How are technology leaders helping their organizations adapt to the accelerating change and complexity that mark today's competitive and economic landscape?
To find out, we spoke in person with 3,018 CIOs, spanning 71 countries and 18 industries.
While CIO priorities span the breadth of our global sample, our study uncovered discernable differences among CIOs. Though virtually all CIOs are responsible for delivery of essential services—managing digital infrastructure and enforcing security, data integrity and system availability—our research identified four distinct "CIO Mandates" that are based primarily on how each organization views the role of IT.
While CIO priorities span the breadth of our global sample, our study uncovered discernable differences among CIOs. Though virtually all CIOs are responsible for delivery of essential services—managing digital infrastructure and enforcing security, data integrity and system availability—our research identified four distinct "CIO Mandates" that are based primarily on how each organization views the role of IT.
How are technology leaders helping
their organizations adapt to the accelerating
change and complexity that mark today's
competitive and economic landscape?
their organizations adapt to the accelerating
change and complexity that mark today's
competitive and economic landscape?
Overview
Organizations that demand high-performance IT need CIOs to focus on managing essential IT activities and getting information to decision makers faster and more accurately.
Fourteen percent of CIOs we interviewed operate with a Leverage mandate. The business expects CIOs operating with the Leverage mandate to concentrate about half of their efforts on the fundamentals of delivering IT services. CIOs with this mandate drive improvements in governance and controls, procedures, internal collaboration and transparency between IT and the business.
CIOs whose responses correlate with a Leverage mandate are continually reviewing their legacy environment, with an eye toward cost control. To keep costs in check, their top tools are aimed at rationalizing, renewing and consolidating application portfolios and hardware environments over the next three to ten years.
Fourteen percent of CIOs we interviewed operate with a Leverage mandate. The business expects CIOs operating with the Leverage mandate to concentrate about half of their efforts on the fundamentals of delivering IT services. CIOs with this mandate drive improvements in governance and controls, procedures, internal collaboration and transparency between IT and the business.
CIOs whose responses correlate with a Leverage mandate are continually reviewing their legacy environment, with an eye toward cost control. To keep costs in check, their top tools are aimed at rationalizing, renewing and consolidating application portfolios and hardware environments over the next three to ten years.
Leverage mandate CIOs focus on technology changes that will further enhance internal collaboration and client interaction
Change internal collaboration processes
8%
18%
74%
Change client interaction processes
10%
21%
69%
Collaboration and communication are key. These IT leaders look to new technologies to improve how they work with clients.
Low transformative potential
Average transformative potential
High transformative potential
AkzoNobel
Read how the world's largest paints, coatings and chemicals company boosted revenues and consolidated IT resources
Allied Beverage
Learn how New Jersey's biggest wholesale wine and spirits distributor achieved competitive differentiation
Overview
CIOs focused on cross-enterprise growth continuously tune business processes and internal collaboration to gain tighter integration.
Half of the CIOs we spoke with offered responses that correlate with an Expand mandate. Simply put, it is what organizations today are asking for most often from CIOs. Like all CIOs, those working with an Expand mandate are responsible for the fundamentals—a well-run digital infrastructure that offers data security, integrity and system availability.
Yet, they must also continually refine operations to optimize efficiency and seek substantial competitive advantage with the help of IT. This widespread mandate includes organizations that expect CIOs to manage a balanced set of responsibilities that range from fundamental to visionary.
Half of the CIOs we spoke with offered responses that correlate with an Expand mandate. Simply put, it is what organizations today are asking for most often from CIOs. Like all CIOs, those working with an Expand mandate are responsible for the fundamentals—a well-run digital infrastructure that offers data security, integrity and system availability.
Yet, they must also continually refine operations to optimize efficiency and seek substantial competitive advantage with the help of IT. This widespread mandate includes organizations that expect CIOs to manage a balanced set of responsibilities that range from fundamental to visionary.
Expand mandate CIOs are focusing on the benefits of global integration in key areas
Changing the mix of capabilities, knowledge and assets within the organization
14%
20%
66%
Partnering versus doing everything in-house
17%
18%
65%
Finding trusted partners is vital. Many Expand mandate CIOs look to partners as a fresh source of new skills and expertise.
Maintain the current mix
Both
Deeply change the mix
Do everything in-house
Both
Partner extensively
Case Study
YES BANK
See how one of India's fastest growing private sector banks kept its IT costs low and its infrastructure flexible
Overview
CIOs look beyond the boundaries of the enterprise to simplify business processes and generate real-time insights up and down the value chain.
Nearly one-quarter of the CIOs we spoke to support organizations that operate with a Transform mandate. Organizations with this mandate see IT primarily as a provider of industry-specific solutions to change the business.
Beyond the delivery of basic IT services and business process improvements, Transform mandate CIOs are helping their public and private sector organizations fundamentally rethink the way they understand and interact with customers and partners alike. One key to extending the enterprise's reach is the use of "Big Data"—the vast volumes captured, for example, from instruments like sensors or RFID tags or data gleaned in real-time from millions of Web-based transactions.
Nearly one-quarter of the CIOs we spoke to support organizations that operate with a Transform mandate. Organizations with this mandate see IT primarily as a provider of industry-specific solutions to change the business.
Beyond the delivery of basic IT services and business process improvements, Transform mandate CIOs are helping their public and private sector organizations fundamentally rethink the way they understand and interact with customers and partners alike. One key to extending the enterprise's reach is the use of "Big Data"—the vast volumes captured, for example, from instruments like sensors or RFID tags or data gleaned in real-time from millions of Web-based transactions.
Big data, what to do with it, and how to use it are top-of-mind issues for Transform mandate CIOs
Leverage data to create insight
80%
Drive better real time decisions
75%
Provide better business insights
73%
Take advantage
of analytics
of analytics
69%
Enabling the intelligence enterprise. Most Transform mandate CIOs will focus on a range of tools to drive better decision making over the next five years.
Peterborough
Discover how a city in eastern England is enabling smarter decisions about resource use and information sharing
Wema Bank
Read how Nigeria's oldest indigenous bank created a responsive IT platform and strengthened its brand appeal
Overview
These CIOs exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit and enable the radical redesign of products, markets and business models.
Representing thirteen percent of our sample, it's no surprise that Pioneer mandate organizations are often present within industries experiencing the brunt of rapid changes. They must reinvent themselves to keep pace with relentless advances in technology or dramatic changes in consumer behavior. With a Pioneer mandate, CIOs are seen as critical enablers of the organization's vision and typically spend less than one-quarter of their time or budget on delivering fundamental IT services or business process efficiency. The dominant view of IT in Pioneer mandate organizations is as a catalyst for change.
Representing thirteen percent of our sample, it's no surprise that Pioneer mandate organizations are often present within industries experiencing the brunt of rapid changes. They must reinvent themselves to keep pace with relentless advances in technology or dramatic changes in consumer behavior. With a Pioneer mandate, CIOs are seen as critical enablers of the organization's vision and typically spend less than one-quarter of their time or budget on delivering fundamental IT services or business process efficiency. The dominant view of IT in Pioneer mandate organizations is as a catalyst for change.
CIOs with a Pioneer mandate are focusing on a wide array of revenue and profitability metrics
Product/service profitability analysis
16%
15%
68%
Product/service utilization analysis
16%
24%
60%
Adding new sources of revenue
21%
22%
57%
Revenue model changes
27%
25%
47%
Transformation through revenue and profit. Pioneer mandate CIOs give top priority to intiatives that drive new revenue and boost profitability.
Low transformative potential
Average transformative potential
High transformative potential
University of Warwick
See how a university built a secure,
collaborative online marketplace to identify capable business partners
collaborative online marketplace to identify capable business partners
MTN
Learn how a leading telecommunications provider in Africa and the Middle East shifted its focus from technology to financial services
North Carolina State University
Learn how a university identified new revenue sources associated with its research assets via data and natural-language tools
Safaricom
See how one of Kenya's leading mobile network operators helped transform the way money moves around the country