10 Top CIO Priorities: The Reality Vs. The Ideal
CIOs are charged with both support and business functions, which means juggling a variety of priorities. However, those priorities don't always match up with where IT leaders would necessarily focus their energies if given a choice. Recent survey results illustrate the disconnect.
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CIOs are being pulled in multiple directions these days. They are tasked with driving business goals and transformation in the face of fast-paced change. It's no longer enough to simply "keep the lights on," an increasingly difficult task, given that everything from consumerization to mobile initiatives is demanding the attention of IT departments. To navigate those obstacles, CIOs need a roadmap. What better place to get it than from peers? The results of Deloitte's "2015 Global CIO Survey" provides a source of insight into how tech leaders are prioritizing their time.
Deloitte surveyed 1,271 CIOs, or equivalents with titles that included CTO, chief digital officer, etc. (22% held a title other than CIO) from 43 countries. Three-quarters of those surveyed work for companies with more than 1,000 employees. The survey asked a variety of questions about business priorities, leadership and talent, relationships, and investment priorities, but the two questions we'll be focusing on here are: "What will be your organization's top three technology priorities for the next 12 months?" and "Where would you like your IT organization to focus in the ideal state?" Respondents were asked to choose up to three answers on the list.
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The noticeable differences between the results of those two questions is very telling. It appears to a certain degree that CIOs are likely being pulled away by business realities, budget, senior leadership, economics, and other factors from a focus on what they deem higher priorities.
We'll countdown respondents' top 10 technology priorities and show you how those priorities compare to what they said those priorities would be in an "ideal state." Hopefully, you are one of the lucky tech leaders who can follow your ideal priorities. If not, you can see how your peers are also being diverted, and in which directions.
Take a look at the list and see how it compares to your priorities. Then tell us in the comments what challenges you see the most when it comes to setting and maintaining priorities.
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Top Priority: 20%
Ideal Priority: 12%
The cloud and mobile are most likely among the main reasons why the IT operating model is in need of adjusting. Based on the low percentage (12%) of those surveyed who said that they wanted this to be a priority, it would be reasonable to say that respondents would like not to have to be bothered or would like to be already done with this transition. The latter may soon be true. When asked to rank their current level of investment of technology areas, 36% of respondents selected legacy/core modernization. So, perhaps that means they will be done in the near future, though modernizing is a never-ending battle.
Top Priority: 23%
Ideal Priority: 22%
One of the rare occasions where the priority and the ideal priority were about the same in terms of respondent percentage.
Top Priority: 23%
Ideal Priority: 32%
The fact that survey respondents would ideally make this more of a priority if they were able, in my mind, reflects the growing value of analytics, and also the frustration they are having making analytics work. Another question in the survey showed that 77% of respondents said analytics and business intelligence will have a significant impact on their business in the next two years. Digital and cloud were ranked 2nd and 3rd behind analytics. When asked about their involvement with end customers, only 36% of respondents said gathering and analyzing customer data was a priority for their organizations.
Top Priority: 23%
Ideal Priority: 16%
To be honest, this choice confused me. I'm not sure who thinks driving large and complex projects is ever a good idea in an era where flexibility is key. Though it is clear from the results that it will likely be a part of the CIO's life in the foreseeable future.
Top Priority: 28%
Ideal Priority: 18%
For me, this is the most interesting answer in the survey. It might be the first evidence we have of the rest of the C-Suite "getting" security. The fact that survey respondents are being pushed to make this a priority more than they would on their own in an "ideal" state might be evidence that CEOs and CFOs are getting the security message.
There isn't a lot of data from the survey on why the respondents considered cyber-security a relatively low priority. According to the report's authors, "cybersecurity and talent were lower enterprise priorities, perhaps because they are fundamental for achieving other priorities, or because they don't drive profitability, or maybe because responsibility for these are shared with other executives."
Top Priority: 29%
Ideal Priority: 16%
Availability is the ultimate field goal kicker problem. No one notices the kicker (or the CIO) until a system goes down. Like security, this is a bigger priority for CIOs than they wish it was, because too many problems with the process leads to CIOs looking for other jobs. For the CIO, availability is the table stakes. It is assumed they will keep the lights on. Their legacy and reputation is built on more visible projects.
Top Priority: 32%
Ideal Priority: 43%
Digital was second on the list of potential game-changing technologies for survey respondents, so it isn't a surprise they want to spend more time on it. What is a bit of surprise is that 81% of those surveyed about their current technology investments said they already make a "medium" or "high" investment in these digital technologies (mobile, social, Web), which probably means even some of those already making significant investments want to make an even bigger investment.
Top Priority: 37%
Ideal Priority: 60%
There is little doubt that CIOs feel they cannot merely serve core IT functions anymore, and that transforming the business is a priority. But this is a sign that the survey respondents may feel the pressure to be the business.
For example, let's look at the Internet of Things (IoT). As data gathering, analysis, user experience, and security, among others, are increasingly baked inside products, CIOs will find themselves in new areas, such as product development, that drive topline growth. When asked for the business priorities of their organization, the respondents' top answers included performance, cost, customers, innovation, and growth. Basically, all of those priorities fall right back into the CIO's need to develop new things to sell.
Unfortunately, it is clear that while they see the need to do it, they can't make it a practical reality. Sadly, only 53% of the CIOs surveyed said that IT was involved in creating new products or services in any way. Considering the way the IoT is changing the way products need to be made, IT needs to be involved earlier.
Top Priority: 37%
Ideal Priority: 21%
It is tempting to assume these numbers show the respondents are lazy by saying they'd prefer to have a bigger budget rather than doing the hard work of running a lean, efficient organization. Possibly, but I think that in reality it's because of what they see is the changing role of the CIO as innovator and transformer of the business. The cost savings are only a part of the job, so CIOs can use the money better.
Top Priority: 46%
Ideal Priority: 50%
While the survey results did not find huge differences between what respondents indicated as their real and their ideal priorities, it is interesting to note that "improving existing business processes" came in second, behind "assisting in business innovation -- developing new products and services" on the list of "ideal" priorities.
As you can see, there are very few CIO priorities on the list that are "right-sized" for the survey respondents. Many of the priorities on the list would rise or fall significantly if respondents had their way. What do you think CIO priorities should be? What business realities are keeping those from happening? Tell us in the comments section below.
As you can see, there are very few CIO priorities on the list that are "right-sized" for the survey respondents. Many of the priorities on the list would rise or fall significantly if respondents had their way. What do you think CIO priorities should be? What business realities are keeping those from happening? Tell us in the comments section below.
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