It’s a good time to be a CIO. Enterprise has by no means been so centered on using technology to drive growth. And expertise has by no means been so accessible. The number of expertise choices and quicker supply strategies (thanks, cloud) have streamlined the method of figuring out, shopping for and deploying expertise and providers. Generative AI is just one — granted, an enormous one — instance of this.
However whereas the elevated curiosity in new and rising expertise from enterprise companions is thrilling, it does deliver with it some danger and will change how IT works with its enterprise companions. Understanding these dangers and guiding enterprise leaders on how greatest to method them is important for CIOs when shaping the IT-business partnership.
Perceive the dangers of rising expertise
Did you ever assume you’d see a lot curiosity in AI? What was once a posh and mysterious expertise to the common worker is now displaying up on the nightly information and talked about in practically each assembly you attend. Generative AI has made the expertise accessible and helpful to all kinds of enterprise roles — from the CEO to throughout all the group. Almost each operate and position can see some profit from genAI.
In keeping with Forrester, 89% of AI decision-makers mentioned their group is increasing, experimenting with or exploring the usage of genAI. However past these authorised use instances, many staff are utilizing ChatGPT or different non-sanctioned genAI instruments within the workplace — the truth is, Forrester not too long ago coined the time period BYOAI for bring-your-own-AI and predicts that 60% of workers will use their very own AI to do their jobs in 2024.
That’s loads of shadow AI, and it brings each privateness and model issues (i.e., What are staff placing into these genAI instruments, and what proprietary IP may your agency be dropping?). Sadly, the IT group can not handle expertise it doesn’t find out about. And the barrage of pitches all of us obtain from expertise distributors and repair suppliers can spark a few of that shadow AI. Distributors will typically say they’ve a expertise answer for a particular course of, however the actuality is that you might have to repair the method earlier than you may efficiently apply a tech answer to it. One other problem that may consequence from this development is overlapping performance, as every of the assorted software program platforms offers its personal genAI functionality.
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When evaluating rising tech, there should be a stability. You need to be progressive and benefit from the appropriate applied sciences, however keep away from being distracted by “shiny object syndrome.” On condition that making use of the incorrect expertise to enterprise processes or use instances is usually a disastrous waste of money and time, this may have the alternative impact as supposed — slowing productiveness, irritating staff and creating extra technical debt.
And that’s the place the IT group can deliver actual worth in as we speak’s atmosphere.
Use three greatest practices when counting on rising tech to realize enterprise outcomes
As extra expertise spending is initiated exterior the IT group, it’s altering the position of each the CIO and IT groups. As CIOs step into the brand new position of trusted advisor to their enterprise companions, they’re serving to them perceive new and rising applied sciences and offering steering on how they will greatest leverage these applied sciences to unravel actual enterprise challenges. This culminates in three key greatest practices.
1. Tie expertise to a enterprise case
Whether or not it’s a expertise undertaking initiated exterior of IT or inside the IT group, the choice ought to begin with these questions:
- What enterprise downside are we making an attempt to unravel?
- What’s the enterprise use case for this expertise?
- Does this expertise align with and propel our enterprise initiatives ahead?
That is the place IT-business alignment is important. When IT is aligned with the enterprise in any respect ranges — understanding its objectives and desired outcomes — the expertise analysis course of turns into extra streamlined, and there’s readability about the appropriate alternative for every use case. When IT will not be aligned with the enterprise aims or much less engaged with enterprise companions, there’s a larger danger of deploying expertise for expertise’s sake and increase technical debt.
2. Align IT members with particular enterprise features
How do you progress “enterprise and IT alignment” from a bullet on a slide to an motion in your group? To make use of Forrester for example, we aligned IT crew members to particular enterprise features so they may develop experience in that operate’s aims and doc very important enterprise processes. When a expertise analysis dialogue arises in that operate, the enterprise is extra more likely to seek the advice of with IT as a result of there’s a larger degree of belief and familiarity between the 2 organizations.
3. Streamline entry to methods with a plan-on-a-page method
Forrester’s plan-on-a-page method is a best-in-class technique for making certain technique alignment. Having direct visibility into crucial aims for our numerous enterprise companions permits us to align our work and budgets with these aims. With out that degree of visibility, there’s a danger that non-prioritized enterprise tasks may take up very important IT assets and budgets.
Conclusion
In the end, if you happen to attain a degree the place IT turns into an enabler for the enterprise to realize its most important objectives, the chance of the enterprise veering off beam as a consequence of shiny object syndrome turns into a lot decrease. Moreover, enterprise leaders may have the arrogance to seek the advice of IT first and get their enter earlier than pursuing rising tech options.
This text was written by Mike Kasparian, who serves as chief info officer at Forrester, main a world IT group that manages all inside enterprise expertise. He’s chargeable for leveraging expertise to drive productiveness and ship enterprise worth, making certain community and knowledge safety, and optimizing expertise operations.
Previous to this position, Mike held numerous positions throughout Forrester’s group over the previous 18 years, together with vice chairman of enterprise expertise technique and vice chairman of product for analysis and analytics. Mike additionally labored in product advertising and marketing, operations, and was a part of the crew that launched the undertaking consulting enterprise. He started his profession at Forrester in gross sales working with the corporate’s largest international accounts.
Mike is a summa cum laude graduate of the College of Massachusetts, Amherst.
