Robert E. Stroud, CGEIT, CRISC, a member of ISACA's Strategic Advisory Council, as well as VP of strategy and innovation at CA Technologies knows all too well the problems that continue to perplex CIOs. Even after these issues have been discussed, solutions strategized, and plans made for putting them behind, they just don't go away.
Stroud sees the role of the CIO as one that transcends technology and embraces business goals. That's nothing new to our discussions here, but his take is one worth reviewing. Stroud says: “Everything in business has become connected, from cars that brake for themselves or auto correct their path to avoid accidents, or even drones that deliver your groceries. These are all part of the emerging world of disruptive technologies. Today's businesses are more dependent on technology for survival than ever before. CIOs must act not only as a technology leader, but as a critical business partner who understands the nature and direction of the business.
The problem that continues to nag many CIOs is that they are seen as a technologist. This is exacerbated with useful life cycles of technology decreasing and growing awareness and empowerment of the business to directly procure IT enabled business solutions. This leads to investments in capital equipment that hold little value to the organization, leading some to question their business acumen.
In response, many CIOs are transitioning to a new agile environment, where speed is critical. To deliver, they need to integrate with the business transformation at the rate and pace of business, based on the risk appetite. For instance, a new solution with top secret or business critical information will mandate greater security levels. Too many IT organizations don't classify the information appropriately, often implementing a single security approach rather than information approach. This often spurs business frustration, as there are too many controls to guard the critical information.
The single trend that CIOs will have to deal with is the explosion of information that the Internet of Things and big data will deliver to us. This information, when correctly leveraged, will provide critical competitive advantage, but many CIOs are still coming to grips with the correct resources required to drive value. The role of data scientists is emerging, and this role will require sound business knowledge and the skills to read the information and make decisions.”
