Hello and a very warm welcome to our latest edition of smartCIO EMEA – the magazine for Chief Information Officers and other IT leaders across the region.
Regular readers will know that our mission is to share the latest technology and leadership insights to help create and educate a community of current CIOs, and those aspiring to move into the role.
In this issue we’re taking a look at a couple of acronyms that are never far from the mind of the CIO: ROI and TCO. And the other term that always surfaces during the same conversations: value.
With the ongoing maturation of cloud technology, it’s perhaps not surprising that, as Martin Veitch of IDG Connect contends, the time to put forward a strong ROI case for cloud projects has never been stronger. There are hugely compelling arguments to move to a cloud environment across deployment times, payment models, scalability, integration, infrastructure and yes, security. So, showing hard ROI from deploying cloud technologies in your business seems a no-brainer now. No longer is this about ‘canaries in the coal mine’ (as one very early Workday customer described moving to the cloud!), this is now the safe, strong and secure direction every CIO should be moving towards.
But what about value? This is always a bit more of an esoteric, intangible measure for IT. I mean, the ROI case outlined by Martin proves one interpretation of value – lower costs, lower overheads, faster delivery, etc. But as the role of the CIO becomes ever more about demonstrating strategic business value rather than just cost savings and keeping the lights on, this may not be enough for the CEO.
I was privileged to spend some time in the last month with a couple of senior consultants from McKinsey. We discussed the five top priorities for EMEA CEOs in 2022. Many organisations have been talking about how cloud technologies are firmly on the radar of most CEOs, but McKinsey believes that the conversation is now about how you transform your business in the cloud, not just about moving to the cloud.
It’s an interesting distinction and one that’s really focused on business value. Moving to the cloud is a simple technology shift and can definitely show ROI. But if you just lift and shift technology to a cloud environment you’re not going to deliver an ability to transform the business in the cloud. You’re potentially not delivering business change, just a technology name badge change.
The cloud isn’t a final destination, it’s the foundation for change, adaptability and future innovation
I think Clare Hickie, CTO EMEA at Workday, sums this up well: “The cloud isn’t a final destination, it’s the foundation for change, adaptability and future innovation.”
As well as this interview with Clare, you will find BUPA and LGI discussing their transformation journeys and the value they bring to the organisation; articles from Accenture and Deloitte on the value that the cloud can bring to companies; and a round-up of recent research around this topic.
As always, our aim for smartCIO EMEA is that it provides you with insight, opinion and discussion around the key leadership, business and technology topics that are relevant to you and your role in modern business.
We look forward to you joining the conversation. Please give us feedback, suggest new ideas, offer your own expertise and insight. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Grant Currie Editor-in-Chief
