Modern IT teams can no longer restrict themselves to just managing technology; they're part of every business process from finance to HR.
Stop talking about digital transformation
Joanna Smith, interim CIO at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, highlighted a problem with the language used around business transformation.
"We should stop talking about digital transformation. It's just transformation. So to that point, suddenly everyone's looking to the IT director, the CIO - and actually it's business change and business transformation…
"You can't drive business change just through putting a new piece of hardware or new software in. It's all about the business."
Dealing with the pace of change
New tech tools are released thick and fast, and what's suitable today might hold you back next year.
It's something every IT leader with purchasing power needs to keep in mind.
"When I see poor decisions based on the device, where they're looking at just adequately running the workloads of today and not legislating for the unknown workloads of two years, three years, however long the asset's got to live - that's when I see really big problems creeping in in a very short timeframe," said Jeff.
The organisations that thrive, year after year, are the ones that choose an "appropriate" device that combines "protect and unleash."
Nick agreed, adding that he always tries to over-spec.
"Don't buy just to get across the line, really look at where you're going to be [in the future]. Is the operating system going to grow in two years? Of course it will. Will it be nearly twice the size? Possibly."
Recent Computing research shows that employees lose up to a whole workday each year, just waiting for an old device to boot up.
"Spending £1,000 [on a new laptop] is an easy win. It's much better to get people their time back, if you can, through hardware," he added.
The whole panel discussion contained many more insights into the lives of modern IT decision makers - a topic we'll be discussing next month at the IT Leaders Summit. This free event takes place in Down Hall Hotel, near Stansted, and Computing is paying for everything. Click here to find out more.
