The State of The CIO 2018 survey reveals that the IT and business goals of organizations are no longer two separate entities. With rising tech budgets and the challenge to deliver unique digital customer experiences, the modern CIO is not only driving digital transformation but also business innovation.

You can now download the full report of the State of the CIO 2018 survey.

CIOs have now become change agents who are driving business strategy in the enterprise. More than 60 percent of the surveyed CIOs spent their time in aligning IT initiatives with business goals, while over 50 percent were involved in implementing new systems and improving IT operations in 2017.

CIOs will remain at the helm of budget allocation for IT products and services. Organizations will continue to loosen the purse strings for technology and this will give more direct control to IT in tech investments. 

2017 saw a major shift in the way IT and a company’s LOBs collaborate. More than one-third of the surveyed IT leaders said they have complete oversight in the purchase decisions of other departments. Whereas only 3 percent said they were not involved at all.  

Over 40 percent of surveyed CIOs said they spend a majority of their time with the business team to improve the IT business dynamic. Additionally, IT also works with business units to mutually decide the priority of IT projects in the organization.  

With customer experience becoming a top priority for enterprises, two-thirds of CIOs will interact more frequently with customers in 2018 to understand their needs and meet customer expectations.

To overcome the challenges of the digital era, an IT leader must be proactive in his approach. Over 60 percent of surveyed CIOs believe assessing the current situation and taking proactive measures to recommend tech solutions is what best defines an IT leader.

Strengthening enterprise security to avoid cyber-attacks is the top expectation CEOs have from CIOs. Other CEO priorities include reducing IT spending, collaboration between IT and other departments, global expansion and strengthening business skills of IT staff. 

You can now download the full report of the State of the CIO 2018 survey.