Meaningful Decision-Making During a Prolonged Crisis

COVID-19 has caused enterprises across industries to embrace work from home (WFH) solutions at a rapid pace. The tremendous support that IT departments have provided during this rapid shift has highlighted CIOs and their teams throughout the region.

To set the stage prior to this community town hall, CIOs responded to a survey to provide a pulse on the community on the following:

34% are continuing standard business operations at a reduced level in May compared to 41% from April

62% expect to return to standard business operations in 3 to 12 months

85% report a decrease of some level in their organization’s revenue

78% predict a decrease of some level in their organization’s budget

The town hall was moderated by Peter Moore, President of Wild Oak Enterprises. Moore is a business strategy and technology advisor specializing in helping companies compete in the age of digital disruption. The panelists included Leslie Grau, Michael Keithley, and Glenn Coles. Grau, Global Head of Digital Platforms and Customer Experience Technology at Dun & Bradstreet, is responsible for defining and executing their digital strategy and technology implementation roadmap. Keithley, CIO at United Talent Agency, has a proven track record of building technology teams to solve problems and drive business outcomes on a global basis. Coles, GM & CIO at Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, is a change-oriented executive who leads all aspects of Information Technology.

Moving from Response to Recovery

As enterprises across Southern California were gearing up for full-scale work from home test exercises, the pandemic hit in full force. Fortunately, most enterprises had a solid technology foundation and were able to quickly shift to a fully functional WFH model. The tremendous support that IT departments provided during this rapid shift has highlighted CIOs and their teams throughout the region. The visibility that has been granted to IT at this moment is setting the stage for the future. C-suite executives are waking up to the reality that IT must be viewed and utilized as a business enabler.

Along with the rapid shift to WFH, all panelists mentioned seeing a dramatic uptick in cybersecurity attacks. For some organizations there has been as much of a 400-600% increase in the number of attacks across all levels of employees. The attacks have ranged from general malware to targeted phishing attempts. IT leaders are encouraged to shift the way they think about security in order to keep up with the drastic increase in attacks.

Shifting Business Prioritization and Success Metrics

As enterprises reassess their pre-pandemic technology priorities for 2020, it is no surprise that cash is king in the current environment. This has forced CIOs to rank and prioritize projects across the business. This is a positive shift in thinking because it again positions the IT department as a business-enabler rather than an order-taker. 

IT leaders are mainly focusing on projects that drive revenue or cost savings for the business, but spending still needs to prioritize non-revenue generating activities — like security — as the threat level continues to rise. Overall, IT departments are seeing organizations delay CAPEX projects while most of their projects remain on target.

Another element to the shifting priorities of the business is how the current workforce is being utilized. IT leaders have the head count and the budget to make a difference, but they need to look across the organization to make sure the right people are focused on the highest priorities. The pandemic is forcing enterprises to take a hard look at all their different resources and determine if they are delivering the biggest impact.

Shadow IT has decreased drastically because everyone’s budgets have gone to zero. This has provided tons of feedback around what we’re not delivering on as a department.

The Emotional Well-Being of Your Team, Your Customers and Yourself

Employee productivity is through the roof, but is it sustainable? Organizations are having to remind employees to take PTO and prioritize a healthy work-life balance. One of the most obvious examples of unbalance is sending emails in the middle of the night. This is an area where the management team must lead from the front by practicing what they preach. Another effect of increased productivity is an uptick in late-stage corrections. Enterprises are finding a need to double down on best practices across the business. Despite the rapid pace of change, employees can’t forget the basics.

Preparing for a Return to the Office

Trying to develop a foolproof plan is extremely difficult because organizations are receiving different guidance from all levels of government. Businesses must decide whether they will center their approach on either personal responsibility or implementing regulations. Different organizations are looking at solutions like alternating shifts, phased returns to the office, and permanent WFH for certain positions. 

The transition back to the office is all about trust. Until there is a vaccine available or reliable detection method, employers must assume that everyone could have COVID-19 and act accordingly to protect their employees. Identifying key positions and keeping them separated from one another other is paramount.

by CIOs, for CIOs

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