According to a recent survey by Gartner, 80 percent of CEOs are increasing technology investments designed to counter the three big economic pressures of our times: inflation, supply chain constraints and a shortage of talent.
But having made those investments, it's up to tech leaders to ensure they're driving value. The same research found that a majority of CEOs are frustrated by the progress of their companies’ IT projects, saying that they say they take too long to complete (59 percent) and to realize value (52 percent).
That represents a real risk to IT leaders’ ongoing employment and to companies’ long-term success. What can CIOs do to ensure the technology investments they make quickly demonstrate real business value?
Prioritize Digital Initiatives That Align with Business Priorities
No action by IT leaders is more important than this basic step: Ensure that you’re fully plugged into the goals of the business as defined by the CEO and other business leaders, then prioritize projects that support these goals.
It sounds simple, and most CIOs I’ve met agree with the concept. The challenge is that CEOs don’t often define business goals in ways that clearly translate to digital priorities, so tech leaders must possess the vision to know which ones will.
For example, Gartner found that businesses were three times more likely to identify “improve customer experience” (45 percent) as a goal for digital transformation than “improve employee experience” (14 percent). A wise CIO, however, will recognize that these objectives are linked, especially when it comes to customer-facing employees. Therefore, deploying handheld devices that help retail associates locate merchandise quickly will lead to happier customers, as will installing the right cloud-based solutions to empower call center workers.
LEARN: Find out how businesses are leveraging modern applications towards success.