Clarifying the Ambiguous ROLE

of The

CIO
Shruti Patra Roll no : 73 PGDM -2012-14

TRACING THE EVOLUTION OF THE CIO ROLE

The genesis of the CIO roleand the coining of the chief information officer Supporting role Competitive Advantage

Make the distinction between demand and supply Most of the contemporary research exploring the CIO role falls into two streams Advocating that CIOs take a stronger and more proactive leadership role in their organizations. Exploring the personal competencies of successful CIOs.

Causes of CIO Role Ambiguity

CIOsenior executive responsible for establishing corporate information policy, standards, and management control over all corporate information resources.
Unclear Distinction Between Corporate and Business Unit CIOs-- Corporate vs. Business line

Inconsistent Use of IT Director and CIO Titles-- Operational Vs strategy

Mismatch Between Expectations and Performance Metrics ---Opportunities Vs process metrics Outdated View of the CIO Role

FIVE DISTINCT CIO ROLES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Scope of the role Those issues cited as critical to success The performance metrics used for assessment The challenges cited The nature of the relationship with CxO colleagues, in particular the CEO.

Utility IT Director
Primary function is to provide IT infrastructure, systems, data, and telecommunications capability They are not strategically dependent on information they use IT to support operational processes in an efficient manner.

The Evangelist CIO

Takes on the task of raising the profile of information by educating his or her peers on the potential for information to be a potent business driver, partly by providing them with exciting visions of the future, and partly by creating pilots to demonstrate this potential.

Innovator CIO
Identifies and develops opportunities to deploy new IT-enabled processes and products/services that give the organization a clear source of competitive differentiation over its rivals

Facilitator CIO
He is responsible for ensuring that information skills and capabilities pervade every part of the organization. They ensure alignment horizontally, with the objective of ensuring that every department, function, and division within the organization can define, integrate, and exploit information.

Agility IT Director/CIO
They have a deep understanding of the potential strategic and operational role of information and technology, and the opportunities they can provide the business but need someone who can match their aspirations with advanced knowledge of technology supply. The primary challenge for Agility IT Directors/CIOs is to be at the cutting edge of technology and able to access an extensive ecosystem of technology suppliers

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOARDS, CxOS, AND CIOs

CIOs Should Align Expectations with Organizational Requirements Incumbent CIOs Should Actively Manage Role Evolution Create a Clear, Unambiguous Statement of the CIO Role Some CxO Teams Need to Improve Their Digital Literacy Levels Ensure CIO Role Matches CxO and CIO Expectations

A Framework for Determining the Appropriate CIO Role

The Five States Identify the Required Information Leadership Capabilities

State Criticality of Information and Technology for Differentiation Information Is not currently used for differentiation. Examples exist of information usage contributing to competitive differentiation, but they are not widespread. Significant recognition of the high potential value of information exists across the organization. Information is used to provide competitive differentiation right across the industry; laggards suffer material disadvantage. Information is at the heart of the industry and is treated as such. Required Information Leadership Capability Organizations typically need a Utility IT Director who makes (or is given little opportunity to make) a marginal contribution to the strategic application of information. Organizations typically need an Evangelist CIO who can explain how information can be used for differentiation and can galvanize support. Organizations typically need an Innovator CIO who actively exploits information to gain competitive advantage and to significantly enhance organizational information capabilities. Organizations typically need a Facilitator CIO to work with business/department leaders to leverage the greatest possible advantage from information. Because information has become deeply embedded and integrated into every aspect of the organizationemerging technologies can now be orchestrated by an Agility IT Director/ CIO.

THANKS