I had a wonderful time at the CIOSynergy 2019 Meet in New York, NY. Here are some highlights and key takeaways from the event.
The #Predictionspanel
CIOs must manage not only for today, but for tomorrow, and for years into the future. This implies a constant job of predicting what is going to happen next — at your company, in technology advancements, in competitive marketplace conditions, and more.
CIOSynergy
Panelists
- Dave Smithers, CIO, IDB
- Ajay Kamble, CIO, Turtle & Hughes, Inc.
- Muhammad Rizwan Akhtar, CIO, Cartus
Key takeaways from the 2020 panel discussion
3D Printing Revolution
3D printing has so far allowed customers to create re-prints of certain artifacts controlled by the Manufacturer. But the next evolution (and revolution) in this area is the transfer of “Capabilities” and “Solutions” from the Manufacturers to the Customers. This allows customers to innovate and build new products independently. Rapid Advances in the Material sciences industry are going to revolutionize the Manufacturing and the IT industries – Ajay Kamble, CIO, Turtle & Hughes, Inc.
Threats of Ransomware sophistication due to A.I & M.L
Evolution of Ransomware threats in terms of sophistication that take advantage of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is going to continue to make it a challenging environment for business of all sizes and shapes – Dave Smithers, CIO, IDB
The #CIOpanel
Panelists
- David Reis, CIO, Hackensack Meridian Health
- Daniel Aracena, CIO, Teachers College of Columbia University
- William Pratt, CIO, SiriusXM Radio Inc
- Arik Hill, CIO, The New York Foundling
Panelists shared their challenges and opened it up to a group of 50+ CIOs in the audience for a meaningful dialogue.
Centralizing IT Operations
A Healthcare company facing challenges in centralizing IT operations which were historically localized (by facility i.e Hospital, Clinic etc.).
Challenges
- Centralizing implies changing the IT support structures that aren’t welcome by Doctors as they fear losing access to in person support.
- Each localized facility has their own policies and governance. This not only poses Information Security risks but also increases overall operating expenses due to duplication of resources & inefficiencies due to lack of centralization
- IT staff perceive efforts to centralization negatively as they will be forced to change the way they do their work. They may be forced to move to a different location (as the IT org restructures due to centralization), switch to a different role based on need etc.
- Difficult to measure performance, organize/pool resources for large initiatives and general operating inefficiencies
Solutions
Here are some strategies I can propose based on my professional experiences that the CIO can adapt to tackle these challenges
Communication
The greatest barrier to communication is the illusion that it has been achieved,”
Dr. Galdston
Creating a strategy for an organization is often sometimes the easiest thing to do compared to its implementation. As Helmuth van Moltkea , a Prussian military commander once said “The best laid plans never survive first contact”, figuring out how to realize the strategy and influence the masses in the organization to follow through can turn in to an impossible endeavor. One of the biggest challenges is Communication. A strategy is only great for those who understand and believe in it. So if a CIO hasn’t managed to sell the strategy to the employees, the employees may not see the value in it. They need to have a vested interest in the strategy and believe in it.
Organizing Quarterly Townhalls for the entire IT organization (including stakeholders) and clearly presenting the strategy, recognizing accomplishments of high achievers, reviewing the challenges with the status quo, allowing employees to ask questions and valuing their participation can be a very powerful way to get their buy in. My current boss, Wilson Lukang, The Head of GWM Quality Engineering at UBS has pioneered this idea. Witnessing the effectiveness of this strategy, the GWM CIO has begun doing his own Quarterly Townhall! It’s important for leaders to address the entire Organization that they lead. It’s also important for the leaders to hear directly from their employees and address tough questions.