CIO Agenda: Skills shortages and vendor "bullshit"

What's in store for IT over the next 12 months? To find out, we polled members of silicon.com's CIO Jury about their outlook and key concerns for 2007. The results make up our third annual CIO Agenda survey. Today Andy McCue examines the key challenges facing CIOs over the next year and looks at how the IT chief's role is evolving.

Vendor "bullshit", skills shortages and proving the value and credibility of IT to the business are the key challenges for IT chiefs this year, according to silicon.com's exclusive, third annual CIO Agenda survey.

Suppliers are becoming more strategic to CIOs - i.e. IT heads are choosing fewer key suppliers and involving them more in the long-term business/IT plans rather than just choosing the cheapest vendor every time - but many still just try to sell products rather than solve real business problems, according to the survey results.

Chris Linfoot, IT director at LDV Vans, said: "Most vendors still try to add value and become trusted business partners. Most still don't understand the businesses they serve and are really just trying to shift product."

The silicon.com CIO Agenda survey

Find out what's on the CIO's technology shopping list and whether IT budgets are rising or falling.

Sean Powley, assistant director for organisational development and customer services at the London Borough of Barnet, was more succinct, citing "cutting through supplier bullshit" and "trying to find genuine evidence to support business cases for investment in new technologies" as priorities for 2007.

Recruiting and keeping hold of top talent remains a battle for IT departments in 2007. Russell Altendorff, IT director at the London Business School, said of his challenges this year: "Recruitment, retention, reward, and performance of IT staff."

The age-old dilemma of being seen to make a contribution to the business is also one of the key challenges the CIO Agenda survey identified for 2007. Gavin Whatrup, group IT director at Creston, said: "Proving business value whilst keeping the lights on and dealing with ever-changing security threats, and constant business change."

IT chiefs believe the CIO role will continue to become more strategic, more business-centric - but also tougher as a result.

Neil Hammond, head of IT at British Sugar, said: "Demonstrating leadership skills will be key."

Linda Chandler, head of information management and technology at the London Development Agency, said there is likely to be more demand for CIOs from the "non-technical ranks".

Neil Harvey, head of IT and accommodation at the Food Standards Agency, added: "The CIO role is slowly but surely moving away from being a technical-based role. I see the growing commoditisation of IT and IS solutions challenging the CIO to look more at harmonising back-end processes, and maybe even a growing stake in PR and marketing."

Despite all these challenges, more than three-quarters of the 18 CIOs (79 per cent) in the survey said they are more optimistic than they were at the same point last year. Just 21 per cent said they are less optimistic.

Read more of silicon.com's CIO Agenda series. Find out what's on the CIO's technology shopping list and whether IT budgets are rising or falling.