Do you frequently feel that your relationship with your IT staff is too adversarial? Business managers see information technology as an expense to be minimized. IT staff think that there is not enough investment in “critical” infrastructure. In leaner years, the gap seems to only widen.
For example, have you ever had your IT staff tell you that your 3-year-old backup system is inadequate or outdated? That you need to invest several thousand dollars and many man-hours to get something that will meet your business needs. You wonder if the IT folks are just paranoid, or if this is really critical? And if it is critical, does the solution need to be so expensive? It can be very confusing and frustrating.
It doesn’t have to be this way! All that is needed, in most cases, is an interpreter -- someone who can:
1. Help the IT team translate the business goals into IT infrastructure needs and define what are the right IT investments to move the business forward
2. Help business managers to understand the risk-reward implications of potential IT investments
CIO as Interpreter
At large companies, it is the Job of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to act as an interpreter between IT and senior management. The CIO helps to translate the business strategy into IT infrastructure needs. However, small and mid-sized businesses cannot afford a full-time CIO. That is why CIO services can be beneficial for many businesses who only need a CIO for several hours a month, at most.
With CIO Services, you can:
• Feel confident about which IT investments support your business goals
• Make better IT choices around which technologies will work for your business (e.g. Salesforce.com vs. SugarCRM)
• Understand the total cost of a technology investment
• Get your IT staff to support your business goals
In order to make 2012 the year your IT supports your business goals, consider investing in CIO Services. A small up-front investment can mean the difference between IT that supports your business goals and IT that thwarts your business goals.
About Skyriver IT
Our mission at Skyriver IT is to professionalize the IT services business. We provide small and mid-size companies with the information they need to make better IT decisions. If you would like to discuss whether CIO Services could better align your IT investments with your business goals, call us at (858) 812-9322 or visit http://www.skyriverit.com/
