Lenovo commissioned a study of more than 500 CIOs from companies with at least 250 employees across six markets worldwide. Through an online survey, we explored how CIOs see their evolving role — what’s important, what’s challenging, and what tools they need to meet those challenges. Respondents validated what many organizations are already experiencing. And they brought new insights to the conversation about navigating the terrain ahead.
What did we learn?
- The role of the CIO continues to dramatically evolve, expand, and grow in strategic importance.
- The tech vendors CIOs choose — and their deepening partnerships — are critical components of IT investment.
- Most currently deployed technology stacks have major room for improvement and would be replaced if CIOs were starting from scratch.
- But consumption-based “as-a-Service” models are gaining ground as a path to remote work enablement, modernization, and business continuity.
The CIO evolution
The role of the CIO continues to dramatically evolve, expand, and grow in strategic importance.
Bracing for (even) broader impact
CIOs view their role as increasingly important to their companies — 89% say more important than two years ago. In fact, nearly nine in 10 CIOs (88%) believe their role is the most critical component of their organization’s continued operation. And three-quarters think their organization’s success or failure hinges on their performance more than other C-suite roles. It follows, then, that CIOs believe technology is of paramount importance across the company — although 93% caution it’s extremely or very important that it be the right technology.
These statistics show some of the business areas where respondents rate technology as highly important.
Almost all agree that the role of the CIO has expanded beyond traditional technology responsibilities. While it’s not news that the role of the CIO has been growing in breadth, this expansion seems to be continuing and entering new business areas.
Nearly 40% of CIOs reported having to manage or be involved with talent acquisition, 35% with supply chain management, and 45% with environmental sustainability and governance (ESG). Experience management company Qualtrics reports that over the past year, IT and technology experiences became inseparable from employee engagement and the HR experience. A Qualtrics survey of more than 200 CIOs finds 85% now collaborate with the CHRO in their organization more than they did before the pandemic.1 With the advent of hybrid work, technology plays an even greater role in employees’ workday experience.
Tech vendors who have a value proposition in areas of expanded CIO responsibility — like remote work solutions, secure supply chain, or sustainable packaging and disposal practices — may well have a competitive advantage.
Cross-silo leadership
CIOs will need to broaden their skill sets and capacity to grow into these new expectations. Collaboration among C-suite executives remains a high priority, and horizontal collaboration enterprise-wide has many benefits.
According to Harvard Business Review, the integrated solutions that most customers want — but companies wrestle with developing — require horizontal collaboration. Today’s collaborative decisions will set the direction for tomorrow’s next normal.
“The role of the CIO is to form a bridge between the executive team and the team that works with information technology — to transform the activities of the field into strategies aligned with the organization’s business objectives.”
Technology enterprise, Brazil
Strategy and vision are not just about delivering digital tools across the enterprise, but also about having a strategic leader’s mindset and an impact on the big picture.
In the IDG 2022 State of the CIO report,358% of line of business (LOB) leaders, more than double from the prior year, see the CIO as a strategic advisor. CIOs are stepping into this role. They are proactively identifying where technology can be used to improve business outcomes. And they are deploying solutions that improve employee experience, productivity, and the bottom line.
Interestingly, in our survey, 56% of CIOs find it extremely or very challenging to solve LOB problems beyond traditional IT boundaries. Undoubtedly, there’s a learning curve. On the other hand, respondents are confident in their strategic thinking: More than half make major tech investments proactively, and their own vision edges out the organization’s business strategy and tactics as the basis for those decisions.
Defining the role of a CIO today
Great leaders anticipate change
Respondents overwhelmingly agree (82%) that their role today is significantly or somewhat more challenging than it was two years ago.
Their challenges cover a lot of ground, some of them beyond the bounds of traditional IT, many mapping to new responsibilities. For each of 16 issues presented, most respondents found these new responsibilities extremely or very challenging.
“[Today, the CIO] maintains balance between operation and improving business unit performance...seeks out new business ideas...challenges the status quo...seizes opportunities...and resolves obstacles.”
Retail enterprise, China
CIOs can use a partner
The tech vendors CIOs choose — and their deepening partnerships — are critical components of IT investment.
In this hyper-challenging environment, technology vendors can make or break the shift to hybrid work. Strategic vendors can be trusted, proactive partners who know the business, understand industry trends, and develop customized end-to-end solutions. Of our respondents, 61% consider managing an increasingly fragmented IT vendor ecosystem extremely or very challenging. So partners who offer comprehensive solutions with one-vendor convenience add significant value.
The right technology partner can have a profound business impact — removing complexity, lightening the IT load, and saving costs.
An overwhelming 92% of respondents consider their technology vendors among the most important or very important factors ensuring continued effective business operations. They play an invaluable role in the company’s overall success.
The most impactful technology partnerships are long-term relationships.
Engagement may start with small steps toward digital transformation.
CIOs actively create their company’s future, not just react to it.
They look down the road and around the corner. They have that in common with technology innovators, who by definition have one foot in the future.
CIOs who work with visionary technology vendors and forge strong relationships can better anticipate what’s ahead and deploy solutions to successfully meet future business and market demands.
SOURCES
- Qualtrics, “Why CIOs will be at the center of future of work strategies,” July 2021
- Harvard Business Review, “Cross-Silo Leadership,” June 2019
- IDG, “2022 Executive Summary State of the CIO,” 2022
- Willis Towers Watson, “2021 Employee Experience Survey,” 2021
- FlexJobs, “Survey: How Work Flexibility Benefits Employers,” 2020
- Gartner, “Digital Workers Say Flexibility Is Key to Their Productivity,” June 2021
- Forrester Research, Inc., “Invest in Your People to Improve Employee Experience,” 2020
- Forrester Consulting, “The Changing Role of the IT Leader,” April 2021
What are your thoughts on the future of technology and the future of business as we head further into the digital age? We want to hear your questions, thoughts, and your concerns in the comments section below!
For more insights from Lenovo’s “CIOs on the road ahead”, check out the full study: