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Don't just share 'what', share 'how'

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CIOL Bureau
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MUMBAI, INDIA: All vendors make money by showing the 'what' part, opines Swaminathan K N, GM-IT, TVS Motor Company Ltd in an interview with CIOL.

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Excerpts:  

Q: How much has IT's strategic flavour shaped up in the last few years, specially vis a vis business functions?

Swaminathan K N: IT has become part of the business strategy.  People from business are moving into IT.  Most of the day to day reviews are done and decisions taken based on information provided by IT.

Q: Technology in Automobiles? How deep?

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SKN: Technology is all pervasive in automobile industry.  It is integrated into all the operations of the company.   

Q: Any hiccups when it comes to making IT's spread and scope wider?

SKN: The only two challenges that are faced to do this is the extent of standardisation of the business processes and availability of last mile connectivity.  If these are overcome, spreading IT across the geographical base is not a major task.

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If you were to pick your top challenges as an IT captain so far, what would they be?

The major challenge has been to get people deliver the maximum of their potential.  Integrating different persons of different capability in a team and getting them to deliver is another challenge. 

Q: Best lessons?

SKN: First, keep providing challenging tasks to the team members. Second, give them the targets, provide guidance but make them to decide the "how" and allow them to take the decisions.

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Q: What's a good approach when a CIO is concluding a big outsourcing contract? Incumbency? Anti-cumbency? or Multi-sourcing?

SKN: Needs to be decided on a case to case basis.  There can be no general rule.  Multi-sourcing would always help.

Q: What's your view on the extent of Best-Practice sharing happening in the industry?

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SKN: It is only the 'what' part that gets shared.  There is no sharing on the 'how' part.  All vendors make money by attracting persons showing the 'what' part of it.

Q: Has a CIO evolved from a mere convincing-role to an influential one, in the top management's boardroom?

SKN: Only half way through.