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This week I've been able to try out the #CIOPriorities cards in two scenarios, and so here are some reflections on the games that were played and how it seemed to go down with participants. Exploring the role of the CIO The first event on Wednesday was where I was invited to take part in … Continue reading #CIOPriorities Field notes

For all of the talk about the commoditisation of IT in the last decade, the amount of technology consumed within organisations that is truly of a commodity nature (in particular, is completely fungible) is very small. We build relationships with vendors and service providers, some key, some less so. Getting out of a purely customer/supplier … Continue reading CIO Priorities 13 – strategic partnerships

The needs of organisations for what technology departments should provide in house have changed dramatically in my working life. From an emerging cost, to a cost to be managed, to a service to be outsourced to a source of competitive advantage, IT isn't what it was 25 years ago (yes, I really have been working … Continue reading CIO Priorities 12 – a new brand for IT

Collaboration as a term has many meanings within organisations. All too often, though, it's something that everybody thinks is a terribly good idea, but is also somebody else's problem. Some IT leaders are stepping up to the challenge. Whilst many think that the answer lies in new technology platforms (spoiler: it doesn't) a few are … Continue reading CIO Priorities 11 – better collaboration

The particular types of technology mentioned in this card will be cyclical. Twenty years ago there would have been web browsers and data warehouses. Today you'll see AI and Machine Learning, and possibly distributed ledger technologies. In a year or two the fashions will change. Some of these technologies are ground-breaking. Some of them aren't. … Continue reading CIO Priorities 10: Exploring new stuff

There's a common misconception that the world of technology is one that is spent on the cutting edge. You only need to look at most organisations' standard PCs to realise how far from reality that can be. For most technology teams, the lion's share of time is taken up providing what's already there. The support … Continue reading CIO Priorities 9: time for innovation

We are frequently hearing that there is a skills gap in the UK for the world of tech. The last few years have also seen a big push from the UK Government to develop apprenticeship schemes in businesses to provide vocational routes of education for the young. In that light, it's not surprising that some … Continue reading CIO Priorities 8: Apprenticeships