Getting the upstream message right is a big part of the CIO’s job description.
Jeanne Harris and Allan Alter of the Accenture Institute for High Performance do a nice job in this piece describing some of the key things to focus on, especially when it comes to ROI analysis.
Excerpt below.
What You Should Tell Your CEO About Cloud Computing
By Jeanne G. Harris, Allan E. Alter
2011-03-28
…At a time when companies’ use of clouds is just getting started, the chief information officer’s judgment and store of knowledge are invaluable assets. These are especially important when the CIO sets out to educate that most important stakeholder of all, the chief executive officer.
First Requirement: Master the Facts
One place where you can begin this all-important dialogue is by demonstrating a balanced, clear-minded understanding of the business case for cloud computing. That includes a realistic view of the savings from clouds. Moving to the cloud always means automatic savings. In fact, one study of those who adopt software-as-a-service found that only about half get a positive return on their investment; a quarter end up spending more than they expect.
A discussion like this with the CEO has the advantage of signaling that you are attuned to business issues and of demonstrating a predisposition to facts over hype.
Indeed, if the CIO is to be the IT person who leads the cloud charge at a company, this is really the first requirement: Knowing the facts.
Knowing the facts means developing a dossier about what some leading companies are doing with the cloud. The activities of competitors and business partners should be included as part of that intelligence…
Read the whole piece here: http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Expert-Voices/What-You-Should-Tell-Your-CEO-About-Cloud-Computing-795154/
About the authors
Jeanne G. Harris is a senior executive research fellow with the Accenture Institute for High Performance, and is based in Chicago. Allan E. Alter is a research fellow with the Accenture Institute for High Performance and a former executive editor of CIO Insight. He is based in Boston.
Tags: CEO, cio, cloud, cloud computing, CTO, Internet, security
