"Setting up an IT council with key business leaders from different functions; who can meet maybe once a month to discuss and strategize the IT road map, will go a long way in getting the buy- in and credibility from the user community."

Srinivas Sagi
VP- IT & BPM
GVK

Srinivas has an overall experience of more than 20 years in the IT sector. He began his career as a Sr. Manufacturing Engineer in 1988 in the Wolf Range Company and has taken up various roles in different organizations. Currently, he is the VP-IT & BPM at GVK where he looks after overall IT strategy, delivery, and business process optimization.

Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations

The biggest challenge is: how to take technology to the end users, so that they can use it effectively to solve business problems and get the desired return on investment. The technology providers should create applications from the ground up to meet the unique requirements of the way we do business in India, which is driven by our culture and regulatory frameworks. There is also a big need to develop enterprise solutions that allow companies to operate from remote locations with inadequate infrastructure using different input devices such as simple cell phones and tablets.

The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or are not up to the mark

The thing that keeps me up at night is vendor management and choosing the right mix of technologies that work seamlessly together to remove most of the pain points, but of course at the right cost, and for the long haul. Typically we buy enterprise solutions from oracles and SAPs of the world; where the deal not only includes acquisition cost but also maintenance costs, and the confusing licensing policies which can give any CIO sleepless nights. Once these are procured, we need to hire consultants to implement them and so, choosing the right partner becomes very critical.

Technology trends impacting enterprise business environment

I think the shift to cloud computing is an interesting one; which is forcing us to rethink how technology can be deployed and paid for, without comprising the needs for security, independency, speed etc. Also, the focus on data analysis and big data will have a huge impact as it will enable us to move from traditional decision making to a one based on information that is accurate and in real time.

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO

My role has been evolving for the past 20 years along with technology, which is now an integral part of everything we do. IT has become mission critical. Any interruption of service will have severe down- the- line implications, to the business. As a result, the CIO role has become very significant and strategic to the operations of an organization. It has transformed from a back office role, to a key one in defining business strategy so that IT can be leveraged to give the organization a competitive advantage.

Lessons learned and advice for fellow CIOs

I think it’s all about applying situational leadership in steering the technology roadmap for your organization. I don’t believe in one- rule- fits- all, but that one has to adapt to the situation at hand influenced by the culture, financial situation and the core business of the organization. However, the basics do remain the same, such as earning credibility from the business, focusing on key metrics that the project will deliver, managing the scope and expectation of the business effectively, and regularly communicating with business heads. Setting up an IT council with key business leaders from different functions; who can meet maybe once a month to discuss and strategize the IT road map, will go a long way in getting the buy- in and credibility from the user community.