Why is BI a top priority for CIOs?
I read an article in DM Review today that included the question “So why are CIOs spending so much time and energy on BI?“. It seemed like a strange question to be asking. The article was discussing the trends in BI towards a new generation of performance management, but the question made me stop. It seemed like such a silly question.
Why do CIOs spend time and energy on BI?
Isn’t that their job?
A looong time ago, I wrote up a one line description of what I wanted to do with my career. This was around the time “CIO” was a new idea in only very large organizations. Coming from an engineering background, I enjoyed technology. I also valued efficiency and effectiveness. I carved out a place for myself when I termed my career objective at the time to champion ‘improvements in business effectiveness and success through innovative use of computer technology.’ I found myself in I.T. because that was where it made sense for me to be. I defined the role of the group based on my personal objectives.
To this day, I still see the I.T. organization as a middleman between the possibilities available with technology, and the challenges of the business. It is our job to continuously scan the technology landscape help the organization take advantage of opportunities where the business can gain a competitive advantage (or at least to cost-effectively not fall behind).
So why spend time and energy on BI? Because information is the lifeblood of any organization, and computer technology today offers so many possibilities for improvements. So many, in fact, that organizations hire specialists to manage it. They put those specialists in the Information Technology group, and the CIO heads up that group.
So the CIO should spend a lot of time and energy on BI. It’s their job.
