The Metamorphosis of the CIO
By Abhinna Shreshtha
Mumbai, Jan 7, 2008

The functional roles of IT in an organization have undergone a drastic change. IT is no longer viewed as just an auxiliary of the enterprise. It has permeated all facets and become an integral part of a company's business plans. With the true value of IT being recognized, what of its caretakers? The numerous 'techies', from the CIO to the various system professionals who look after the IT infrastructure of the company have seen their hard work slowly but surely being recognized. They are no longer disdainfully viewed as just technology geeks but as important assets of the company.

Satish Syal, CIO of NIIT Technologies agrees with the view that, a CIO today is a strategic expert, who communicates the importance of IT to his business colleagues. "The strategic aspect of a CIO's job has become much more prominent," says Syal. Talking about his own experiences as a technology professional and a CIO, Syal says, "I've pretty much stepped back from technical operations, and now focus mostly on working with the business community, making sure I have a clear understanding of business processes and needs. We [in IT] are working with partners we could have never predicted years ago. Business is becoming much more aware of how information runs through the veins of technology."

The change in the CIO's role can be broadly divided into 3 periods. Earlier, the main expectation from the CIO was to provide IT support, as and when the company required. It was a purely technical responsibility, with CIO's having little say in the business objectives. They were allotted a stringent budget and expected to work within it. This changed later on with CIOs being given more freedom in deciding what technology best suited the company's needs. They also became responsible for transforming the company's outdated IT infrastructure. This was the start of the CIO's role as a strategic and business advisor.

Fast forward to post 2005, and we saw that the strategic role of the CIO and IT in the enterprise was further consolidated. The CIO no longer just followed directives but played a role in deciding the course of the company. Heads of companies now expect the CIO/CTO to play a role in increasing the speed of the process, automate more operations, increase productivity, bring people together to share ideas and resolve conflicts, and to reduce cost of operations continuously.

"The role of IT has undergone a rapid transformation in the recent years. From a pure backroom function in the past, it has now become a key business enabler. For some industries, it's even a key business driver. As a custodian of IT, the role of CIO has also undergone similar transition and has become far more strategic now. For some industries, the business models have got innovated to such an extent that IT has become the business. In that context, CIO has become the key businessperson for those businesses. This transformation does not end here. The CIOs who are keen to transform themselves will be winners; others may run a risk of getting marginalized," clarifies Satish Pendse, CIO of Hindustan Construction Company.

It is no longer enough for a CIO or any technology expert for that matter, just to have technical knowledge; they must also know how to handle people and possess a good understanding of business, in short, all the skills that a business leader requires.

Dhanalakshmi R.K. Head (ISG & Technology) of Aditi Technologies, sums it up aptly by saying, "CIOs/Heads of IT are more proactively involved in increasing productivity of staff, both inside the company and on the field. People working for a company's IT department have a vast array of tasks and issues they deal with in real time. Additionally, business acumen and strategic perspectives have also become part of the key requirements. To be a part of the strategic planning team, one needs to have a great insight into technology and its progress, and understand the requirements of the management and clients."

(With inputs from Aarti Shah, Pankaj Maru and Priyanka Akhouri)


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