In information technology, the chief information officer (CIO) is a key figure within the enterprise. CIOs are among the most important roles in companies because they oversee information management and usability.
Lately, with the increased use of technology, CIOs have gained greater importance. CIOs assess how different technologies improve the company’s operations and are responsible for analysing their benefits.
As you can imagine, any type of digital transformation needs to obtain the CIO’s approval before proceeding. The CIO must be fully confident that any technology change is worth the risks, because every change introduces some degree of unpredictability.
So, before approving any digital transformation, the CIO will have to ask some questions. We’re here to help with this, by providing what we think are five questions the CIO will want to keep in mind.
Is the Cloud a good business strategy?
Many companies today are moving their digital infrastructure to the cloud because it provides greater agility for business applications.
Before making this decision, the CIO will need to determine what tangible benefits it will deliver to the company. Is the company going for the Cloud business just because it looks better, or because it will actually represent an improvement in its industry?
Cloud-Native or Mode 2 applications?
What a CIO will really have to ask here is something different. In which way are we considering this, did we take into consideration a greenfield standpoint? The type of shift the CIO will want to guide is always organisational, to support Cloud-Native technologies as well.
Every technology is relevant, but some are far more relevant than others. The Cloud is a valid alternative, but even when CIOs have made up their minds, there are still many elements to consider.
Is the Cloud safe?
The fact that so many companies have decided to move to cloud technology doesn’t necessarily mean this decision is without risk.
First, the Cloud will become the storage system for a wide range of information, including relevant data. It’s the CIO’s job to make sure that these data are protected in the right way. Furthermore, it’s really important for the Cloud to present an option of recovery, in case of loss of important information. Having a good backup plan is always essential.
How will the Cloud change the company?
The job description has to change first to reflect the new assets of the company, given this shift in its technology. Sysadmins, for example, will have to become Site Reliability Engineers (SRE), and Developers will have to turn into DevOps. Secondly, it’s important to re-train all of the employees in techniques that will revolve around the Cloud.
How will Cloud Technology change Vendor Choices?
It’s crucial at this stage to focus on some projections for the future. What are, for example, realistic ROI projections in the next three years? Only by analysing this kind of information will the CIO be able to understand how the Cloud technologies are going to change the Vendor Choices. It’s also crucial to ask at this point whether the ROI includes Professional Services, as they may be needed to get started with this technology.
The chief information officer is a critical role for any company that uses technology. The choice of a digital transformation towards the Cloud technology falls on them completely, but it might get difficult, depending on the case.
If you have any further doubts, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re a friendly team here at Source, and we would love to help you however we can. Please find out more about how we can work with you across Cloud Technology and your business transformation.
