Chief information officer Catherine Doran tackles a hot issue of
the day.The history of technology adoption is well known:
established organisations developed systems that automated
pre-existing processes, viewing the systems as a "bolt-on" to their
core business.
Now technology has become core to the business infrastructure it is
well understood. Or is it?
Most IT departments still see themselves as something separate from
the mainstream business, and both the business and technology
communities collude in maintaining that stance.
When asked, the average IT professional would have little sense of
the impact of his or her work on the company's profit-and-loss
account. This creates discontinuities and allows the "them and us"
mentality to flourish.
I believe the chief information officer - whether global or local -
should play a key role in banishing this corporate mindset.
If you are one, your first, but not your only port of call is the
IT department. Abolish the concept of IT projects - there is no
such thing. There are change projects that are largely technology
based, and some that have a more even mix. But they all have an
impact on the overall business.
Other options include building in flexibility, so that your IT
department can react rapidly to changing business priorities.
One good aspect of global business is that it has forced chief
information officers out of their shells to create global support
centres and global architectures for their companies.
It has also encouraged the concept of centres of excellence, so
that regional IT groups have an incentive to co-operate and a
global approach becomes the norm.
There are other considerations, such as the concept of common
infrastructure and applications across the enterprise. Businesses
have had to learn how to start up in new regions quickly and cost
effectively by creating a repeatable process; and supporting the
organisation's global expansion by taking technology off the
critical path.
Sure, these are complex matters, and they are far easier to
identify than to solve. However, they represent some critical
developments in the role of the global CIO. For the business to
work as a whole, they must be overcome.
What's your view?
Does your IT department truly work as
part of your business?
Tell us in an e-mail >>CW360.com reserves
the right to edit and publish answers on the Web site. Please state
if your answer is not for publication.Catherine Doran is chief information officer at global
investment bank Capital One.