For companies that do not want to dedicate a full-time salary to this position, we offer contract CIO services (sometimes called Chief Technology Officer or CTO).
A contract CIO is a dedicated business and technology-savvy person who works with a customer to determine the best and most cost-effective ways to use technology to meet business objectives. The contract CIO meets regularly with the customer's management team to report on the status of information systems. Additional responsibilities include the following.
Responsibilities
- Educating the management team on technology trends and their relationship to social behaviors and market conditions
- Identifying opportunities to use technology to reach new markets and establish stronger positions in existing markets
- Identifying and executing strategies for using technology as a streamlining and cost-saving mechanism
- Evaluating competitors’ use of technology
- Finding ways through technological innovation to exceed consumer expectations and improve market position
- Reporting on the hard, soft, and opportunity cost related to technology initiatives
- Establishing governance processes to meet management, regulatory, and customer expectations of risk management, operational stability, and consumer privacy
- Ensuring that technology initiatives are completed according to industry best practices.
- Leading the integration of new technology into existing business processes
- Participating in the vendor selection process for technology products and services including computers, software, and communications
- Negotiating contracts with outside vendors
- Reporting on the use and effectiveness of technology within the organization