CIOIN

Navin Chadha

IT Director, Vodafone Essar

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Navin Chadha is IT Director of Vodafone Essar.

For any partnership to prosper, it is imperative that the partners in question are truly aligned. And this applies to the business-IT relationship as well. In most mature organizations, IT is a business function, not a mere enabler. I believe that unless organizations treat their CIOs as business leaders and seek their participation, they aren’t leveraging the potential that technology can deliver to both the top and bottom lines.

Hence, the logical question is: How can CIOs truly align IT with business and transform into business CIOs? The answer is simple: It is extremely important for CIOs to start thinking and talking in business language and not limit themselves with an ‘IT-only’ mindset. Otherwise, the transition to a business CIO’s role can be quite painful. To alleviate the pain in such a transition, CIOs should consider the following aspects:

From Technology to Sociology: In order to drive consistent business value, CIOs need to socialize more with business leaders. They need to uproot communication barriers and identify avenues to create opportunities for alignment. Generally, CIOs fail to communicate success stories. I believe strongly that both internal and external communication is important for successful alignment of IT with business.

Set Up the Right Enterprise Architecture: A robust architecture removes complexities and makes driving transformation easier. It not only cuts time-to-market and costs, but also helps CIOs to create customer delight and increase operational efficiency.

"The transformation of CIOs from technology stewards to business leaders is a painful process but it is possible through consistent focus and execution."

Drive Change and Innovation: CIOs have to evolve from Chief Information Officers to being Change and Innovation Officers. Organizations, where CIOs are catalysts of change and innovation, see IT as a business partner as CIOs gain more credibility and respect.

From Cost Center to Value Creator: A successful business CIO will always look at value first and then cost. IT should focus more on supporting business results and not technology outcomes. Ideally, IT initiatives should be such that they create opportunities for IT to pay for itself.

The transformation of CIOs from technology stewards to business leaders is a painful process but it is possible through consistent focus and execution. In my view, CIOs should readily embrace changes and continuously focus on transforming into business CIOs. After all, in an ever-changing world, change is the only constant.