THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF THE CIO AND IT TEAMS
IT teams have had to deal with increased disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and CIO’s are now preparing for the next phase, says recruiting experts Hays.
Hays’ Chief Information Officer, Steve Weston, said in a recent blog that even before COVID-19 hit, disruption was second nature to IT teams, as it is change and disruption that often fuels the need for technological solutions. However, the pandemic has meant IT departments are experiencing a level of disruption like they have never seen before.
Steve stated IT teams around the world have had to rise to the challenges and demands placed on them, including introducing new ways of working. Many businesses have had rely on their IT departments to digitise their supply chains, adopt new customer channels, including e-commerce, mobile apps or chatbots, while other businesses have accelerated their artificial intelligence (AI) and automation adoption.
Steve says, “During the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, technology most definitely proved its worth. Tech and the teams behind it helped businesses quickly pivot their existing business models and establish new ones. This included a surge of activity in the e-commerce and e-payments space while enabling mass remote working around the world, pretty much overnight.”
Steve states that IT teams will continue to play an increasingly important role in addressing the ensuing challenges organisations face during the ongoing pandemic. This will also have a significant impact on CIOs, with Steve predicting that when further change is called for, the CIO will be the first port of call for many businesses to help find savvy solutions.
Here are some of the ways CIOs and their teams are helping businesses prepare for more COVID-related disruption.
1. Providing solutions to combat collaboration fatigue
2. Finding flexibility with the cloud
3. IT teams and AI will take a more prominent role
4. IT professionals now recognise a different skillset
Steve closes by saying, “Disruption is fast becoming second nature to everyone – not just those working in technology. The pandemic has changed the way we work for the better, forever. These changes will impact CIOs and IT teams, increasing their influence across the business. Going forward, I anticipate our IT teams will continue to take on a more transformational, business critical role to keep the world up and running now, and in the years ahead.”
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