Not every CIO has their sights set on the CEO chair, but being able to identify and resolve CEO level problems is a skill set that may lead to advanced positions either in your current company or in the next assignment. I asked MetroPCS Brands SVP and CIO Kevin Broadway for his thoughts on issues that may at first seem to be top level enterprise issues, but fit well within the range of the Enterprising CIO who is thinking at a broader level.
Manage to the Bottom Line
“IT must be a revenue driver or enabler to thrive in today’s world. CIOs must focus on emerging technologies that can create new revenue streams, bring product to market faster and help a company run more efficiently.”
Turn Data into “Fools” Gold
“With the rise of the Internet of Things, companies have access to more data and new types of data like never before. CIOs are called on to capture, manage and derive value from all this data to help their company be more competitive, predict problems before they happen and provide better service to customers, partners and other stakeholders.”
Maintain Regulatory Compliance
“Security is always a top concern for a CEO and should never become an internal responsibility.This is why the managed services approach is so critical to an organization. You also need regulatory compliance programs to reinforce and verify with the service providers.”
Create a Culture of Agility and Innovation
“CIOs must reinvent IT to become the business solution partners for the company. For instance, Broadway states,"at MetroPCS we are using a new cloud platform that helps us automate more operations and ultimately accelerates our ability to bring new products to market faster." Companies need to be mindful of this new trend and focus on acquiring new outside talent to remain competitive.”
Bring Clarity Where it is Lacking
“CEOs can’t manage what they can’t measure or see. New technologies are making it possible for CIOs to secure a truly comprehensive view of the IT operations which allows us to provide more clarity and insight. It is critical that they present metrics in formats that can be easily digested.”
These 5 topics make a great start for the CIO who is truly intent on contributing executive level support to the enterprise. But each organization has its own needs, and the enterprising CIO should search out and identify the most important issues for their situation.
