2002 is shaping up to be more difficult than 2001 in terms of economic and business pressures. This is the clear message from Gartner's 1,500 EXP CIO members. IT budgets have stalled for the first time in five years. But there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Better times will return, perhaps sooner than you expect.
The important message is that the difficult decisions and actions required now shouldn't be taken at the expense of the future. The future belongs to IS leaders who balance the demands of the present with the needs of the future. The purpose of this report is to help you keep your balance.
Why balance matters
The question underlying this report is: How are the important aspects of the IS leadership environment changing and what are the implications for the enterprise?
To answer this, we sought opinions on five aspects of your IS leadership environment:
From the survey results, we developed a series of implications for IS leadership that can help you weather 2002 and profit from the eventual economic upturn.
Sections 1 to 5 are dedicated to each key aspect of the survey. Section 6 sets out our recommendations arising from these survey results. Section 7 contains our concluding comments. An appendix includes selected details from the survey responses.
Section 1. 2002 will be a tough year
Business trends indicate that 2002 will be a very difficult year - tougher than 2001. IT budgets have been growing around 10 percent for several years. They have now stalled and may grow only slightly in 2002. At the same time, consumer and labor union activism will have much less impact in 2002.
Section 2. IS management priority: deliver short-term business value
Our survey revealed that IS management priorities in 2002 will focus on delivering and demonstrating short-term business value. Projects with longer payback periods will be put on the back burner until 2005, when cost pressures are expected to have eased. The good news is that finding IS staff in 2002, compared to 2001, will be easier because of the global economic downturn. This pause will also allow the technology base to mature.
Section 3. Technology priority: address immediate internal infrastructure needs
The requirement to demonstrate short-term business value changes technology priorities. In 2002, the focus will be on short-term infrastructure needs rather than longer-term projects, such as e-enablement and customer relationship management (CRM). Tighter cost control puts experimentation with new technologies on hold. Again, there is some good news. By 2005, the infrastructure for mobile technologies is expected to be in place, even though it's not clear when, and how this infrastructure will occur.
Section 4. All regions feel the pinch but react differently
Business trends affecting four regions (North America, Europe Asia/Pacific, and Latin America) are very similar this year, although responses vary by region. For example, only in Latin America do IT budgets appear to be increasing slightly. IS management priorities are also similar around the globe. For example, the survey respondents say closer business linkage is a universal priority. But regional technology priorities vary, reflecting the tussle between security, content management, and infrastructure.
Section 5. Your CIO role continues to become more business-critical
The survey showed that recent CIO successes involved delivering business-enabling technologies while augmenting organizational development and strategic goals. When asked about their career aspirations, CIOs said they expect to continue their career in IT-enabling roles, either progressing in CIO roles, or in other general business roles. However, one thing is clear. They expect their role to become increasingly business critical in the future.
Section 6. 2002 requires short-term actions, but position for the upturn
Your IS leadership challenges are to keep the ship afloat in the short-term while navigating for the long-term need. That requires you to balance two priorities: Timely actions and ongoing IS leadership development are not sufficient. You also need an environment that supports good short-term and longer-term decision-making. Two actions are recommended:
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