Execs must close gaps and engage CIOs

Chief information officers are often not involved with shaping a company's strategic agenda, and confidence has lessened when it comes to IT's ability to support business goals, according to a survey from McKinsey & Company.

"IT and business executives disagree strongly on the function's overall priorities--though both sides agree on the need for better data and analytics talent, a challenge that has grown in importance," the survey's authors write. The online survey collected responses from 713 executives in various industries.

In addition, the survey found that executives' perceptions of IT performance are mostly negative. For the healthcare industry, that could be a troubling thing--it is already behind many others in adoption of IT and CIOs need support from all sides as their positions change and grow alongside technological advances.

The survey also found that most respondents think the IT departments' abilities to manage IT infrastructure, govern IT performance and drive technology enablement were only "somewhat effective."

The results of the McKinsey survey suggest, according to its authors, that "closing the gap to engage more CIOs in strategy discussions could deliver business benefits and address widespread concerns over IT effectiveness."

And as CEOs turn their attention more closely toward technology and how it can improve their businesses, one of the keys to success is the CIO, Mike Pearl, principal at PwC, writes at the Wall Street Journal. He says CEOs can leverage the CIO position to better drive innovation and technology by breaking out of the back office, amending the approach to delivery IT and creating a flexible architecture.

To learn more:
- check out the survey