CIOs have the potential to be true value creators for their organizations, but traditionally they are viewed more as staff than line functions and do not directly advance the core work. CIOs should take a more proactive leadership role in bringing new technologies to the business, such as digital media and big data, rather than just focusing on efficiencies. However, many CIOs are not confident in their ability to create value and follow consultants' advice too closely rather than focusing on customer needs and processes. For CIOs to truly contribute, CEOs need to reconsider their traditional views of IT and give CIOs more line responsibility, while CIOs need to understand how to identify and deliver value to the business.

1. Value Creation by Customer Value Foundation
CIO’s Can Be True Value Creators
CIO’s can be true Value Creators. Why aren’t they and why are they not viewed
as such?
Adjunct to these questions is: Why are they considered staff people? In a day
and age where IT and ITES are so relevant and key to businesses, shouldn’t
they be line people?
A "line function" is one that directly advances an organization in its core work.
This always includes production and sales, and sometimes also marketing. A
"staff function" supports the organization with specialized advisory and support
functions (Wiki definition).
Sadly, CIO’s are not known to directly advance the organization’s core work.
Why? Why do they play second fiddle? The bigger leadership on big data, digital
media etc. is taken by the marketing people, who are ill equipped to understand
and use the technology. CIO’s should be taking the lead, and holding Marketing’s
hands in using such technologies. They should take an evangelising role in
internet, intranet and web based solutions, in digital media and in big data, to
mention a few areas.
Is this because traditional functions remain traditional? Or is it because the
concept of Value Creation has not caught up with CIO’s? Or CIO’s view
efficiencies, controlling software development spends as Value Creation, but not
leadership in bringing in new technologies and getting others to use these wisely
and usefully? How much time would be saved if they took the lead, and
marketing followed their advice? Today CIO’s get involved when there are IT
problems or when someone asks them to address a particular software or digital
media related issue, or when they are instructed to build a platform.
An example of a proactive CIO is HP Global CIO and senior vice president
Ramon Baez who explains in an interview to CIO publisher emeritus Gary Beach
how the new business drivers of cloud and mobile contribute the bottom and top
lines. He also discusses IT costs, security, the need for top IT talent and the
increased speed necessary to compete in today's business environment. It used
to take three weeks to provision a database. Now it takes five minutes in a cloud
environment, says Baez.

2. Value Creation by Customer Value Foundation
Why can’t he be considered a line guy?
Vishal Bindra, CEO of ACPL a security and service firm in IT had the following
comments:
1. Many CIO’s are not sure they can add any value. They listen to people like
Gartner and KPMG and follow them “almost” blindly.
2. They are technology and not process/customer driven. Better processes and
customer focus will have a more direct impact on business.
3. Unfortunately, in the last few years is they have become a much pampered lot
by IT Product companies and they are becoming too biased in their decision
making.
On the other hand we have some great CIOs who have contributed and become
the integral part of organisation’s business, such as people at Apollo Tyres,
Perfetti, and Maxlife. They have all been contributing to business and using
“Information” not Technology.
Jeanne W. Ross and David F. Feeny of the Centre for Information Systems
Research at the Sloan School of Management reached the conclusion that the
Chief Information Officer has emerged as a critical executive position in most
organizations. Increasingly, CIO’s sit on firms' executive teams and help shape
organizational strategy. His role is to be a Business Visionary.
Do CEO’s need to re-assess their old fashioned ideas of business organisations
and give CIO’s a line role? Do CIO’s need to understand that creation of value is
their job, or do they need to understand what value they can create? Do business
schools need to teach Value Creation for CIO’s, and for leadership roles?
CIO’s need to ready themselves for leadership and Value Creation roles.
Your comments are welcome.
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3. Value Creation by Customer Value Foundation
Gautam Mahajan, President-Customer Value Foundation
M: +91 9810060368
Tel: 11-26831226, Fax: 11-26929055
email: mahajan@customervaluefoundation.com
website: http://www.customervaluefoundation.com
Customer Value Foundation (CVF) helps companies to Create Value and profit by Creating Value for the customers, employee
and for each person working with the companies.
Total Customer Value Management (Total CVM) focuses the entire company and its employees on Creating Value for the
customer, thereby increasing Customer Value and Shareholder Wealth.