Business software critical for CIOs: Survey

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Epicor Software Corp. a business software solution provider for manufacturing, distribution, and retail and services organizations announced the results of a new chief information officer (CIO) survey conducted in the India.

The survey showed significant trends among CIOs who are facing new challenges as their role changes in a technologically charged environment, where business software solutions, like enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, are seen as critical business enablers.

A staggering 90 percent of respondents agreed that speed, reinvention, agility and innovation are critical to the success of any organisation serious about optimising performance and gaining competitive advantage. CIOs now have a seat at the top table, playing a critical role in driving the business forward through new technology.

In response to the question, "Has the role of the CIO changed within the last five years, and if so, how?" 79 percent of surveyed CIOs agreed that it had. The most prominent change noted was the transition of the CIO from being an ‘improver' to being an ‘influencer'.

"It's clear from the survey that there's pressure on manufacturing CIOs to evolve from being improvers and to become influencers and ultimately transformers in their business," said Martin Hill, VP, marketing, Epicor in EMEA.

"With the challenges faced by companies, especially those in the manufacturing industry and their dependence on increasingly sophisticated systems and technologies, CIOs now have greater influence over how quickly a company can expand and adapt to change. That's the focus of their role as transformer," he said.

Modern and flexible business software solutions, such as ERP and human capital management (HCM), are now built to anticipate the future business world - a world where change, adaptation and continuous innovation are table stakes. New agile platforms make it simpler and quicker to adopt new functionality and adapt to market change, facilitating the rate at which the business can be transformed.

They also give the CIO and executives a complete view of the business so that they can anticipate challenges and make the necessary decision to streamline operations and improve efficiencies.