Anoop Handa Managing Director - Anlight Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd.

“The CIO role has transformed to a business leader as innovation, digitalization and new technology enabled business models evolve and gain success.

The ROI on all Technology Initiatives should be measured with respect to business results. And unless Technology initiative undertaken by CIO increase revenues or enhance customer services or yields productivity and operational gains, they should neither be approved nor undertaken by CIO.

With technology touching each and every business aspect across customer acquisition, sales, marketing, operations, finance, HR & regulatory reporting, CIO has a great opportunity to reinvent their role.

The recent success stories with few of the Technology enabled business models – Uber, Air BnB, Oyo and others, is a great evidence of CIO’s having a great opportunity to be an innovator and deliver significant value to their companies.

Few of the best practices / suggestions for this role transformation that have worked for me individually and for my teams as well, are -

Understand your business very well

Develop good relationships across functions and across levels

Don’t’ work in isolation. Interact, Exchange Ideas and listen to business issues / pain areas and then try to resolve those issues

Don’t adopt Technology for sake of it and just because it’s a trend, on the contrary, enable your business with ‘Fit-for-purpose’ technology solutions that deliver business value

Be agile, take phased approach to BIG initiatives to ensure continuous progress and validation of expected benefits rather waiting for results post multi-year IT projects.

“Deliver-Test-Evolve” should be the key motto for IT Led business Transformation initiatives to continuously validate and seek feedback

Focus on Change Management & Crisp & Clear Communication

Modern CIOs should always endeavour to evolve and grow from doing “Running the Business” activities to being able to work and contribute to “Changing the Business” role.

Being innovative and enabling business with tools and technologies that deliver value to revenues, customer services, operational efficiencies and secure and safe environment, should be top priority.

And another guidance for modern CIO’s is to never hesitate to “ASK for guidance”, be it from peers, vendors, outsourcing or from proven Technology Consultants. It always helps to partner, collaborate rather be in isolation and be left behind!”