Real IT happens backstage

Innovation as a building block for IT. Does it sound cliché or inspiring?

It’s a need and as they say – Necessity is the mother of Innovation. In my opinion it is business needs that drive innovation. There are two aspects here – customers and suppliers. One has to fulfill the needs of customer in radical ways. And one also has to address the gaps between expectations and technologies available. In fact, at times even with technology already available in the market, there are issues because business is not able to fully utilize it. The role of a CIO becomes important, more so nowadays. Five years back we were in the ERP era where processes were in focus. But today, we are in the era of intelligence. And that translates into revenues, realizations, global competition etc.

Is it true that IT department is often taken for granted?

I wouldn’t argue with that. Often not many are able to appreciate IT, and it’s like electricity. It comes into focus when it stops. Everybody plugs it in but nobody understands how is it available 24/7. IT involves a lot of invisible backstage work, which not many know or are bothered about.

How tough does the game then get in a manufacturing box?

Every technology in manufacturing comes bundled for a plant. One has to focus on how to get maximum ROI, how to integrate plants, how to control better, how to take faster decisions etc. We are in the phase of integrating end-to-end business operations. A CIO has to justify scope for new projects with low costs, high availability and better efficiency. There is a pressure on the strategic front to cope with new demands and upgrades and that too with budgetary constraints. Striking the balance with all that and having the best technology, that’s how it works.

CIOs no more have to be techies when they graduate to managerial levels. Is that right?

Well, I have a slightly different take on that. You can put anybody in a managerial position but within IT evaluation and maintenance, you need someone who understands technology.

At the nuts-and-bolts level you mean?

No. But one should at least understand it at a top, conceptual level. It’s like driving a car. You need know how an engine works, but knowledge about speed, maintenance etc should be useful.

How bold does one need to be in that role?

Quite a lot, depending on situation. Convincing the business functions at times can be a Herculean task, but once you show and they see that it works, there’s no looking back. IT decisions are often long terms and one wrong decision can mess everything up. But one has to be sure, and once you are sure, one has to be bold. Example- In 2000, when we were evaluating ERPs, there was a lot of resistance that I met. There was a leaning towards low-end ERPs and I insisted on roadmap, market share, expertise etc. I stayed adamant and it has worked successfully. All good things come at a cost. One has to be strong in evaluation and later on too.

With so much technology diversity now entering an enterprise, how do you ensure your systems are able to talk to each other?

That’s a good question. To be honest, that part is quite a nightmare. People think it’s magic to run IT, but with so many vendors and so many technologies, it’s definitely not. On the other hand, the business side requires round-the-clock availability. Applications for end users should be up and running. At the back-end it’s a CIO’s job to fix the right resources, right technologies and right people for it.

Do you ever wish to have a utopian state when your IT runs on auto-pilot?

It’s quite a huge wish to have, but then you have to keep dreaming. When I took over I wanted to have systems that percolate from strategic levels to workforce level. Then I focused on having a great BI (Business Intelligence) in place. One has to keep working towards new goals.

So what’s firing your ambition next?

I am planning on creating a new model of managing IT over the next five years. May be something being done by an external agency but with no headaches on security etc. Something like a one-stop roof for everything. Till now, I haven’t come across any vendor that can assure me of a hassle-free end-to-end solution.

Would managed services draw your attention here? Or Outsourcing?

I am not sure. Having one SBU for this and another SBU for that doesn’t really serve the purpose unless there is 24/7 application level SLA and responsibility. Co-ordination is very tough to achieve and that becomes another headache for customers.