CIO Agenda in 2019: 6 Key Elements to Strengthen the Digital Business

Gartner gives us 6 key elements for a CIO to navigate the IT changes of 2019 and put his organization on a safe path to sustainable competitive advantage.

2019 CIO Survey Led by Gartner shows that the digital business is turning from an experimental attempt into a large-scale movement.

This era of digitization is focused on long-term changes with significant implications, changes that are based on something more than just technology, on your leadership.

1. Digitization rules have changed

Digitization has become a priority. To create large-scale digitization, IT executives focus on building capabilities that increase customer engagement.

What should be the response of a CIO?

Improves the organization’s capabilities on three levels:

• Volume: Access multiple clients and multiple digital transactions.
• Purpose: Allow customers to perform a variety of different activities and services.
• Agility: Increases the organization’s ability to change quickly and respond to customer needs.

2. Changing the business model is inevitable

Organizations shift their focus from what they sell to the way they sell. Customer expectations and brand identity become strong external forces in changing the business model while growth and cost pressure become internal forces.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Be active in discussions about business transformation.
• Infuse the organization’s strategy with your understanding of IT capabilities and potential.

3. The client is in the center

Digital offers new skills to engage the audience, deliver a superior experience and manage costs. Customer involvement is a key element in business success today, so you need to carefully measure your IT potential.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Look at customer involvement as an end in itself.
• Measure customer engagement, ROI and determine KPIs to help you increase it.

4. Customer involvement brings benefits, but also risks

A brand can be destroyed if it loses the trust of customers. Protecting customer data becomes a central element of the business model.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Understand that the organization cannot provide digital security on its own.
• Educate managers and the board to understand cybersecurity risks.

5. An approach around the product is better

Flexibility is crucial, which is why organizations need to move from a per-project approach with episodic delivery to continuous integration and delivery.

The product-centric approach ensures a better relationship between IT and the rest of the departments.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Understand that the organization cannot provide digital security on its own.
• Educate executives and the board to understand cybersecurity risks.

5. An approach around the product is better

Flexibility is crucial, which is why organizations need to move from a per-project approach with episodic delivery to continuous integration and delivery.

The product-centric approach ensures a better relationship between IT and the rest of the departments.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Identify the barriers to a product-centric approach and work with the rest of the organization.
• Pay attention to the human problem: it addresses both cultural change and the difference in abilities.
• Build relationships with the rest of the departments and assure them of the value of the digital business.

6. Digital transformation is an act of balancing

Digital transformation involves balancing new technologies and methods with old infrastructure. The decisions of a CIO in this situation are essential for success.

What should be the response of a CIO?

• Identify ways to distribute investments between the usual business and new technologies.
• Build relationships with the rest of the business and assure them of the value of the digital business.