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8 - 10 April 2002
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Florence, Italy
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Keeping Your Balance
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Charles Chang, VP, Gartner Executive Programs | | |
Monday 8 April 2002
"To maintain their credibility, chief information officers (CIOs) must be able to deliver short-term results while maintaining a long-term view." This was the message of Charles Chang, vice president, Gartner Executive Programs, speaking today at Symposium/ITxpo in Florence, Italy. Drawing upon the results of a recent Gartner EXP survey of its 1500 CIO members, Chang said this double focus is necessary in order to address the top two business trends for 2002:
- increased pressure on enterprise budgets
- demand for greater stakeholder returns
IT budgets are stalling for the first time in a decade, said Chang, and CIOs have had to make hard decisions to balance "the seemingly urgent with the vitally important," making sure costs are controlled but real value is still delivered.
Chang said that "IS management priorities in 2002 need to focus on delivering and demonstrating short term business value, and putting projects with longer term payback on the back burner until cost pressures have eased." This requirement to demonstrate short-term business value changes technology priorities.
Chang recommends:
- Respond to the immediate: proactively cut costs
- Do not forget the important: develop enterprise IS leadership strength
- Use IT governance to encourage desirable behaviours and shape agendas
"2002 requires short term actions, but remember to position for the upturn," said Chang. "IS leadership must face the challenge of keeping the ship afloat in the short term while navigating for the long term need and providing leadership and guidance for the senior executive." Fortune will favour those who are balanced.
By Andrew Spender, Gartner
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