CIO OPINION
Creative CIOs would do well to get ahead of the potential for budget cuts and align with leadership on the best path forward .
• Align IT with business priorities . CIOs should make sure their spend on the back end agrees with the overall strategy on the front end . Now more than ever , CIOs need to understand the organization ’ s objectives and help leadership understand the IT costs required to help the company meet those . The CIO can ’ t be seen as the rogue cost center for the business , but an integral partner within the C-suite .
• Build the organization ’ s unique roadmap . Just because the IT vendor has a vision for how their systems or technologies will shape your future , this vision may not match yours . In short , an organization ’ s strategic priorities should dictate the technology it deploys and not be dictated to them by vendors . For example , software vendors often advise costly upgrades without accounting for how they will be used . A company might opt instead to retain older , still-functioning software that serves its purpose , using the savings to invest in upgrades that are truly necessary . Furthermore , organizations may be better-served spending on lower-cost third-party options for expenses such as maintenance and support rather than relying on the vendor to provide it , often at a cost greater than the service provided .
Creative CIOs would do well to get ahead of the potential for budget cuts and align with leadership on the best path forward . Ideally , this comes solely at the cost of unnecessary spending while retaining valued IT staff . Those who can cost-effectively keep the lights on while building a cost-effective roadmap that helps leadership meet its objectives will play a crucial role in helping their organizations through an unpredictable downturn . p
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