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In boardrooms across the world, heated debates about information technology, or IT, waste time and lead to poor decision-making. While these arguments often hinge on issues of budget and other company-wide issues, they are completely unnecessary.
One of the best ways to defuse these controversies is to invite an IT expert into the conversation. This person will bring invaluable insights about the latest changes in information technology and how they can improve your operations.
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Information Technology Has Changed in Recent Years
In the past decade, information technology has evolved dramatically. Consequently, businesses have had difficulty keeping up with the changes. Nonetheless, IT continues to be an essential part of any modern organization. If you fall behind you will lose your competitive edge.
What a CIO Must Do
An effective CIO, or chief information officer, works with other C-level executives to persuade them that IT is key to the company’s success. To this end, the CIO identifies essential projects and prioritizes initiatives that can correct shortcomings in the current system.
This can bring about a broader collaboration with C-level executives. This is important because, even though the IT budget must necessarily increase, the changes under discussion will lead to company-wide reductions in operational costs.
A Professional Information Technology Company Can Help
A professional IT software development company such as aristeksystems.com can help your CIO work with the company’s executives to address these issues.
One study found, for example, that 54% of C-level executives do not understand how information technology can help. They also hold a number of erroneous assumptions, including:
- A belief that information technology brings less value than it claims
- A perception that IT costs are too high and the budget is out of control
- An inability to relate the plan to the outcome
- The use of long forecast cycles, leading to an opinion that there is no plan, or that the plan is bad
- A belief that the in-house IT provision is out of date and slow
- An unfavorable comparison of in-house IT with the technology available on the cloud
All of these things must change if your business is to leverage information technology to the fullest. This is where a professional IT company can provide invaluable insight and support.
Help Other C-Level Executives Understand the Value of Information Technology
A CIO, in conjunction with an IT professional, can help your C-level executives understand the value of information technology in the following ways:
Better Communication
IT provides a better way of communicating both within the company and with your customers.
For example, information technology has transformed the way we communicate in our business and private lives. However, people often feel overwhelmed by the number of electronic communications they receive.
For this reason, it is necessary to look at reducing some forms of communication by embracing others. For example, remote working platforms and video conferencing are powerful tools that can transform people’s working lives.
Greater Efficiency
Used effectively, information technology can bring about massive improvements in work processes by fully utilizing workflows and cloud computing.
A Competitive Edge
Information technology has saved many of the world’s largest corporations millions of dollars. Cisco, for example, saved more than $270 million when it adopted web-based customer engagement technology. Emerson saved more than $500 million by automating procurement.
Conclusion
Information technology will save your company money and boost its bottom line.
So hire a consultant from a reputable information technology company. Then take advantage of their up-to-date, in-depth knowledge. Use it to leverage IT and make it work for your company, your stakeholders, and your employees.
