IT Needs To Be Ingrained, Not Just Aligned, With Business

Constant transformation and integration of business dynamics with IT are mandatory, believes Francis S. Rajan, VP-ICT, Bangalore International Airport Ltd. In conversation with Biztech2.com, Rajan highlights the key operational and strategic facets of IT the CIO should be aware of.

With the CIO’s role today becoming multi-dimensional, how can he/she be operationally capable, and at the same time strategically sound?

On the operational front, the IT division needs to be treated as a service provider and the CIO needs to look at what business values the IT solutions are bringing to the table. Needless to say, the service delivery and quality are at par with industry standards and setting a benchmark of their own besides being cost effective.

Before adoption of any technology the CIO should be convinced enough that it is not being implemented just for the sake of it but will bring in some core value proposition, and is also future-proof. For example, rather than just blindly choosing to adopt technologies such as virtualisation or cloud, a CIO should answer the question: Will this enable transformation in the organisation?

On the strategy front, keeping a track of current trends within the industry and outside helps to resolve critical issues such as knowing what is missing within the process and how resources can be optimised more effectively. From innovation perspective, the CIO should be ready to raise the bar.

How does the CIO ensure that IT operations are not only running efficiently and effectively, but also maturing at the same time?

First and foremost, the CIO needs to ensure that the IT objectives are ingrained rather than just aligned with the business objectives. Constant transformation and integration of business dynamics with IT are mandatory. This transformation doesn’t necessarily need a big bang approach. Subtle and focused efforts are the key to help build a mature IT ecosystem.

Also, IT services should become an experience and not just a service, for both the internal and external customers. Industry standards also need to be kept in mind when intending to achieve newer heights and setting benchmark for others to follow.

When you say a CIO must be willing for transformation and implementation of newer solutions, there comes a barrier of cost. How does a CIO overcome this barrier?

A CIO should always be able to convince the board that there is value to the particular proposition. Having said that, it does not mean that a new solution or product is required every time to address an issue. By simply re-looking at the lifecycle of the currently implemented solution, one can figure out what sort of re-engineering will be required to increase the longevity of a product or service, thereby imparting value addition. However, for the CIO to know what the required processes are and how to establish their lifecycle he/she should be aware of synchronisation between business and IT.

Once the CIO knows which services needs to be provided, he/she can choose the delivery mechanism in a cost effective model.

Do you think that CIOs usually get wound up with non-core activities, and that can act as a barrier to their role in bringing about transformation?

There can be multiple barriers in the road to transformation, and these would vary across verticals. Overall, in general, I can say that a CIO spends most of his/her time in non-core activities. Although this cannot be termed a barrier as those activities are very much part of a CIO’s job role, but maintaining a balance is suggested.