MANAGEMENT
OF INNOVATION
AND MANAGEMENT
CASE#1
THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CTO
School: University Of Technology Jamaica
Name: Nadine Housen
ID #1501191
‘How the role and function of the CTO has changed over the years’
As the world evolves, the need for human interactions has become limited, resulting in some negative factors such as person being replace by technology based on the fact that it makes work easier, efficient and offer more opportunities. According to Kass, L quote technology innovation is indeed important to economic growth and the enhancement of human possibilities; therefore technology is the new way of things and company’s chief technological officers will need to adapt and apply to changes.
A chief technology officer otherwise known as chief technical officer or chief transformation officer is the executive in charge of an organization’s technological and research and development requirements.
The officer improves polices and procedure and uses technology to enhance product and services that forces on external customers, and find strategies to increases revenue and performs cost benefits and return on investment analysis. (Investopedia).
Technology has shifted over the years, therefore the roles of a chief technological officer has changed from its traditional role of ensuring alignment between business technology and business strategy, managing strategic business assets and technology processes, developing measurement and driving change within the organization (Magurdumov.R), to person who are infrastructure commander, the customer champion, technology visionary and the big thinker. No longer does a chief technology officer align but now he applies or communicating but rather integrated .According to Buckham&Duffy chief technology officers aren’t just managers, they are business architects that plan, design and review also they are required to know and understand new technology solution on the market and what value or risk does it offer to the business.
Let me explain these new types of chief technology officers. An infrastructure commander is required to monitor the company infrastructure that is overseeing the company data, security, maintenance and network and may implement the company’s technical strategy and manage the company’s technological roadmap (Investopedia.com). Customer champion deliver excellence in the areas of user interface and user experiences. Additionally he operates as the channel between customer and the business itself and finally tends to be responsible for customer relation, understanding the target market and influencing the delivery of IT projects.
Being a technology visionary mainly required one to build a company from scratch, setting technical objectives and methods to help the company achieved its goals. He will continuously seek new technology that will drive the company’s success and conceptualize how technology is to be used within the company.
An executive is known to be the big thinker, the one that drives the company, and a chief technological officer is no different. According to Enterprise Management the officer stretches the boundaries of how technology is used within the business and is encourage to operate.
Connolly stated that the CTO role will become more influential, thanks to disruptive technology. And that they are no longer seen as a maintainer who keeps the lights on, but are leader who make a differences both in innovation and the wider business thus driving growth within the organization. As stated by Buckham & Duffy a CTO once adapt and administered product to make the business more efficient, and providing a solid foundation for operations.
Once offices usually have information printed and files in cabinets but the new age allow us to have files in the clouds. Whenever customer data is collected an algorithms is design in order to understand customer action .This data is used to automate a response by building engine that predicts a person’s respond.
Technology changes occurs within our society for instead Grace Kennedy a food distributor , They normally printed papers and issue to pickers for picking good which should be distributed to their customer now the company uses a paperless system control by SAP and warehouse management (WM) which allows Warehouse associated to use a RF scan gun. They also issue point of sales machines to some sales representative to collect payment instead of collecting cheques.
Since all business decision is based on the change in technology, management function will be impacted adding more responsibilities and emphasis toward the organization goal. Management will now have to focus more on market competition because of uncertainty they will have to, improve quality within their product and affordability. Management team would have to be retrained thus updating their qualification in order to better plan, lead, control and make decisions which will enable the company to operate efficient and effectively. Management focus will shift mainly to technology while forgetting the human aspect thus reducing productivity by increasing the use of technology.
It is advisable that the company provide continuous training for employees to adapt easily to the technology changes, or even provide monetary contribution to facilitator’s research and development in order to gain primary preface for new technological product.
The chief technology officer responsibilities spreads throughout the company. The individual develops technical strategy which aligns with the company’s objectives, and analyzing risk as a result of new technology. Overall he will ensure efficient and effective’s procedures that will result in customer satisfaction and seeks new technology that will improve the company’s profitability, while protecting the company from cybercrime. A CTO contributed to the success of any business therefore companies need chief technological officer to help them grow and adapt to changes.
Reference
Connolly,H (June,2,2017);The Evolution of the chief Technology Officer; Retrieved from
https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/the-evolution-of-the-chief-technology-officer-teotcto
Enterprise Management 360.com (September, 15, 2017) Here, in the tropical heat of the high-tech jungle, the chief technology officer is sometimes seen as a simple, primitive title. But that’s a long way from the truth; Retrieved from
https://www.em360tech.com/tech-news/four-different-species-cto/
Kass L (2017) Technology Quotes; Retrieved from
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/leon_kass_295641?src=t_technological
Magurdumov,R (May ,6,2015);What is a CTO and how has their role changed in recent years?
Retrieved from:
http://www.colocationguard.com/cto-role-changed-recent-years/
