EY-CIOs-Born-to-be-digital

Steps to setting up a digital enterpriseYour technical agenda1Set up the right architectures for growthCIOs taking the lead on digital need to enable the rapid assemblyof new ideas and business initiatives. “You can’t put up theregular hurdles you normally do for any sort of new functionality,so you need a foundational architecture — for mobile, cloud, data,applications, and so on. If you don’t, you wind up connectingone dot to the next, and you get a spaghetti mess,” argues DavidNichols, Americas IT Transformation Leader at EY.2Get control of your dataFor the past two decades, CIOs have been largely focused onapplication and infrastructure delivery, ahead of data. But a shiftinto the cloud reduces the emphasis on the application front, andmakes data far more important again.3Set out the relevant standardsDigital transformation requires to radically simplify the businessand to change the mindset around product development. Newproducts and services should not be introduced unless theunderlying technology is available to efficiently support these.CIOs will have to provide some foundational standards to guidetechnology selection. These will need to cover performancerequirements, along with legal, security and other aspects.4Understand strategic alignment with the rest ofthe businessDigital technologies have a huge potential to change the underlyingoperating model and business processes of the company. Therefore, CIOsmust have a close understanding of these aspects.5Take a fast, multidisciplinary approach tomanaging new projectsAs a wave of new digital ideas emerges, CIOs will have to ensure that alot of different internal functions and third parties can interconnect. “Thisdemands rapid-assembly teams that represent views from across thebusiness, including marketing, finance and IT,” says Dave Ryerkerk, Global ITAdvisory Leader at EY.6Plan the sequencing and pace of changeCIOs need to balance any new digital opportunities against their associatedrisks. While it may make a lot of sense to move email and CRM systemsquickly to the cloud, it’s a much more involved decision to know when todo the same for a company’s core financial systems, such as their generalledgers. Getting the timing right will be vital.Tasks at a personal levelDigital technologies holdthe promise to make IT agenuine source of growth.Getting this right, however,will require you to buildtight relationships acrossthe front office — startingwith the CMO and extendingto the end customers.It is human nature to beswept up by a compellingstoryline and thepossibilities it contains.The best CIOs are able toprovide a narrative about ITthat the rest of the businesscan buy into — and then useit to extend their influenceacross the organization.Embracing new technologyinvolves a leap of faith. But,too often, CIOs get caughtup in the downside to newdevelopments, worryingabout the small chanceof failure, rather than thepotential to transform thebusiness. Have courage.Many leading CIOs rarelyspend their entire careersin one place, but hoparound to gain exposure todifferent experiences andapproaches, developingexpertise along the way. Beopen to these possibilities,including ones that take youinto wholly new sectors.Consider other ways todevelop a more widerangingbackground toshowcase your skills inanother light. Many leadingCIOs take non-executivedirectorships at other firms,or have joined externalcommittees or thinktanks. Others do MBAs towiden their educationalbackgrounds. All these helpto develop a more powerfulcontact book.Build closerelationships withthe front of thebusinessBe a compellingstorytellerBe willing to takerisksBe willing to movearound, acrossboth functions andcompaniesWiden your resumeBorn to be digital |37