CIO and information technology department: roles and responsibilities

Digital transformation and the continuous emergence of new technologies creates many great opportunities for companies. This has led to the rise in prominence of the role of the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and has put the Information Technology function at the heart of strategic activity within almost any organization.

It may not be news to you that both CIOs and IT personnel have long been an important part in most organizations, as the persons in charge of the implementation of new technologies, but it is interesting to observe how their role has been evolving as digital transformation continues to become more significant within companies.

Nowadays, the demand for IT profiles in organizations is at a peak. We might simply believe that this is a result of continuous technological advances, but that does not tell the full story! The more complete reason is because of the positive influence that we now understand they have on the growth and potential growth of any company. Without a doubt, this is a competitive advantage that managers and executives in any organization should keep well in mind.

Therefore, the vision of the IT department is no longer confined to the operational processes that we were used to, but goes far beyond. Now, both IT Executives (e.g. CIOs) and the IT staff focus on providing a greater support to strategic projects that are of high value to the organization.

-ESSENTIALS: Why is digital transformation so important for your company?-

CIO: role and responsibilities

If your aim is to become a Chief Information Officer, you need to be aware of the expectations that come with the role and the responsibilities involved. Below are some of the most important:

Alignment with business goals

Information systems, technologies and applications need to share strategic corporate goals, and work toward their accomplishment.

Business integration

Information systems need to be integrated with the various company departments.

Security and risk

The importance of investing on, and having, technologies and systems that ensure the protection of company users – one of the most valuable digital assets for the organization!

Value generation

This one is important! As previously mentioned, if the role of the CIO is so significant, it is undoubtedly targeted toward the growth of the company.

Manage retention, productivity and effectiveness of team members

Encourage the development of internal IT profiles within the company so that they add the greatest possible value to the organization, technology-wise.

Awareness of legal issues

The CIO should keep in mind any rules and regulations affecting information systems and particularly data, so that implementations and developments within the company are compliant.

-Interesting read: The main challenges of CIOs-

Information technology department: role and responsibilities

Now that you are more aware of the most important responsibilities of a CIO, we can take a high level look at some of the other responsibilities which apply more broadly to the rest of the IT department.

IT staff and managers share some responsibilities with IT executives. However, the former perform more operational activities and tasks, such as:

Carry out the maintenance of equipment and support tasks, as well as detect and solve any failures.
Optimize the use of software and other systems among the employees of various company departments.
Ensure the privacy and security of the systems of the organization’s users: perform backups.
Manage and assign accounts and resources to the users.
Software installation, setup and update.
Analysis and evaluation of additional IT resource requirements (memory, disks…)
Technical support to all parties (questions, support, inquiries, incident resolution…)

Now that you know some of the duties that every CIO and member of the IT department should perform, it is the perfect time to think and look for a partner that supports and facilitates the performance of these tasks/duties. There are a myriad of technological solutions on the market, and depending on the needs of the business, some may be more suitable than others.

-Open Banking: The digital transformation of the banking sector-

Digital transformation is the best way to enable your to company grow, and also prepare it for future technological innovations. Have any questions? At Chakray, we will address your inquiries and offer a personalized plan tailored to your needs. Contact us!

Getting started toward digital transformation has never been so simple!