If you’re like many small companies, you don’t have a designated Chief Information Officer(CIO.) But that shouldn’t stop you from taking a strategic approach to information.
According to The New Voice of the CIO, a recent study from IBM, this involves:
- Making innovation real: You need both insightful vision and able pragmatism to explore what technology can do and then generate the can-do sense of urgency essential for navigating great ideas into working systems,
- Raising the ROI of Information Technology: A two pronged approach involves better solutions that deliver more business value and an understanding of expense structures that lets you trim costs whenever possible, and
- Expanding Business Impact: Leaders in your various business areas need to be wondering how information, communication and collaboration can present new opportunities and your information systems staff and consultants need to understand your core business. These high level, cross functional partnerships should be augmented by a commitment to deepening information expertise at all organizational levels.
Even though you may not be able afford a full time CIO, you can’t afford to not exploit the opportunities and address the challenges that information presents your organization.