How digital transformation is changing the CIO role

For CIOs success is no longer measured in the build and delivery of systems, but instead by the tangible outcomes that integrated technologies can deliver

The role of the CIO is changing.

As businesses of every shade undergo a form of digital transformation in a bid to accelerate the delivery and scope of new products and services, so the technology spending power has begun to shift from the CIO's reporting line to the rest of the business.

As a result, rather than primarily focusing on their traditional role of building and delivering technology, CIOs now need to think of themselves more as nurturers of innovation and brokers of a range of technologies and services that meet the demands of the evolving organisation.

It's perhaps unsurprising then that, according to the results of Gartner's latest CIO Agenda Survey, 95 per cent of CIOs expect their jobs to be significantly reshaped as a result of digital transformation. The survey reveals that the majority of ‘leading' CIOs are already responsible for areas of the business outside of their traditional remit, such as transformation and innovation, which makes sense in today's environment. After all, most innovation and business transformation will have at least some reliance on the practical application of technology.

Jaguar Land Rover, for example, has publicly stated an intention to build a million cars a year by 2020, up from just under 500,000 in 2015 - and for all new models from that date to be electric or hybrid. Production line capacity is just one of the challenges the company faces. To realise its goal, it must also design and bring to market new models, new power plants and new ‘connected' experiences for the owners of its vehicles.

There is a recognition that technology plays as fundamental a role in nurturing innovation as finding the right corporate environment. Indeed, technology is necessary to empower the required culture of innovation. It's for this reason that Jaguar Land Rover's CIO can be considered as being as much at the forefront of the firm's initiative for greater production, as its designers and production workers.

More time to think

In recent years, CIOs have been forced to prioritise areas such as cyber security and protecting their businesses from internal and external threats. At the same time, they've been required to focus on embracing new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics, and the connected devices that comprise the Internet of Things (IoT), which will foster innovation and provide their business with a competitive edge. Increasingly, it won't be an organisation's IT department driving the adoption of these technologies. Instead, other areas of the business will often be in a better position to identify the use cases and the innovative technology that will deliver greater customer value.

With less need for CIOs to attend to their more traditional responsibilities, they have more time and freedom to think and employ the new technologies that may be beyond the scope and understanding of their colleagues in the IT department. By embracing this exciting new opportunity, CIOs can continue to construct a successful IT function that works in conjunction with the wider business in a combined bid to achieve its overall goals.

According to Gartner, "some CIOs favour a separate digital team while others make digitalisation part of the day job of IT and the enterprise. However, 71 per cent of the top performers have a separate digital team to help them scale their digitalisation efforts".

The role of the CIO has shifted from the ‘manufacturer' of IT systems to the ‘broker', with success no longer measured in the build and delivery of systems, but instead by the tangible outcomes that integrated technologies can deliver to a business.

By clearly and visibly putting the CIO in the position of establishing and directing influence of an organisation's increasing technology spend, businesses - and CIOs themselves - will be better able to achieve this inevitable and necessary shift in focus and role.

Matt Fisher is SVP product strategy at Snow Software