These insights are from NTT’s comprehensive global managed services survey conducted in 2021. 

Key Strategies and Solutions in CIOs’ 2023 Priorities 

Business Intimacy and Alignment 

Business intimacy, essential for CIOs, enhances relevance and value delivery. According to Juan Perez, Salesforce’s CIO and Executive VP, IT leaders can achieve this by introducing new skills and operational processes at the top level. 

CIOs should begin by understanding their colleagues’ priorities, challenges, processes, investments, and technologies across departments. This understanding is crucial. CIOs work to enhance business alignment and efficiency through automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools, particularly in challenging economic circumstances. 

Solution: Partnering with an MSP (Managed Services Provider) enhances the synergy between your core business operations and the role of IT as a support function. This strengthened alignment fosters accountability, ensuring that every action is meticulously assessed against pre-defined objectives. Incorporating managed IT service delivery management allows for more precise evaluation of actions in accordance with established goals. 

Resiliency Development 

Many CIOs are emphasizing resiliency because of recession possibilities and labor shortages. Technology plays a huge role in achieving this, according to Peter Kirkwood, Zinnov’s lead consultant. 

There’s a shortage of important IT skills like cybersecurity, AI, and machine learning. This lack of professionals is becoming more pressing because of the current labor shortage. Improving resilience through technology can help CIOs address this challenge. It also leads to a positive impact on employee satisfaction and overall experience. 

Solution: Achieving these can be possible through managed IT services. No need to enroll someone in the payroll, enrich skills through continuous training, and ensure proper benefits are provided.  

Simplifying the Technology Setup 

In the past ten years, businesses have adopted advanced technology and cloud security management rapidly. However, they’ve often neglected to retire their old systems, resulting in a tangled web of redundant applications and systems. 

There’s now a widespread effort to decrease technical and data debt and redirect resources towards future development. Jason Conyard, VMWare’s CIO, suggests that CIOs should seek to streamline their technology assets to reduce unnecessary costs and maintenance. At the same time, it reduces security risks and privacy concerns. 

Solution: MSPs already specialize in this skill because they simply did their business with these skills. 

Welcoming Digital Transformation 

In 2023, CIOs, led by Elizabeth Hackenson of Schneider Electric, are driving digital transformation. It focuses on streamlining processes, improving resilience, sustainability, and customer value. Through modernized systems, they foresee cloud adoption and advanced tech enabling secure, smart distribution centers. 

Solution: Managed IT Services aid government agencies by providing industrial expertise, improved business continuity, digital transformation guidance, and proactive IT maintenance. 

Doubling the Focus on Cyber Security 

Government agencies became the second-most attacked industry last 2021. They are prime targets because they collect, store, and operationalize sensitive data. Accessing this to stop their services, steal intellectual property, access data, and demand ransom are the result of these threats. 

Solution: A Managed Security Service Provider (MSSPs) can help strengthen cyber security for local government. They provide data encryption to protect the IT infrastructure, whether it's a high-level or lower-tier government department. MSSPs deliver advanced data security solutions to ensure secure operations of all agency data. 

Maximizing Efficiency 

In 2023, enhancing agility through technology is vital. Unfortunately, budget limitations may be a hurdle, says Nicolas Avila, CTO (Chief Technology Officer) for North America at Globant. Although IT budgets are more secure than in some sectors, CIOs must achieve more with less. 

Avila foresees a strong focus on cost optimization through technology. To become more efficient without sacrificing essential capabilities, enabling a quicker and more robust recovery from potential economic challenges. Avila focuses on the need for enterprises to keep pace with the rapidly changing world. It ranges from customer experience to operations to employee engagement. 

Solution: Government agencies handle a lot of work. When they hire an MSP, it frees their teams from IT-related chores so they can concentrate on their core responsibilities. That enhances efficiency and productivity because the provider takes full responsibility for anything IT related. 

For agencies with an internal IT support team, outsourcing IT frees up their teams. This way they handle more demanding projects, such as system upgrades and computer malfunctions. 

Modernizing Data Insights 

Organizations thriving through data insights will succeed, says Dan Krantz, CIO of Keysight Technologies. He advises CIOs to treat data assessment as a scientific discipline, seeking Ph.D.-level talent and embracing advanced data tools. Krantz suggests creating solutions with low-code extensibility, an intuitive user experience, and abundant APIs. 

He emphasizes that analytical and quantitative skills are now more crucial than software engineering skills. Krantz warns that failing to embrace scientifically obtained data insights will lead to negative financial and competitive consequences. 

Solution: An MSP can help you with an upgraded data platform. With this, you can access real-time insights, especially valuable in time-sensitive sectors like finance and healthcare. These insights uncover hidden trends, enabling proactive decision-making.