n io us l c n o C Preparing for a digital business In recent years, the rollout of digital technologies has gathered momentum across nearly every industry. The early pioneers of digital have shown the disruptive potential that these tools hold — from new ways to communicate with customers, through to wholly new business model opportunities. For CIOs, all this brings new demands and Tasks at a strategic level pressures to which they will have to react. In particular, successfully dealing with the digital revolution requires a far stronger focus on the strategic elements of the role as Pushing the digital Digital, in particular, No CIO can get away opposed to the basic execution chores. This transformation agenda provides wide-ranging new from operational and shift in emphasis can be seen in the way that forward requires a opportunities to deliver infrastructure issues digital-ready CIOs set their priorities. While compelling and credible radically more efficient altogether. But leading CIOs mastering the basic execution, they spend vision, and understanding processes, as well as wholly ensure that operational less time on it to free up capacity to do more the necessary steps to new products and services. issues are a side dish, not achieve it. But to truly deliver on this, the main meal, in what on enablement and corporate development. you’ll need a firm grasp of they serve up to the rest From our interviews with leading experts and the corporate business and of the business. Free CIOs, we gathered advice and guidance on onal agenda operating model. yourself from these issues how to prepare for a digital world — and to s so you can truly focus on transformation. stand out from your peers. None of these steps is inaccessible to any sufficiently motivated CIO, or aspiring CIO. The question, as ever, is whether you have the courage to pursue them. Are you ready our perGive a detailed vision Prioritize innovation Don’t let operational to act? Y for how technology wherever possible, at IT overwhelm you can transform the both a process and a business — and a plan business model level to implement the transformation 36 | Born to be digital