IBM.jpg (417712 bytes)   February 1986

 

 

Chief Information Officer:

A Management Concept Whose Time Has Come

Chief Information Officer - the title itself smacks of a top executive position, suggesting comparison with two other "chiefs" in a business, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer.

Concept Introduced

The CIO management concept was first introduced in 1981 by William A. Synnott and William H. Gruber in their book, Information Resource Management: Opportunities and Strategies for the 1980s, published by John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1981. Synnott, a senior vice president and CIO with the First National Bank of Boston, and Gruber, a former faculty member of the MIT Sloan School of Management, believe that the ClO concept is one that is coming into its own.

"Leading-edge information managers," they say, "will gradually evolve into the (CIO) role during the 1980s as they integrate technology more effectively with user and senior management business and information needs."

The CIO is a relatively new management function, but more and more DP managers are aspiring to it as a career goal. By bringing technical expertise and a strong systems management background to the executive suite, ClOs are able to

The ClO is a relatively new management function, but more and more DP managers are aspiring to it as a career goal

introduce technology company wide, assess the potential impact and application of l/P, and help managers use technology more effectively.

How a ClO goes about introducing new I/P ideas varies from one organization to the next. However, there are three basic tasks that are common to almost all:

• Strategy/Planning. The elements of an overall I/P strategy must address the corporation’s present needs and future goals and its ability to absorb new methods and technologies.

 

Strikes a Balance

The CIO must see that the I/P strategy strikes a balance between system integration/control and internal growth/marketing. While DP managers have stressed control of systems, CIOs are supporting their rapid growth.

· Systems Integration/Control. By integrating such diverse elements as communications, data, office automation and management systems, the CIO helps extend the value of I/S systems so a company can stay ahead of the competition, and yet maintain a reasonable cost base.

• Internal Growth/Marketing: A key function of a ClO is understanding the requirements of users, and then communicating information on available services and equipment to departments and professionals throughout the company. Thus, the CIO’s organization will keep users abreast of new developments in information technology.

An effective method of bringing the advantages of I/P to departments and end users is to establish an in-house

An effective method of bringing the advantages of I/P is to establish an in-house marketing function.

marketing function. This group might support end users through internal PC stores, info centers or hotlines

— with direct assistance provided by internal marketing/support representatives.

The perception of the DP/MIS manager as a technologically dedicated keeper of only the host data center is no longer current. Today’s do is in a position to enhance the importance and contribution of the I/S organization in keeping the company in a sound, competitive position.

                                                                                       Fred Golove is a program manager in IBM’s corporate I/S strategy department in Purchase, NY.

 

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