Friday, March 13, 2015

Balancing Act: Innovating with the "Lights On"




By Jay Ferro
Chief Information Officer
American Cancer Society






Today’s CIOs are under attack!! That’s fairly typical in our role, but this time around we’re being bombarded internally and externally by the buzz words du jour: social, mobile, analytics, cloud (SMAC) - and now IoT… the Internet of Things. How are we leveraging these? Why aren’t we doing more?! Don’t we realize that time is running out?! 

Okay - take a deep breath and let’s get our head around what’s going on here.  There’s no doubt that innovation in all its forms (incremental, disruptive, breakthrough) is a critically important part of every organization’s strategy and viability. So important, in fact, that many world class organizations don’t make the distinction between innovation and business as usual: innovation IS business as usual.  Throw in the fact that the speed and competition in the marketplace is unparalleled and now the pressure on CIOs is really turned up.

Luckily most CIOs I know are up for the challenge.  We’ve embraced the idea that we’re now being called on to be Chief Integration and Innovation Officers as much as we’re Chief Information Officers.  There’s just one slight problem: all of that operational stuff that we’re in charge of (aka Business as usual.  Lights On. Run and maintain).  Depending on which survey or research you prefer, estimates for how much time we spend keeping the lights on range from 72%-90% of our capacity, with a recommended goal of 50%-50%.

Clearly we must continue to operate the existing infrastructure and application portfolio that we have - and do it well.  After all, no one cares about innovation when the lights are flickering or e-mail is down.  But how do we shift the balance in our favor and spend more time on work that will truly move the needle in our organizations while still keeping the ship sailing where it needs to go?  Let’s start with 3 key areas:

Operational Excellence:  Continual improvement, to me, is table stakes for any effective leader. Look at this through 4 lenses:

  • Simplify Ex. Review your application portfolio and sunset duplicative systems.  Why have multiple versions of the same application OR multiple applications that do the same thing?
  • Standardize Ex. Why have 4 different laptop vendors?  Why have 4 versions of Sharepoint?  Choose 1 and do it well.  You’ll regain capacity by needing less specialized skills (obviously helps with cost, documentation, training and support).
  • Efficient: Ex. Are you doing things right? Are you processes optimized? Can you automate/integrate manual tasks? Are you measuring and improving? Less wasted time on repetitive or inefficient tasks means more time for more impactful work.
  • Effective: Ex. Are you doing the right things? Are you properly prioritizing the work or simply responding to the squeaky wheel? I have found in any portfolio that there are projects or programs that have been there for extended periods of time and no one can really explain why.  Remove these or rejustify them and move them up.  Otherwise they’re a distraction and just noise in the system. 
Strategic sourcing:  If someone can do something faster, better, cheaper and more securely than you can - then why are you doing it?  Yes, it still takes capacity to manage and yes, as CIOs we’re still on the hook for delivery no matter who is doing it - but often handing commodity services off to a partner frees up precious capacity internally for higher level activity. 

Evaluate every area in your shop and determine whether or not it’s a good candidate for outsourcing.  There are certainly other factors in the equation (e.g. regulations, change management, business impact, etc.), but having a matrix of all IT functions with risk and readiness component allows you to pull the trigger when opportunities become available.
 

Make what capacity you DO have MATTER: Even if you’re one of the 90%/10% shops and you’re just getting started - are you making the best use of the 10% you DO have? 
  • Do you have a formal innovation process which captures ideas and provides a framework for evaluation/execution?  Start small here - some level of rigor is better than none.
  • Do you tolerate, or better yet, celebrate constructive failure? Fail fast, cheap and forward - but be willing to fail.
  • Are you allowing your IT team “tinker time” to innovate?
  • Are you actively discussing your ideas with peer executives outside of IT to get their commitment to the value of doing this?  Partnerships in the C-Suite are critical. 
This is obviously not a comprehensive list but rather meant to get you started on the path to recapturing a little of that time spent on operational work for efforts that will truly propel your organization forward.  It certainly worked for me:  In less than 3 years my IT organization went from a 90/10% mix to nearly 60/40%.  This has allowed us to deliver truly game changing technology to our staff and volunteers, which ultimately leads to more progress in the battle against cancer.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Being the Business





By Terry Bradwell
Chief Information Officer
AARP







As CIO of AARP, I have a responsibility not only to put in place the most efficient technology systems for our organization, but also to support AARP’s mission in a broader sense as well.  That is why when we initiated a transformation of our IT department to build a stronger support function, we made a deliberate decision that our IT investments would not only support the business but would also be geared toward “being the business”.

Today, even though technology is an imperative, the empowerment made possible by instant access to seemingly limitless information and the improved quality of life made possible by tech connections to family, friends, and community remain beyond the reach of millions of older Americans.  They are held back by barriers such as cost or feeling intimidated by technology. 

At AARP, which represents nearly 38 million Americans who are 50-plus, we fight for and equip people to live their best lives.  We help them achieve and sustain health security, financial resilience, and personal fulfillment.  With our IT Department playing a key role, AARP is working to close the technology gap that leaves so many older adults at a disadvantage.  Over the past year-and-half, AARP has come forward with two initiatives that help older Americans reap the benefits of technology.

One is AARP TEK, which stands for Technology Education Knowledge.  AARP TEK is a comprehensive in-community national education program specifically geared to the 50-plus audience.  We are adding a robust online learning program this year.

The men and women participating in AARP TEK want plain language, not incomprehensible jargon.  They want one-on-one instruction that is patient and not condescending.  They want user-friendly devices that are welcoming, not intimidating.  With AARP TEK, that is exactly what they get through hands-on workshops and a customized curriculum. 

We’re making the experience accommodating, not overwhelming.  You might call it assisted adoption.  We are giving older adults the skills and confidence they need to use technology and stay connected to their families, friends, and communities.

In 2014, we reached more than 13,000 people through more than 300 technology training workshops.  The response has been tremendously positive, with consistently high ratings and heartfelt testimonials such as:

“More, more, more, please, please, please.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun learning something.”

“My daughter is going to be very impressed with me.”

The last comment reminds us of the intergenerational footprint of this program, a component very important to AARP.  The training is often carried out by high school and college students, providing an opportunity for millennials and older adults to learn from each other and discover new ways to connect. 

With AARP TEK, we have tapped into a great unmet need.  We have seen up close that a sizable segment of the technology is not being served by the technology industry.  To tackle that issue, we had to go beyond technology training.

That is why we have introduced a user-friendly tablet called RealPad, tailored to the needs and wants of older adults who have found personal technology anything but personal.

RealPad is the first-ever direct-to-consumer retail product from AARP.  It offers a warm and welcoming experience for the technology-shy.  It comes with pre-loaded apps, large graphics and icons, and it is Wi-Fi enabled.  RealPad steers clear of impenetrable terminology and it offers a halo of support in the form of basic videos in clear language and 24-7 live customer service.

RealPad and AARP TEK are prime examples of how we can—as our CEO, Jo Ann Jenkins says, “disrupt aging.” 

With these initiatives, we have helped to make a lasting difference in the lives of the people we serve. 

Within IT, we are encouraging and rewarding an entrepreneurial spirit.  We are combining the hunger and excitement of a start-up with the well-honed execution of an experienced brand. 

I see AARP TEK and RealPad as compelling examples of what IT departments can accomplish by not only serving the business, but being the business.  Labeling IT as a cost center and limiting our role in that fashion is increasingly out-of-date.  It is time for IT to become a value center for the enterprise.

ConNEXTions 2015: Defining Today’s CIO





By Jeanine Sterling
Industry Principal
Frost & Sullivan







If there was ever a leadership position that needed upgrading and updating in today’s fast-changing business environment, it is that of the CIO.  This year’s Frost & Sullivan ConNEXTions event, held in early February in San Francisco, focused on defining the key traits of a successful 21st Century IT executive.
 

Throughout two days of presentations, panels, roundtable discussions, and interactive Q&A, the following themes emerged:

CIO Leaders Establish Proactive, Positive Relationships with Their LOBs


Each line of business is a customer looking for support.  Creating a positive relationship with LOBs should be at the top of every CIO’s to-do list.  Recommendations that emerged around this topic during discussions included:

  • Create a new “business relationship management” role in the IT department, and have one of these managers for each of the company’s LOBs. They then become the interface and expert into each line of business.
  • Become a partner and problem-solver, getting to really know and understand each LOB’s business processes.
  • In fact, identify the individuals within each LOB who have an analytical bent and can clearly describe and define their business’s work processes.  These are valuable resources.
  • Understand that IT is more effective working with – not dictating to – its internal clients.  Ongoing communications and flexibility help greatly in this regard.
  • Recruit a marketing-oriented individual onto staff and have them explain and promote IT’s achievements to the rest of the company.

CIO Leaders Are Always Developing Next-Generation IT Personnel

 

With the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age, it is imperative that CIOs be actively searching for successors.  A number of presentations and discussions focused on how to recruit and, very importantly, retain a new IT employee:
  • Realize that technical skills are table stakes.  Just as important are the abilities to set goals, collaborate, be creative, and work with people.
  • Consider internships, college fairs and hackathons as fertile recruiting territories.
  • Once hired, head poachers off at the pass by providing employees with real challenges, regular training, honest feedback, and the opportunity to take on new responsibilities.  Don’t let them stagnate.

CIO Leaders Are Digital Disruptors


Scott Caudill, VP of Solution Delivery and Business Transformation for Zimmer Holdings, Inc., presented a keynote presentation on how to embrace new business models and opportunities.  His IT organization helped transform a 90 year old manufacturing enterprise into a modern powerhouse by hewing to the following framework:

  • Co-source what makes sense.  The IT department must recognize what it’s good at and what it’s not.  Commodity activities can be handled by an external partner.
  • Revitalize the infrastructure.  23-year-old ERP systems and applications aren’t going to get the job done these days.
  • Hire world class talent.
  • Manage IT like a business.  Align ongoing IT costs with business benefits to establish a rationale for necessary spending increases.
  • Deliver quick wins.  Re-branding the company website, mobilizing the field sales force, and/or instituting clearer KPI tracking and analysis are good examples of quick, high-value achievements.
CIO Leaders Make Their Organization Indispensable to the Company
 

How does the CIO and IT organization remain relevant as SaaS (software as a service) vendors continue to proliferate?
  • Make the CIO position a Board position.
  • Be viewed by other executives as a trusted advisor.
  • Think like a CEO – make KPIs a priority and be forward-looking regarding LOB needs.
  • Do not be viewed as a cost center.  Be viewed as providing value-add.

ConNEXTions 2015 gave each of its attendees the opportunity to explore these leadership themes with each other, making the two-day getaway a valuable opportunity to network, share and learn.