Before managed services and cloud-migrations started to reshape the information technology landscape, the Chief Information Officer was responsible for overseeing an organization’s IT resources and staff. It was considered a back-office role and often seen as existing in the C-suite tier in title only, as they were often working in the trenches alongside staff and in the day-to-day operations.

The role has shifted significantly in the years since it emerged as a title in the 1980s. In this discussion, Apex Technology provides an overview of how the CIO role has shifted and what it has become in this age where embracing digital transformation is required for growth and organizational agility. 

As Technology Becomes Integrated and Indispensable, the CIO Becomes A Necessity in the C-Suite

As organizations have become more dependent upon digital and technical solutions to meet the needs of customers, the IT infrastructure of the organization has shifted in purpose from acting as the scaffolding that holds up daily operations into the foundation for organizational revenue generation. 

A Driver of Digital Transformation

As this change has taken place, the CIO has stepped out of the trenches and joined leadership at the table, responsible for the strategic implementation of technology to address concerns with customer service, the customer experience, and other cross-functional initiatives stemming from the efforts of other departments throughout the organization. 

In this sense, the CIO becomes the lynchpin of agility and collaboration that will drive a flattening in leadership, essentially putting the entire efforts of the organization behind the initiatives put forth by the CIO and leadership. You can see this holistic approach in businesses that establish strategy based upon the data analytics emerging from the efforts of the IT department. 

Through the CIO, the Path to Success

As the CIO becomes a more integral player in corporate strategy and determining how best to structure and drive revenue-generating initiatives, it becomes clearer that the CIO must also understand the overall industry in which the business operates. Trends, influences, changing standards, and consumer expectations must all come to then inform the IT initiatives spun out by the CIO in order to most effectively position the organization to thrive and profit. 

The Rise of the Virtual CIO

Small- to medium-sized businesses start at a disadvantage in IT, mostly due to the fact that at the start-up stage, these organizations are often low-tech due to the costs of carrying a fully-trained IT staff and managing IT infrastructure in-house.

That’s where managed IT services are starting to make headway with startup organizations focused on growth. Whether the CIO is found already in place in-house or brought aboard as a service through a managed IT service contract, managed services providers are increasingly filling the strategic “driver’s seat” of the organization, and helping organizations who might not have those resources in place to compete against other, well-established industry leaders. 

With Apex Technology On Your Side, Your Digital Transformation Will be Driven by a Professional Virtual CIO 

Apex Technology works with organizations of all sizes to reduce costs, increase productivity, and mitigate business risk. It’s this last function that becomes especially important as our team works with clients to provide support as managed IT service providers. In this service role, we provide clients with a dedicated virtually deployed CIO that will help the organization establish and drive business strategies intended to increase long-term revenues and support organizational growth over time. To learn more about how Charlotte-based Apex Technology supports this process and sustains our clients over time, schedule an assessment with our team today.