The role of the CIO is shifting, and its for the better

How do you see the state of outsourcing globally today?

Outsourcing continues to remain a viable way for businesses to expand their
capacity and capabilities. There are core competencies that companies will never
outsource. Part of the art is knowing which capabilities benefit from an
outsourced environment. This is true for manufacturing as well as IT services.

Split between strategy and tactics, there seems to be a major shift in the
role of a CIO in the modern corporate world. How do you see this?

The role of the CIO is shifting, and in my observation its for the better.
CIOs are held more accountable and actively involved in driving top-line
revenues. More projects and lights on revenue are being directed towards
growing the business. Some of our clients have internal resources that act as
liaisons to the business. They are involved and focused on managing application
portfolios on behalf of the business. The role of the CIO is emerging but not as
equal as we would like to see it.

Do you think the issue of generation gap is cropping up in the industry?

I frequently hear this question from IT executives. The millennial and GenY
workers grew up being online and plugged in. They have a different work habit.
Being connected and online all the time, they work and are connected to office
services whereas their older generation counterparts lament not being able to
unplug. The younger generation is willing to work just as hard but the young lot
has incorporated the asynchronous aspects that technology has provided. Its a
shift in habit.

How will the emergence of non-English speaking affect the conventional
English-speaking outsourcing destinations?

The major challenge will actually be with business analysts. They produce
the requirements and specifications that developers need. Since the majority of
outsourcing services has some development component, the key will be to create
requirement documents in a language that can be understood by developers. This
is a big shift since it may require two sets of translation for the
requirements. As English is used in many countries as the language of business,
it will take much longer for non-English speaking regions to catch up.

Sudhakaran/CMN

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in