You Can’t Cut Your Way to Success

One of my former co-workers used to say "You Can’t Cut Your Way to Success."

A recent article in CIO.com called out challenges that keep CIOs up at night.

Several of the points were pertinent to my former co-worker's advice.

5. Aging IT infrastructures and IT spending cuts

"Many [financial services] organizations continue to rely on IT infrastructures that are built on outdated components and are running with vulnerabilities," says Joseph Pagano, practice advisor, Financial Services, Cisco Digital Transformation Group.

8. New technology (business disrupters)

The need to unearth and deploy new technologies and systems that will better serve and streamline their customers’ experiences is now of paramount concern for maintaining long-term business viability.

Likewise CFO.com had the same message.

...treating IT as an investment that builds rather than destroys IT capability and value. Contrary to conventional wisdom, if your CIO isn’t asking you for more money, she probably isn’t doing her job. You see, when it comes to IT, it takes money to make money and it takes money to save money.

My director once said to me "I've never seen a dollar you can't spend." To which I replied "If you don't like the results find someone else." I kept my job.

Invest in IT. If your IT isn't yielding value look at IT management, including yourself.