CIOs have a tenuous relationship with the C-suite. While the chief executive, chief financial officer, and the head of operations can find common ground, they’re often left scratching their heads when in receipt of input from the CIO. What is it precisely that the chief information officer does, anyway?

Flickr with credit to IBM Events  

But CIOs have a vital role in business says www.zdnet.com, providing the overall organization of the company’s IT resources. In fact, there’s a lot that they want to tell you if they could.

 

#1: Your Success Needs To Matter To Vendors

Vendors – or companies that provide software solutions for your business – need to have a vested interest in your success. Usually, that means that they require a financial incentive to motivate them to provide you with the support you need.

For many businesses, vendors take up a big chunk of their overall expenses, but those expenses aren’t always related to performance. CIOs want you to know that there is often positive ROI from providing vendors with financial incentives linked to your own success with their product. Link bonuses to KPIs and immediately receive improved support.

 

#2: Most CIO Work Can Be Done Remotely

CIOs would like you to believe that their work onsite is indispensable. But the truth is that many of their function can be performed remotely. As sites like www.safebitsolutions.com make clear, there are plenty of providers out there who can manage company IT systems, often for a lower fee than a full-time executive.

Essentially, the role of the CIO has become reduced to a series of relatively straightforward tasks, mostly because of cloud computing. Operators can manage networks and systems and make decisions on behalf of businesses without actually having to be on the payroll. Sure, it might feel like you’re giving up control, but you’re also saving a lot of money in the process.

 

#3: Partnerships Are The New Norm

Pixabay

There was once a time when the majority of IT solutions could be implemented in-house. It was simply a matter of finding the right vendors with off-the-shelf solutions and then suitably deploying them.

But with modern business needs evolving, working long-term with software providers towards bespoke solutions is fast becoming the norm. CIOs, therefore, want you to know that partnerships are essential. To be successful, your business needs to work with a range of external enterprises to deliver solutions. And you need to be able to trust them. Partnerships take time to develop, which is why IT needs a long-term strategy to make a positive impact on your bottom line.

 

#4: Solutions Matter, Not Products

The C-suite needs to realize that the job of CIOs is not to implement products or services but to provide “solutions” – or a method to solve a problem in your business. Solutions often can’t be bought immediately, but require a long period of consultation with vendors. The job of CIOs, therefore, is to communicate the needs of your company in a way that speeds up the process as much as possible.