Besides the problem of being branded as an IT leader, a CIO faces many other issues within a corporation that s/he is trying to grapple with. In this blog I have raised three key issues that I got to understand from the CIOs in my conversation with them over the past one month. These are issues of (i) Change Management within IT, (ii) Procurement of IT and (iii) IT's Importance in an Organization.  

In the technology domain the most trending debate making rounds is about which department of an organization consumes most of IT's time and budget? There is a storm brewing in business. Marketing sees IT as full of propeller-heads and is using a lot of IT today. Is this trend growing? We asked in a survey and it proves that marketing's influence over IT is growing.  

Whether you agree or not but all IT projects or IT-led projects today are under severe pressure to prove their worth and provide a quick return on investment. Six months ago we spoke about Maruti Suzuki Training Academy. Now fully functional, the academy at 40% utilization is on course to return the investment in straight eight months. This is called "success assured."  

While taking part in organizational, board-level politics could be a non-desirable, unnerving task, but understand what all you can miss by not doing it. Most vital decisions are made at the board-level. If you don't stay alongside, where will you have the knowledge, the influence to serve the organization's business with the help of IT? I would vouch for a better future for CIOs if they indulge in this game. 

Running business is a dream come true for any CIO. Running it successfully can give a sense of proud, confidence and arrogance. But it has many hurdles, challenges and pains. Many such attempts have failed in the past. Meet the Iron Man Satish Pendse, President of Highbar Technologies who runs the Business of IT.  

A CIO friend recently narrated how he grappled with the situation in the wake of a global ERP failure in his company, which clocked losses for days in a row and struggled to keep the operations going. I wonder if it was technology failure, policy paralysis or lack of vision on part of the company. And could it have averted the crisis?  

Indian medical technology industry is expected to reach US$ 14 billion by 2020 says a report by PwC. But it all looks very unrealistic when we look in our rural neighborhood. Let's admit that India has a problem of providing affordable healthcare in rural areas. Healthcare delivery at the rural level is constrained by lack of infrastructure. What do people in rural areas do to get timely medical aid?  

On one side we are trying our best to position CIO as a strategic asset of an organization who brings with him the virtue of a fine blend of technology and business and marry them to create an edge. On the other hand, a majority of top executives are either trying to be ignorant or sabotaging the CIO's emergence as a key player. 

A few months ago a CIO twitted: "It's hard to be strategic with your pants on fire." Most CIOs will resonate with this phrase. CIOs are less strategic and more 'fire-fighters'. This is not a generic comment but based on facts and experience. Those CIOs who are moving out of technology manager's role, and taking up strategic position, are preparing for the long-term.  

A recent email by the CEO of a large IT service provider described how the crippled industry was battling economic pressure, therefore affecting the level of service to the end customers. If I were in his place, I would not put my vulnerabilities in open; and before blaming the ecosystem, I should absorb all the possible blame and work towards creating a healthy business environment. Your views?