The role of the CIO in 2020 is not just about managing technology and planning IT strategy. It is also intertwined with driving innovation, leading teams, developing talent, and achieving overall organizational goals. Technology and business goals are overlapping more than ever, and CIOs are becoming crucial strategic partners with other C-suite executives. Here are the top four priorities for CIOs as we start the new year.
Workforce Challenges
Technology solutions will only get your organization so far if you don’t have the right people in place to deploy them. CIOs in 2020 will be responsible for identifying workforce challenges that are standing in the way of completing projects or improving productivity. They need to recruit, hire, and retain team members – whether full-time employees or consultants – who will help the organization work more efficiently and move toward its goals.
Strategic Planning and Analytics
Modern CIOs must possess a solid technical background, but they must also have exceptional business, communication, and analytical skills. In a recent survey of senior IT executives and members of the Think IT Association commissioned by York Solutions, 91% of respondents said they believe the CIO needs to master strategic planning and analytics, and 90% said the role of the CIO is changing from building a strong foundation to managing their team and the changing landscape. CIOs in 2020 must track and analyze data in a variety of ways to strengthen their organizations, from finding solutions to everyday inefficiencies to identifying the hard and soft skills needed in future team members.
Automation
Automation has already transformed how CIOs and IT teams operate, and machine learning, AI, and robotics will continue that trend in 2020. Automated technologies can empower CIOs to delegate repetitive or time-consuming tasks – like cybersecurity, test data management, reporting, and project administration – to machines and free up employee time for more creative and critical thinking responsibilities.
Leadership
CIOs act as liaisons between the executive team and the tech teams, and that role requires
inspiring their peers, advocating for their employees, and communicating the value of IT to the entire organization.
“Currently, my organization has more needs than we can currently fund,” said Lanna Niemeyer, Assistant Vice President of Transformation and IT Strategy Management at Prime Therapeutics, in the York Solutions survey. “Because of this, our CIO is instrumental in helping us prioritize and focus our requests, then championing our team and taking our request to the C-Suite to request more funding.”
Learn how York Solutions’ Managed Service Solution (MS3) can help your organization reach its goals in 2020.