4 Takeaways from a CIO Survey

Over the past year, we have seen businesses across every industry find new ways to adapt and respond to ongoing global challenges – supply chain disruptions, talent and labor shortages, rising inflation, geopolitical instability, and more. At the core of many of these strategic planning sessions and discussions is the role and relevance of their IT departments. After almost three years of disruption and uncertainty, how are companies prioritizing their IT operations?  

In late 2022, Clarkston Consulting conducted its annual CIO Market Study to better understand the current priorities and challenges of upper or C-Suite level IT professionals (CIO/CISO/CTO/VP) at large companies ($350M+ revenue) in the retail, consumer products, manufacturing, or life science industries.  

Below, we have included four key takeaways from the 2023 CIO Survey. 

Key Takeaways

CIOs are most likely to invest in artificial intelligence in 2023.

The survey found that CIOs are most likely to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) at 35%, followed by robotic processes at 25% and data governance at 20%. Surely the investment in AI comes as no surprise as the topic has swarmed recent tech news especially regarding ChatGPT. AI and robotic processes both act as a means to streamline processes and increase efficiency in IT departments, while data governance is an area that all IT departments should prioritize for accurate data that enables better decision-making. 

Respondents consider their IT department collaborative with other departments.

It is no wonder that over half of respondents reported their IT department as collaborative. Although there is often a misconception that the tech industry is full of highly independent work, that is far from the truth. Projects that run in and out of the IT department often require a lot of moving parts and individuals. Good communication is one of the most sought-after soft skills for tech talent today, and the ability to communicate across your organization is crucial. 

CIOs are most likely to prioritize IT Operations and Management in 2023.

In 2023, CIOs are most likely to prioritize IT Operations and Management at 60%, followed by the implementation of new technologies. Additionally, respondents are most likely to allocate training resources to project management, programming/coding, and methodologies this year. 

When choosing outsourcing partners, demonstrated success, industry expertise, and trust ranked as most important.

Survey results found demonstrated success, industry and technical expertise, and trust as the most important factors when choosing outsourcing or managed services partners. Demonstrated success, price, and trust ranked as most important when choosing a professional services partner. In addition, two-thirds of respondents are outsourcing cloud services and half are outsourcing data backup/recovery. 

Consider the Survey Results

The results of this survey provide a detailed view of many of the challenges that IT departments across industries continue to face, particularly as they navigate the ongoing effects of the pandemic in the workplace. To learn more about how BCTG can help you overcome some of these challenges, contact our team today.  

This piece was adapted from this piece originally published by a partner in our business ecosystem, Clarkston Consulting. Learn more about Clarkston here.