February 19, 2024 - Business Evolving as a CIO in digital transformation: Challenges and solutions

In this article, I’d like to take a look at some of the basics you need to know to support your company’s digital transformation as CIO.

For a Chief Information Officer (CIO), business transformation and the transition to a new IT system can be a complex task. You may be faced with challenges such as managing resistance to change, training staff and ensuring business continuity. Yet it’s up to you to lead the company’s digital transformation.

Understand the CIO role in an organisation

Before addressing the specific challenges associated with a CIO transition, it’s important to understand the key role he or she plays within an organization. As CIO, you are responsible for the strategic management of IT resources and their alignment with business objectives. This involves making informed decisions about which technologies to adopt, overseeing IT operations and ensuring the security of company data (even if a CISO is in place, you are responsible for its implementation).

The CIO plays an essential role at the crossroads of corporate strategy and challenges, management, business and IT technical teams: his or her role is far from being confined to the technical.

Common CIO transition challenges

The transition to a new IT system can be fraught with obstacles. Resistance to change is one of the most common challenges. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the new system, or fear the changes it will bring (skills required, impact on jobs). It is therefore essential to communicate effectively and provide employees with the necessary information to reassure them and actively involve them in the transition process.

Another challenge is to ensure business continuity during the transition. IT systems are at the heart of a company’s operations, and any disruption can have a significant impact on productivity and profitability. Careful planning, thorough risk assessment and appropriate mitigation measures are required to minimize disruption during the transition.

The importance of managing your roadmap over time

The information system represents a significant value for the company that developed it, but also a technical and informational asset that needs to be managed over time: from my point of view, it’s not an accumulation of diverse applications, but a complex system that needs to be coherent as a whole.

I’d like to stress the fundamental importance of the master plan and its meticulous preparation. This includes clearly defining objectives, aligning them with corporate goals, thoroughly understanding the impact at all levels, forecasting the resources required, and finally, convincing decision-makers of the merits of the planned evolution scheme, in order to gain their support for the transformation.

Once you’ve planned the transition and assessed the current system, it’s important to establish a detailed roadmap for the transition. This involves defining milestones, deadlines, resource requirements and responsibilities.

The roadmap must be realistic, taking into account time, budget and resource constraints. It is important to define key milestones to assess the progress of the transition, and to plan mitigation measures in the event of delays or unforeseen problems.

Communicating the roadmap to all stakeholders and obtaining their agreement are essential steps. This will ensure a common understanding of objectives, deadlines and responsibilities, and facilitate coordination between the different teams involved in the transition.

It’s also important to remember that, in a constantly changing world and an ever-changing business context, it’s imperative that the CIO is able to adjust and revise the master plan. This adaptation should never deviate completely from the fundamental trajectory (or else the master plan is called into question), which represents the fundamental and structuring medium/long-term objectives that the company has set itself for the Information System (IS). Thus, any adjustments must be made with the long-term strategic vision in mind, ensuring the coherence and relevance of the master plan in the face of the changing challenges of the business environment.

Adopt a reference framework to draw up your master plan

To develop the architecture of its information system, a CIO can follow a methodical approach by adopting a repository that helps it to govern its information system and align it with its business activities.

Figure 1 – The Master Plan at the crossroads of IT, business and general management

Enterprise architecture, for example, offers what I consider to be an interesting approach.The TOGAF framework (The Open Group Architecture Framework) proposes a methodological framework (ADM) for enterprise architecture.

The first step is an in-depth analysis of current and future needs, leading to the definition of objectives aligned with the company’s overall strategy. By drawing up an Architecture Master Plan (AMP) based on TOGAF, the CIO creates a clear vision of the target architecture. The adaptation of architecture principles and the development of detailed models then guide transition planning, incorporating rigorous governance to oversee the process.

Gradual implementation, starting with the introduction of the enterprise architecture framework itself, followed by incremental changes (architecture projects), ensures smooth evolution in line with objectives, minimizing operational risks.

By following this structured approach, the CIO can effectively orchestrate the evolution of the information system architecture. The ADM cycle proposed by TOGAF, if applied iteratively and for each architecture project, makes it possible to build the IS master plan and make it evolve over time.

It is made up of 10 phases, from the architecture vision to the actual deployment of the change, from a functional and technical point of view, but also from an of objectives is measured and taken into account after the solution hasorganizational and business objectives point of view, as the achievement been deployed.

Regardless of the repository the CIO uses (Safe, ITIL V4, Cobit, Togaf…), The CIO must select the repositories and processes that are best suited to the company’s configuration and needs, and deploy a suitable organization that is sufficient but not too cumbersome.

Change must be accompanied by real support

Pour la DSI comme pour les Métiers il peut être difficile de changer simplement du fait de la nécessité de faire fonctionner l’existant, des compétences à détenir et des motivations des collaborateurs. Un manager avisé devra donc élaborer des tactiques efficaces pour réorienter les forces vives vers le nouveau système.

To ensure the success of a transformation, it is essential to consider the human and organizational aspects. On the business side, anticipating resistance to change, communicating transparently about the expected benefits, and providing appropriate training are key elements. It is essential to involve employees from the very start of the process to encourage buy-in and guarantee a smooth transition.

Similarly, within the IT department, it is imperative to manage change proactively. This involves developing the necessary skills within the team (even if it means outsourcing certain activities to free up capacity), adjusting internal processes to align with the new architecture, and ensuring transparent communication with team members. The creation of an organizational culture conducive to change, encouraged by committed leaders, also contributes to strengthening the IT department’s agility in the face of change.

A comprehensive change management plan, including communication and training initiatives, and proactive resistance management at both business and IT levels, is therefore essential to ensure a successful transition and smooth adoption of new practices and technologies.

Why should a CIO need support to manage the transition?

Hiring external support for a CIO’s IT architecture evolution is a wise strategy. Firstly, an external partner can provide a neutral and objective perspective, free from internal biases, making it easier to identify potential gaps and opportunities for improvement. In addition, a specialized consultant can share in-depth knowledge of industry best practices and technological developments, giving the CIO access to cutting-edge expertise. He or she can greatly facilitate the transformation by accompanying the change brought about by the transformation.

An external consultant, certified with frameworks such as TOGAF, can help the CIO optimize the change planning and execution process. External consultants are often well versed in recognized methodologies, enabling effective implementation of the Architecture Master Plan (AMP) and successful adaptation of architecture principles. Their experience in similar projects can also provide valuable guidance in anticipating potential challenges and minimizing risks.

What’s more, external support offers greater flexibility in terms of resources. Consultants can be mobilized on an ad hoc basis, according to the specific needs of the project, thus avoiding the fixed costs associated with hiring specialized skills on a permanent basis. This also enables the CIO to remain focused on his or her internal responsibilities, while benefiting from external expertise at the right moment.

Finally, the transition to a new information system architecture often involves a cultural change within the organization. External consultants can play a crucial role in communicating the vision, aligning teams and managing change, thus facilitating a smooth transition.

In short, enlisting the support of an external partner to help you evolve your information system architecture offers the CIO the advantage of neutrality, specialized expertise, flexible resources and effective change management, thus creating the conditions for a successful transition in line with the company’s strategic objectives.

Supporting value

Le DSI et dirigeants peuvent donc être accompagnés dans l’élaboration de stratégies alignées sur les objectifs globaux, en optimisant les processus par une transformation numérique adaptée, en assurant une gouvernance efficace des systèmes d’informations, tout en renforçant la sécurité des données, et en assurant la gestion réussie des projets.

That’s why I’ve designed my offer to meet these needs from start to finish:

By choosing Beneficis, you benefit from a strategic partner capable of guiding your teams towards innovation, operational efficiency and resilience in the face of contemporary challenges.

The author of this article, Stéphane Hosemans, is a consultant and interim CIO. He has participated in numerous strategic projects involving information systems. Within the framework of the activities entrusted to him by his customers, alignment between corporate strategy and information systems, and change management, are key success factors.