Mon, Mar 3, 2008 16:40 EST

A Response to Recession Fears

Topic: IT Organization Management

Current Rating: Comments: 0

What’s a CIO to do? After struggling for months or maybe even years to become relevant – to gain a seat at the decision table – recession fears threaten to rescind funding and make all of that work for naught.

NOT SO FAST! In adversity there is often hidden opportunity.

Now is the time to redouble your efforts to help the business succeed. For example:
 Rebalance - Reexamine business facing initiatives and enhance/reprioritize based on near term benefits – rebalance near and longer term value creation projects. Try to maintain the momentum of strategic projects while accelerating business initiatives with a short term payoff.
 Defer infrastructure projects where possible - Examine internal IT projects (e.g. infrastructure, pc replacement, server replacement) and determine which can be deferred in favor of devoting more funding to business facing projects, to the extent necessary to meet budget constraints. Continue with projects that generate a strong ROI and those required for secure and robust operation.
 Accelerate innovation - Reexamine and reenergize your approach to innovation, using this time as an opportunity to engage the business and lead innovative uses of technology to achieve short term as well as longer term business goals.
 Solidify internal IT operations – Ensure that as the above changes take place, the firm is well positioned with necessary business continuity and disaster recovery mechanisms. Rebalancing and reprioritization are for the purpose of aiding the business to achieve its goals. Be careful as you do so not to increase the risk profile of the business as a byproduct of the effort.

This is a time to step forward as an IT team and enhance your value to the business. It is not a time to protect and defend past budget choices!

Bob Kotch
rak@simassoc.biz
www.simassoc.biz

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