This year’s FutureIT in Dallas on March 29 was an immersive one-day event for CIOs and other technology leaders focused on the latest in AI, digital automation, security, and employee experience. Compucom was there, with our product management director, Troy Baldwin, presenting on “Transforming the Digital Workplace Experience for the Hybrid Work Environment.”

Connecting With Other Tech Leaders is Key For CIOs

In these uncertain economic times, CIOs are under pressure to drive revenue generation and help their businesses build resilience. This is precisely when the support and shared experiences of other leaders in the same boat, or perhaps further along in their digital transformations, can help the most.

While opportunities for learning and discussing innovation for the digital workplace were aplenty at the conference, many participants made it a priority to network with other CIOs and technology leaders.

CIOs Are Relying on Their Teams For Decision-Making

Perhaps because of the high pressure of the current economic challenges, CIOs are looking to VPs and Directors to offer more possible solutions and recommendations.

This is a positive move; collaboration drives innovation. Rather than dismissing recommendations or suggestions from the VP or director level, CIOs are asking their teams to “find three options and recommend the one they think is best.”

The buck still stops with the CIO, but having recommendations from their team, often closer to the actual work getting done, is invaluable.

Excellent Employee Experience is Top of Mind But Hard to Define

Smart technology leaders recognize how critical good employee experience is for worker retention, productivity, and, ultimately, the customer experience.

However, the challenge is defining what a top-notch experience comprises across your workforce. After all, expectations for great technology experiences will not be universal.

With four generations in the workplace today, Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers, not surprisingly, can have quite different wish lists for the ideal digital workplace. For example, for support channels, some groups will prefer self-service or chat support as much as possible, while others want to speak directly with an experienced technician when they run into a technical glitch.

Hybrid Work is Here to Stay

Hybrid work is a popular retention strategy and a terrific way to open up the talent pool and secure the best and brightest.

Managing technology for distributed workers and remote work security risks are drivers of a key strategy for CIOs today — mobilizing to XaaS (Anything as a Service), for example, Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, Data as a Service, and Device as a Service.

Digital Vision for the Future

In my discussions with CIOs at the event, it was clear that:

• They are keenly aware that their role is to positively affect operating performance (EBITDA) through organizational digital transformation and their digital vision for the future.

• IT organizations are much more than just cost centers; leading CIOs focus on their team providing technology that drives their product or services to more customers.

• CIOs know the right technology needs to be easy and effective, meeting the consumer where they are with the experience they expect.

Today’s CIOs are rightly focused on driving revenue to their organizations. A trusted Managed Services Provider, such as Compucom, can help CIOs lower costs and provide the best technology, experience, and support for the hybrid workplace.

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