the CXOs holding positions of strategic importance in
organizations (other than the CEOs), in the last couple of years even CIOs seem
to have joined the party. A reflection of changing times, probably when IT too
is looked upon as a vital business function at par with finance, marketing or
operations.

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No wonder that IT vendors are courting them aggressively;
technology bodies/associations and the media are inviting them to umpteen
symposia or conferences; and most importantly, in many organizations, the CIOs
are even taking strategically crucial decisions that could have long-term
business impact. Whoever derisively coined the phrase 'CIO=Career Is Over',
is probably eating crows now.

Many CIOs would argue that the recognition and the associated
hype for the community is long overdue. After years of being treated as
second-class corporate citizens, the CIOs do deserve to bask in the glory of
their exalted status. Nonetheless, many of them still feel that even amidst this
euphoric excitement, it would be prudent or sensible for them to identify
potential pitfalls CIOs must avoid, lest they do not fall of their current
pedestal.

VK Ramani, UTI Bank

What CIOs Must Not Do

Neglect technology
change: Strangely, many CIOs have developed tendencies to resist new
technologies; their reason there: any talk about new technology is a
marketing gimmick from the vendor. However, often that is not the case and
probably having an open mind here could lead to business benefits too.

Rely on single vendor:
The logic is simple; don't put all your eggs in one basket. Having to
deal with one vendor might help in reducing complexity, but in case the
vendor goes down, so does your business.

Complete insourcing:
If the US presidential election can be fought around the benefits of
outsourcing, there must be some merit to the strategy. Don't cocoon your
business into a shell; outsourcing non-core areas might free resources to
conduct better business.

AK Bhargava, MTNL

What CIOs Must Not Do

Try to act as the expert:
Even CIOs cannot be a master of all trades, and being a 'Jack' is
fraught with disastrous consequences. Designate individual functions to
specialists.

Assume that a problem is
a simple one: Respect every situation; any problem is simple after it
has been solved.

Make a solution more
complex: This might sound contradictory to the earlier maxim, but
there is a thin line between not underestimating a problem and getting
hyper or paranoid about it.

Ignore user or customer
feedback: Usually users in other departments are your customers; do
not be condescending, but take their feedbacks in the right spirit.

Sunil Kapoor, Fortis
Healthcare

What CIOs Must Not Do

Lose sight of
organizational needs: Consistently keep the resources aligned to
organization goals.

Lose sight of KRAs:
Be focused on the KRAs and review progress periodically to ensure
resources are deployed accordingly.

Project a high on tech
image: In business forums, use less of technology jargon as it
otherwise puts people off.

Isolate self: Do not
just confine yourself to server rooms, but build linkage across levels;
never practice 'techno-intellectual snobbery'.

Have a 'know it all'
attitude: Technology is an ocean you cannot swim alone; respect and
trust specific specialists.

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In the course of several interactions Dataquest conducted with
CIOs across the country, we often heard many of them elucidating about
assumptions CIOs must not make or areas they must avoid treading into.
Basically, these words of wisdom somewhat demarcated a Lakshman Rekha, which
CIOs must not cross in their daily operations or interactions they undertake
with their external/internal constituents.

The 'Must Avoid' list for CIOs would range from strategic
decisions such as dependence on a single vendor and desisting from outsourcing
functional services to even mundane traits such as ignoring user feedback or
trying to be an all pervasive expert. Dataquest spoke to VK Ramani, UTI Bank; AK
Bhargava, MTNL; and Sunil Kapoor of Fortis Healthcare; three CIOs who have
formulated their own list of 'Don'ts' in their own careers. Even if other
CIOs do not agree on all the counts, it would perhaps be in their best interests
to keep in mind these words of wisdom so as to avoid repeating the common
mistakes.

Manogyata Narayan

(With inputs from Rajneesh De)

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