Your Challenge: The CIO is not considered a strategic partner. The business may be satisfied with IT services, but no one is looking to IT to solve business problems or drive the enterprise forward. Even if IT staff do generate ideas that will improve operational efficiency or enable the business, few are ever assessed or executed upon. Our Advice - Critical Insight: Business demand for new technology is creating added pressure to innovate and executive stakeholders expect more from IT. If IT is not viewed as a source of innovation, its perceived value will decrease and the threat of shadow IT will grow. Do not wait to start finding and capitalizing on opportunities for IT-led innovation. Our Advice - Impact and Result: Start innovating right away. All you need are business pains and people willing to ideate around them. Assemble a small team and arm them with proven techniques for identifying unique opportunities for innovation, developing impactful solutions, and prototyping quickly and effectively. Incubate a reservoir of ideas, both big and small, so that you are ready to execute on innovative projects when the timing is right. Once you have demonstrated IT’s ability to innovate, mature your capability with a permanent innovation process and program.

1. Kick-Start IT-Led Business Innovation
Innovate now – formalize later!
Business demand for technological innovation is changing the CIO’s role.
IT needs to find novel ways to deliver value if the CIO hopes to earn a place in the C-suite as a true strategic partner, and innovation can be employed at
every step.
Historically, IT departments have been mandated to optimize resources and mitigate risks. This is no longer IT’s core function and today’s executives
expect more.
Most organizations want to innovate to generate growth and counter disruptive threats. If CIOs want to be viewed as strategic partners, they must be
ready to act on the innovation mandate.
There are few business processes, products, or servies that don’t touch IT, and each of these touchpoints presents an opportunity for innovation.
IT needs to start captilizing on these opportunities now. With each successful innovative project, the CIO will get one step closer to earning a seat at the
table.
IT innovation might be viewed as less important than other core services like network and service desk, but it is critical to IT’s success.
While innovation leadership receives low importance ratings from the business, there is an 87% correlation between IT’s ability to innovate and the level
of overall satisfaction with IT (Info-Tech Business Vision Survey; N=21,367).
The business needs IT to deliver value through new and innovative projects. 80% of CEOs believe that innovation drives efficiencies and competive
advantage (PWC 14th annual global CEO Survey, PWC 2011).
These demands for technological innovation are only increasing. If IT is not viewed as a source of innovation, business units will procure technology
solutions without IT and the perceived value of IT will decrease.
Meeting this innovation demand is no easy task. IT leaders who can demonstate an ability to innovate will find themselves ahead of their peers. Only 23%
of IT departments view themselves as strategic innovators (Info-Tech CIO Outlook, 2013).
Before IT can deliver innovation, a separate outlet for new ideas must be provided. Innovation requires a willingness to fail fast and often, something far
outside of traditional IT’s comfort zone. If CIOs expect staff to innovate, a space and process must be carved out for ideation that gives people real
freedom to challenge the status quo.
When IT is able to think outside the box and deliver on the promise of innovation, its value and position will improve. Innovation leadership has an 85%
correlation with the perceived value of IT (Info-Tech Business Vision Survey; N=21,367).

6. http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/kick-start-it-led-
business-innovation