Will you sit tight in the downturn or take the initiative?
It's your choice, says David Harrison.
By any measure, 2002 was the IT industry's annus
horribilis, with many companies' investment levels either at a
standstill or worse, falling.
It has been tough for chief information officers to adjust to the
new environment. According to analyst firm Gartner, business
leaders now grudgingly regard their IT peers with something between
scepticism and acceptance - certainly not with trust or
respect.
So can hard-pressed chief information officers look forward to
brighter times in 2003?
CIOs face a simple choice: They can switch into defensive mode, sit
tight and wait hopefully for recovery. Or they can set out on new
initiatives that deliver demonstrable bottom-line benefits to the
business as a whole - initiatives that will, not overnight but over
time, rebuild the CIO's reputation and credibility.
In IT terms, this means examining the installed base. Ask where
improvements can be made, what technology is redundant and what can
be consolidated or discarded.
This kind of cost-focused discipline can generate quick wins for
the CIO that make a positive impact on the bottom line - the kind
of impact the board likes.
CIOs also need to be looking at the longer term. Cost reductions
are welcome, but when times are hard, IT is just one of many
functions trying to justify its existence in a company. To make an
effective case, CIOs need to show how IT is supporting the business
and adding value.
There are two ways to do this. The most obvious is for CIOs to do
their jobs well. Introducing innovations that bring immediate
business benefits is another good way to showcase IT's value.
So it is up to you. You can sit tight and wait - and put yourself
at the mercy of circumstances. Or you can take control. A tall
order, maybe, but given the realities of the IT macroclimate, do
you really have a choice?
What do you think?
Which option has your company taken?
Tell us in an e-mail
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David Harrison is UK managing director and
vice-president EMEA at Mercury Interactive