That trend though now looks set to reshape some of the fundamentals of the way executive priorities are decided upon and even the way that boardrooms makeups are defined. Indeed, major changes to high level management teams might even be afoot in the coming months of this year if chief information officers (CIOs) are to have their way.
A change of leadership
There is a general acceptance now among large-scale enterprises in virtually every field that new ways of gathering and using data are changing the way business is conducted around the world. These changes have presented CIOs with some new and extraordinary challenges in terms of the way they work and most now want to see dedicated data officers appointed to lead progress in these increasingly important areas of operation.
According to a recent study on the subject carried out on behalf of Experian, a full 92 per cent of CIOs would like to see a chief data officer (CDO) appointed within their organisations.
Until now, responsibility for driving forward and optimising data strategies has, almost by default, rested with the CIO of a given organisation but that now looks set to change as more CDOs are appointed. And it isn’t difficult to see why.
Making the most of big data
Part of the reason why so many CIOs want to see CDOs appointed is because they are well-placed to see just what an important impact truly effective and optimised data analytic processes might have on large-scale organisations.
A CIO who has responsibility for data processes as well as a full range of enterprise IT will struggle to be alive to all the possible strategic advantages that savvy use of analytics could bring. Plus, using data in innovative ways to stay ahead of competitors is always likely to be more difficult if the executive in charge has a myriad of other responsibilities to occupy their attentions.
Big opportunities
It now seems clear though that organisations that really want to take a lead on the use of big data and analytics will be looking to appoint leaders in the field that are and can be pure specialists.
A few years ago the idea of having a dedicated CDO appointed at board level might have seemed unnecessary and even a little far-fetched but if current trends continue, such appointments will surely become absolutely commonplace. Certainly, the pressure on businesses and organisations to do more with their data is unlikely to let up any time soon and dedicated leadership in the field will surely give enterprises of any scale a better chance of realising the potential benefits that big data can bring.