CIO Outlook: Bumpy Ride or Better Times Ahead?

Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.

  Business Case   Governance   Strategy  

Around this time every year, CIOs start turning their gaze toward the coming year. Business plans are formulated, initiatives prioritized and budgets compiled. Ever since the economic meltdown of 2009, many CIOs have found their organizations intrinsically bound to global economic times.

Unfortunately, reading the tea leaves of what lies ahead for 2014 is fraught with contradictions. On one hand, economic recovery appears to be making progress; on the other hand, if interest rates rise and quantitative easing wanes, can inflation and more hard times be far behind? Understanding the macro situation can help CIOs better prepare for how their micro organizations can prepare for the future.

In April of this year, Forrester issued their U.S. Tech Market Outlook for 2013 and 2014. The tagline of the report reads “Better Times Ahead”. But for me, the report sends mixed messages and maybe should have had a question mark at the end of that tagline. Here is an excerpt from the report that illustrates the uncertainty facing CIOs:

“U.S. CIOs remain torn between their need to invest in new mobile, cloud, and smart technologies and their fear of encountering economic doldrums (or worse).

… business and government purchases of information and communications technology (ICT) goods and services will expand by 5.7% in 2013 and 6.1% in 2014.”

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