Martin Schofield doesn’t waste time. Since joining luxury retailer Harvey Nichols in 2003 as a head of IT, he has taken responsibility for logistics, got promoted to the firm’s board and is now in control of its entire store operations.
During his tenure, the company’s IT was completely transformed, as was the approach of the IT department, which has changed from being a glorified helpdesk with poor supplier management skills into an internal consultancy.
“As IT, we are fortunate to have a view of most of the operation, whereas other departments tend to operate in silos of understanding,” says Schofield. “With my brief and their experience, the IT team is now establishing a centre of knowledge along with the business sponsors and project leaders.”
Schofield believes the traditional IT department is an anachronism. “You can’t just sit behind an IT wall and be the techie people who fix PCs. You have to demonstrate you know more and are able to converse at a level the business understands, not litter it with technical terms. And also be prepared to provide solutions that aren’t always technical,” he says.
“IT should die out eventually,” he adds, warming to his theme. “That said, there is always the need for a technical lead, so the best [IT departments] may evolve into a ‘business integrity’ function, taking on the overall internal consultancy, an understanding-people role.”
Under Schofield’s new set of responsibilities, some 15 store managers report directly to him, in addition to five IT managers.
Given the size of the IT team at the department store firm – around 28 in-house staff – the business does not have a complex succession planning strat egy, but there is a development plan in place for senior roles.
The career enhancement plan entails improvement of business understanding, and managers are encouraged to “live and breathe” retail. “I don’t send them on ‘How to be a better IT manager’ courses,” says Schofield.
As IT staff turnover at Harvey Nichols is low, the firm does not have a specific recruitment plan for the IT function. Often, new team members come from other areas of the business after getting involved in technical projects, which also works as a proving ground for finding the right people.
While still getting to grips with juggling three distinct areas of responsibility, Schofield is also developing his own skill set, by applying logical thinking to facets of the job such as “shepherding chaos”.
“Now I have to sit in the middle of the three areas. It is fun to be able to sponsor, identify and implement projects, but it is still quite a broad remit,” he says.
According to Schofield, as IT departments morph into internal consultancies, companies will need to hire people with MBAs and business qualifications for IT roles, who can bridge the gap between functional expertise and management skills.
“Focus on the business,” is Schofield’s main tip for aspiring technology leaders. “IT is and should be part of the business. Get on with it.”
CIOs to morph into multifunctional leaders
As the role of technology becomes increasingly critical for businesses, the traditional chief information officer (CIO) role becomes equally transitory, according to research carried out by the Cranfield School of Management and consulting firm Deloitte.
The future management generation will understand IT intimately and appreciate its benefits to the business, the research found.
According to Cranfield’s Joe Peppard, “multifunctional” leaders taking on responsibility for IT in addition to other areas will become more common as organisations depart from technology delivery models to value realisation.
However, Peppard warns that big expectations from traditional boards and their definition of the CIO role could pose a problem, coupled with the fact that some businesses do not know what should be the qualities of an IT leader and what type of manager they are looking for.
“The value of technology is not in its possession, but how it is used by the business. And this is where the role of the CIO comes to the fore: in demonstrating to the business the role that information plays,” he says.
David Roberts, chief executive of blue-chip user group The Corporate IT Forum, agrees that in future IT leaders will need to wear a variety of business-related hats. “But so far, I have noticed only IT people becoming businessmen, [not vice versa],” he adds.
IBM
White Paper download 
reader comments