CIOs are seen as the main people responsible for digitalization, due to their role in shaping and empowering digital strategies. Hence, CIOs are starting to get recognised for the initiation and successful implementation, but it should not be forgotten that the challenges they are faced with progressively increase as well.
These challenges include, but are not limited to:
Challenges or orchestrating the coexistence of multiple business units that run digitalization and ensuring central steering of the target picture, governance and implementation
Difficulties defining a stringent cloud souring strategy, that includes the relocation of complex systems
Shortage of skilled workers, currently less critical than portrayed in the media, yet still important. It is expected that over the following years, digital skills will significantly increase, thus companies should focus on building digital talent and thus be prepared for the future war of talents
CIOs are of great importance to the company as a whole - to be successful, CIOs should also increase networking within the company, with both its management and business departments. It should also be questioned whether the current powers that CIOs hold within companies are sufficient or they should expect a seat at the board table.
Nonetheless, decision makers ought to adjust to new trends and thus, certain measures have to be taken. For instance, a critical assessment of the current IT landscape and identification of potentials for cloud sourcing should be held, while consequent centralization of target picture, governance, steering and budget in the context of digitalization should also be looked at.
Another important aspect when talking about digital transformation refers to the coexistence of digital units instead of the universal best practice organization - it has been determined that custom-tailored and parallel existing organizational units are the enablers of a successful digital transformation and should be orchestrated accordingly. Furthermore, there has been a strong trend towards establishing centres of competence, to efficiently concentrate digital expertise and initiatives.
We have yet to discover the true impact of digital transformation, as well as the role that CIOs hold or could hold within companies, but we can surely state that digitalization is one of the most important topics that managers are faced with.
