The transformative CIO, part two: reforming the IT organization

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. Introduction
  3. Transforming the technology road map
  4. Transforming the IT organization
  5. Focusing on innovation
  6. Short- and longer-term innovation
  7. Recommendations and key takeaways
  8. About Laura Stuart

1. Summary

This is the second report in a two-part series looking at how transformative CIOs change both their own role and the role of the IT department in order to provide the technology leadership that enterprises need today.

In the first report, “The transformative CIO, part one,” we looked at how some CIOs have managed to recast their role as a true part of the senior executive management team. Instead of getting bogged down in day-to-day IT operations, they become focused on the strategic direction and use of technology within their enterprise’s industry and organization, and they help their nontechnical peers understand the opportunities and requirements that new technologies are bringing to their markets and industry. We found that such a transformation requires intense and sustained effort, requires a parallel transformation of the IT department, and can be substantially completed within two years.

Among the findings in this second report of the series are the following:

  • A radical redrawing of a firm’s technology road map can enable an IT department to be more focused on strategic applications and development and to work more closely with non-IT departments and business units.
  • Reorganizing the IT department along the lines of a product management organization, with dedicated line-of-business relationship managers, can better align IT delivery with the needs of the enterprise.
  • An aggressive effort to foster innovation can lead to a more engaged IT workforce and the better testing and development of new ideas.

Thumbnail image courtesy of AKodisinghe/Thinkstock.

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