Companies like Disney, Apple and Bose use Quality Function Deployments and customer connects/clinics to confirm and prioritize new product development strategies. They have designed their systems keeping in mind the highest level of maturity to avoid costly rework later. By using the Maturity Model of Business Analytics they have increased the pace of maturity of their analytics systems. 

IT has a big role to play in the healthcare system to improve the quality and efficiency of operations and delivery. These, along with patient safety, are the key drivers for IT investment in the healthcare setup. A number of IT initiatives, such as the automation of over 1,000 processes, at Manipal Hospitals have helped us make information available online for stakeholders and reduce turnaround time for patients. 

The growth of cloud computing, rapid use of enterprise mobility and an all pervasive application of technology have changed the way businesses look at IT. Working in silos has been a thing of the past and CIOs have to be more in sync with the needs of the business today than ever before.The need of the hour is an enterprise-wide outlook when it comes to business process transformation and not just an isolated business process management.  

For CIOs, process is often seen as an impediment to quicker delivery! So, does that mean that the IT function needs to focus only on delivery and not processes? The answer is a definitive No! The way to address this is to successfully synergize between processes and delivery by creating and implementing best practices in project management that are repeatable processes and become second nature to the Project Manager. 

I ask a simple question to CIOs: How many of them go to the shop floor and talk to the people there? As a CIO, if we spend a significant amount of time in the production department, I am sure any application implementation will be successful. That is the simple mantra. Yes, change management is tough. But if you connect with people, you can implement IT easily.  

Automation plays an important role in today's competitive manufacturing environment. There is a lot of demand on the IT systems for automation, in the absence of which a huge number of people will have to be deployed to handle the same amount of work. At the same time, the skill sets and the competencies of people need to be enhanced too because without that they will not be able to use the appropriate systems and technologies.  

Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) is a story of growth. This growth wouldn't have been there without IT. It is a story of lot of automation to enable faster turnaround of products and to enhance manufacturing productivity and capacity. The entire chain from the market down to the product development stage is streamlined through IT systems.  

To achieve success, the CIO has to improve business communication and alignment skills. There is a need to identify everyone who has a direct hand in influencing the IT, people from lines of business, functional experts, and change managers. The CIO should pull in people with the right knowledge, skills and experience needed.  

In 2008, post outsourcing, the biggest challenge for us was to consolidate our service delivery across 23 different telecom circles (business units). This was a big change for some people, who saw it as a threat. But our focus on the goals, coupled with regular communication helped us manage the show. 

Social media is fast becoming a way of life for hundreds of millions of people working in various organizations. While there are several advantages, this also poses several risks to businesses. Therefore, it makes good corporate sense for every organization and its management to develop and implement certain controls.