As enterprises pursue digital transformation, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) finds an important place in the boardroom. Previously tasked with keeping the lights on, CIOs are now in high demand for their insight into the opportunities enterprises have for making significant advances related to agility, cost savings, productivity, and collaboration.
There are a few emerging industry trends that are beginning to occupy the mind of the CIO as they plan for meeting business objectives, managing talent, and utilizing technology for a range of benefits. Take a look at two of the most critical issues facing the CIO:
Corporate Pressure
As global economic progress slows, along with an escalation of political unrest and trade conflicts, CIOs face increasing pressure to implement creative and cost-saving technology. IT is being tasked with identifying emerging technologies that allow the enterprise to outpace competitors and meet revenue goals.
The CIO must determine cost savings in areas like security and disaster recovery, where threats are becoming more complex and varied, while striving to stay within a shrinking budget. Cloud solutions are often marketed as the answer, but CIOs must also consider the necessary infrastructure to support bandwidth and performance needs, along with a host of other aspects of technology implementation.
Talent Investment
One of the challenges facing IT leaders is the lack of skilled talent ready to manage and troubleshoot new technology. The shortage of qualified help could cause CIOs to be limited in their ability to deliver the improvements in efficiency, agility, and cost that are being prioritized among executives.
Beyond being able to meet enterprise goals, there’s another reason why CIOs are thinking about the skill level of the talent they manage. Enterprises are beginning to think beyond simply delivering returns to shareholders to consider more extensively the role of talent and business partners. Across industries, IT is beginning to look at broader factors when considering how to meet technology demands, and whether outsourcing fits within their budgets, values, and goals.
One of the most important things CIOs must plan is how to keep valuable employees trained and equipped for handling emerging technology. Helping employees stay versatile and employable is an increasingly critical task.
CIOs must also evaluate what parts of any job can be automated or improved through machine learning and artificial intelligence. Helping employees set aside the more mundane parts of their job to pursue exciting and challenging opportunities can ensure the satisfaction of skilled talent.
Is your enterprise looking for new ways to improve productivity and agility within a limited budget? Contact us at Cloud Source, where we can help you leverage the best solutions to help you meet your business objectives.