Descreve as características da mudança de paradigma do setor de TI, e as tendências para o futuro do setor.

1. The Changing
Role of the CFO
A research report by Getronics
February 2012

2. Executive summary
The “Changing Role of the CFO” research examines current views on IT from the point of view of senior finance
professionals working in the UK. Large organisations are currently seeing two trends meeting head-on, the
increased financial scrutiny of internal costs at all levels is connecting with new technology solutions that favour
services over internal IT provision. Many finance professionals would argue that this technology development
offers significant cost savings, but how accurate is their perspective on IT? Moreover, as they become more
integrated into IT decision making, what is the impact on the CIO role itself? The key findings from the research are:
• Businesses are seeking to improve their savings in all business The changing role of the CIO
areas including IT, however there is clear recognition that • 17% think that the role of CIO will disappear altogether within
technology has a key role to play in overall business improvement five years
• The decision-making process around both IT and Finance has • It’s clear that financial teams are more involved with IT
grown closer, elevating the CIO‟s corporate accountability and purchasing decisions with 77% claiming greater overall
exposure at board level. A consequence of this is the creation responsibility. Meanwhile 48% believe there is a trend towards
of the belief that the role of CIO will change considerably over the greater integration when it comes to IT and Finance
next 3-5 years
• 43% believe that the CIO role will merge with the CFO role
• Cloud adoption by companies has seen a large, general
involvement of finance personnel, who recognise there are • While 39% believe that senior finance teams have a good
potential growth opportunities and cost savings to be made understanding of strategic IT, 35% want to see an improvement
• IT needs to deliver a tangible return on investment, but in turn
‘Finance’ requires an improved understanding of strategic IT Cloud on the horizon
needs and function. Addressing this imbalance could improve • Finance is getting closer to the decision process around Cloud
operational efficiency and ROI over several years ahead adoption, with 77% acknowledging involvement in cloud-based
IT decisions (38% directly involved after initiating a cloud
IT trends solution, and 39% directly involved after IT had initiated it)
• 53% of respondents see the improvement of long term • 60% of respondents see a trend towards services and away
operational efficiency as a key priority in 2012 from licence based IT spend
• 64% of CFOs believe that the maintenance of the IT infrastructure • It’s clear that Cloud is associated with positive business
is a key concern in managing IT costs change. 36% saw savings as a reason for Cloud adoption,
the remaining 64% associated it with improvements to
• However, 48% of respondents agreed that technology was
operations and increased delivery and response speeds
a key driver behind change and improvement
The ROI of IT investment
Research Methodology
• The majority of businesses (71%) perceive a strong ROI in IT
203 senior finance professionals in UK organisations employing
investment. However, only 19% can actually demonstrate clear
over 500 people participated in an online survey during January
ROI on all IT investments over 2-3 years
2012. The research was managed by Loudhouse, an independent
consultancy based in London. • 54% of respondents have seen a reduction in their IT spending
over the past three years in relation to growth
> 50,000 501 – 1000 • 75% of respondents express a desire to show clear ROI on all,
12% 6%
or the majority, of IT investment within the next 2 years
20,001 –
50,000
11%
10,001 –
1,001 – 10,000
20,000
54%
17%
Q. How many staff does your organisation employ in total? Base: (203)

3. IT Trends The changing role of the CIO
Strategic priorities across businesses have continued to focus Fig 1: Cash flow, working capital and improving operational The economic pressures exerted on businesses, due to the Fig 5: Finance has gained greater responsibility for IT purchasing
on operational liquidity and greater efficiency. 56% believe that efficiency are main priorities for 2012 recent global downturn has seen finance teams more closely decisions in last 1 – 2 years
cash flow and working capital management are a key priority Cash flow and working capital involved with all areas of an organisation, including IT. 77% of
(understandably). As well as thinking in the “now”, companies Improving long term operational
respondents replied that there was a greater responsibility being Don’t Know
6%
are also looking towards the future, with 53% seeing long term Increasing profits and top line
Planning, budgeting, and revenue taken on by Finance in the past 1-2 years relating to IT purchase No
operational efficiency as a key factor. This is a promising outlook Reducing overall purchasing costs decision making (Fig.5). Interestingly, Finance also believes the 17%
for primarily economic reasons, but will affect IT’s working Maintaining or improving margins
role of the CIO will disappear altogether in the next five years
practices and move the focus on to their need to adapt. That Risk analysis
only 40% see the upgrading of legacy systems as a priority
Investment in technology to upgrade (17%), with 14% undecided.
Regulatory compliance
indicates the shift in thinking away from maintaining current Environmental practices
Collaboration between departments is a fundamental business
infrastructures. Increasing profits/top line performance and Accessing credit
Improving short term operational requirement, but the research suggests a shift beyond working
reducing overall purchasing costs remain key business priorities Other
together into full integration. The perception of the finance teams Yes
(52% and 47% respectively) and should, of course, have a direct 77%
is that the trend towards integration is increasing (48% agreed).
impact on technology deployment and servicing. Q. Which of the following would you say are main priorities for your organisation in the coming
12 months? Total (203) Intriguingly, 35% felt that there was a decreased level of
This requirement for IT teams to evolve is keenly felt by CFOs. integration, while 15% felt there was no discernable movement. Q. In the last 1-2 years do you think you (and your organisation’s FD/CFO) have gained
64% think that the maintenance of the IT infrastructure will be It is possible that the decreased level of integration could be greater responsibility when it comes to making IT purchasing decisions? Total (203)
Fig 2: The cost of infrastructure maintenance is a source
of great concern. Large IT teams and legacy systems drive high representative of the protectionist silo behaviour discussed
of concern
expenditure in businesses and many seek to address this.
in Fig 3. A fear of encroachment that could prove detrimental
Interestingly, 48% see spend on outsourced consultancies as Maintenance of IT infrastructure
Fig 6: CIO job role changes
to an organisation’s effectiveness?
being a worry too. This represents another shift in thinking about Spend on outsourced consultancy
CIO will have more responsibility at Board level
infrastructure: the consultancy needs to come from the CIO role, Licence payments for software use
An increase in integration and a closer focus on IT from Finance
Capital expenditure on hardware
being closer to financial concerns, while the functionality of the will impact on the CIO’s role at a board level. As shown in Figure 6,
CIO will have greater integration with CFO role
Hosted services
IT service can reside externally. Expenditure on software licences Over the course of the next five years 47% think that the CIO will
CIO will be accountable for more spend in the business
In-house resource costs (staff)
and hardware are of less concern (47% and 44% respectively), CIO is more likely to come from a non-technical background
have more responsibility to the board. 43% agreed that the CIO
representing a conscious decision to move away from these Q. As a finance decision maker with visibility of this spend, select the three areas that generate CIO role will merge with other operational roles
will have greater integration with the CFO role, while 17% stated
infrastructure needs. Meanwhile, only 20% saw hosted services greatest levels of concern, in terms of costs, for you. Base: Total (203)
CIO role will no longer exist due to reduced importance of in-house IT
that the role could merge with other operational jobs.
as a concern, which could represent a move towards this
requirement. The same percentage also acknowledged that staff 31% thought that CIOs were less likely to come from a technical CIO will be responsible for energy consumption in the business
resourcing was a concern, which suggests that finance teams have Fig 3: Technology is a driving force for change and improvement background. Accountability for spend is a key CIO role requirement Don’t know / Refused
very clear thinking on the issues of in-house of team resource. Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
(41% agreed) and indicative of Finance’s more focussed Other
approach. 11% predicted that the CIOs role would begin to
Though finance teams clearly pay heed to the infrastructure The threat of redundancy through increased outsourced / Q. In what ways do you think that the CIO role will change within your organisation over the
hosted provision of IT results in IT departments creating encompass energy consumption measurement and regulation.
requirements and operational costs of IT, they also recognise that silos in the business to protect IT ownership next five years? Total (203)
This would see a shift not only in the level of responsibility being
technology can be a substantial force for business change and
Without clear integration to the finance function, required, but also the key savings areas that Finance would be
improvement. 81% agreed that IT innovation can prompt effective IT Directors and CIOs can hinder business development
change. (Fig.3). The prospect of change within IT’s strategic outlook
and limit the impact of IT on cost savings looking to regulate.
and decision making is clearly a worrying one. 54% think that the Within our organisation, the IT and finance functions are
This research above reveals how far the range of Financial
tightly integrated and aligned at a strategic level
threat of redundancy will see IT teams retreat into silos and have
thinking is progressing across an organisation, with the
a very protectionist stance. Of more concern is the belief that
Technology is a driving force for change and improvement landscape of infrastructure altering to accommodate the
without clear integration between CIOs and finance teams, real within our organisation
technological shift.
business damage will occur (56% agree) with a negative impact
on IT cost savings.
If the worries over infrastructure change and maintenance spend Fig 4: IT provides considerable return on investment
concern finance teams, then this does not appear to have affected Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
the opinion that IT still provides a great return on investment
There is a trend in our organisation away from product
(71% agree, Fig.4). This appears to be because the technology licences and hardware (capital expenditure) towards IT
services, hosting and outsourcing
has enabled reduced capital expenditure which means the ROI
can continue to deliver, despite challenging economic conditions. IT within our organisation is recognised by the business as
56% agreed that (relevant to growth) the level of spending on spend that provides considerable return on investment
IT had indeed been reduced. This correlates with a clear trend
away from licences: organisations are moving away from product Over the past three years we have, relative to growth,
reduced the level of spending on IT within our organisation
licences and hardware expenditure and moving towards hosted
and outsourced IT services (60% agreed).

4. Cloud on the horizon The ROI of IT investment
The past two years has seen Cloud become the key catalyst Fig 7: Finance is generally involved in the decision-making While IT teams have their own priorities to manage, the overriding Fig 9: 33% believe IT improves operational efficiency,
for infrastructure reappraisal and enablement of technology process around Cloud goal must be meeting business needs that benefit the whole 21% see it reducing costs
savings. The term Cloud itself remains a contentious and fractured organisation (Fig.9). The role that IT plays, however well
No, not
one, however the broad understanding that implementing a Cloud involved scrutinised by finance, is recognised as having benefits that Secure company
information and
based solution will boost efficiencies and make significant savings at all Don’t Know meet these business needs, often with the emphasis of driving prevent malicious
Yes – involved, 2% 1% attacks
means that Finance teams have taken a keen interest in how but only to a company forward. 33% thought that IT teams were improving 10%
Reduce costs
a small degree for the business
IT has approached this subject. 20%
operation efficiency, 19% believed they drove innovation Net 21%
Defenders
and created top-line growth while 17% thought they increased Increase the
Financial involvement with Cloud related projects has largely productivity
Yes –directly employee productivity. Around a fifth saw the major benefit as of employees
Bottom-liners
been direct. 39% of finance teams were involved once IT had People
involved and being cost reduction (21%) while 10% saw the security benefit 17% Juicers
raised the proposal (Fig.7), while 38% had been directly involved initiated the
Yes – project as being paramount. If organisations believe that IT has all these
from the project‟s initiation. It’s clear that there’s an excitement 38% Innovation
directly benefits, how tangible are they in reality? Can the return on Drivers Streamliners
and “buzz” around Cloud from the Finance team which sees the involved once Improve operational
IT raised the investment actually be proven? Drive innovation
efficiency
team actively engaging with IT to push projects forward and add proposal and create top
33%
line growth
Cloud services to the list of projects being undertaken. This could 39% Only 19% of respondents believed they could show ROI on all 19%
be seen as both a positive or negative step with CFOs possibly IT investment and implementation over the past 2-3 years, while
keen to take a Cloud solution without a full understanding of how Q. When your business adopted a cloud model for some or all of its IT delivery, were you 42% believed most could show this and 24% thought this was Q. What from the following best describe the role of IT within your organisation? Total (203)
(or the head of finance) involved directly in the process? Cloud Users (172)
it fits into the wider IT strategy of the business. Enthusiasm true in some cases (Fig.10). 8% believed there was significant
though does not always equate with understanding. ROI seen in the minority of cases. Measuring internal IT performance
for ROI can, of course be tricky. Interestingly one in 10 (11%) Fig 10: Current ROI capabilities
Only 2% of Finance heads admitted they “were not aware
Fig 8: Reasons for Cloud adoption believe ROI is not a focus for IT heads and is therefore forgotten
of the term cloud computing”, whilst the majority were able It would be
or not tracked. It’s far easier to have a Service Level Agreement difficult to show
to provide a meaningful description of its use. For example
Operational and
Cost savings
with agreed Key Performance Indicators that your service clear ROI on
20% of financial teams identified the Cloud as a standardised maintenance any of our IT
cost savings
on overall IT provider will need to meet and agreeing these internally. The investment over
IT capability delivered via the Internet. 26% believed rather expenditure ROI can only Don’t Know
Improves our 9%
14%
setting of KPIs for IT teams internally by finance would seem to the past 2-3 years
that it was IT delivered as a Service to reduce reliance on in-house ability to drive be shown on IT
4%
3%
top line be a methodology change aligned with CIOs having more board investment and Clear ROI can be shown on
infrastructure. 33% crucially saw the Cloud as accessing IT Better cost savings implementation all IT investment and implementation
performance
through a utility-based level responsibility. That 93% saw any ROI from IT at least reflects over the past over the past 2-3 years
services from outside the business via the internet, which and growth
13% model where we only the positive outlook that finance has for IT. 2-3 years 19%
although provides a reasonable description of public Cloud, it pay for what we use in a minority
13% of cases
fails to recognise the potential for private and on-premise Clouds. Despite this, finance teams will always look for improvement 8%
Increases
Beyond a top line understanding there is a knowledge-gap that our ability in ROI. 49% believed that they would see an increase in ROI ROI can be shown on most IT
deploy new Increases the speed ROI can be investment and implementation
IT teams must address to help finance teams better define technology of IT delivery to our business
on most IT investment and implementation over the next 1-2 shown on some over the past 2-3 years
ongoing strategy. and services 13% years. Just over a quarter believed that the ROI would improve IT investment 42%
quickly and easily and implementation
14% in all cases, while 20% believed it would only be in some. over the past
Actual Cloud usage in business varies, as might be expected Increases level Improves IT service to the wider This would appear to be a further indication of the encroachment 2-3 years
from a relatively new model such as this. A quarter of respondents of agility where organisation (support) 24%
our business can 11% and integration that finance will bring to IT, watching budgets
believed that Cloud services accounted for a small part of their respond quicker to and suggesting alternative services. Q. In terms of measuring the return on investment your business achieves through IT spend,
IT use, while the majority (44%) acknowledged that some aspects organisational change
13% what from the following best describes the current situation? Total (203)
of IT were delivered in this way. 18% stated that the majority If this is to happen though, finance needs to get to grips with IT
of their IT infrastructure was originated from a Cloud model. Q. What are the reasons that your organisation has adopted a cloud model for some or all
strategy in a greater capacity than ever before. 40% surveyed
Business adoption of Cloud therefore seems to be progressing, of its IT delivery? Those with cloud in use (172) thought that there was some need for improvement in the
albeit at a moderate rate. understanding of IT strategy from senior finance teams. 39%
believed it was good, 18% thought very good, but there is a clear
For finance teams the reasons for this adoption seem
realisation that better education and involvement is required to
straightforward. 36% cited savings (Fig.8), whether because
bring both teams into clear alignment on IT strategy. If not, the
of operational cost reduction (9%), less expenditure overall (14%)
consequences may directly affect those perceived ROI benefits.
or a pay-per-use model (13%). Conversely other reasons stated
related to improved efficiencies over speed of delivery (13%),
wider organisation support (11%), increased agility in responding
to organisational change (13%) or the deployment of new
technology (14%). 13% saw it directly affecting the ability to drive
top-line performance and growth.

5. Summary
Finance and IT departments are now set on a course of Collaboration and mutual knowledge-sharing are therefore
collaboration and consolidation previously unseen in the working keys to a successful future. This will require new skill-sets,
world. Presenting a new set of tensions and challenges, this perhaps different personnel, but almost certainly a new
progression will require understanding from both sides in order outlook. An open mind may well prove to be the most important
to reduce costs, make savings, innovate and implement positive business asset both teams could possess. The intriguing
organisational change. With return on investment being the key catalyst of ‘the cloud’ as the enabler of this change indicates
factor of finance teams measuring IT’s business effectiveness, how transformative technology can be, both directly and
it’s important that there is greater strategic understanding from indirectly.
both sides.
The opportunities for service-led IT are numerous and
This path to collaborative working will not always be smooth. will directly impact bottom-line sales and top-line growth.
There is a temptation for IT to safeguard its old working models Understanding that new landscape is a challenge, however
and silo its activity. For those with an overview of the business one that is too great, not to accept. The risk resides in staying
this will be counter-intuitive. Management of new, innovative exactly where you are.
systems such as SaaS or PaaS provision will require input from
both IT and finance. Firstly, to see the operational innovation
that can be gained with the potential for growth and secondly,
to understand the savings that will come with a migration to
service-based delivery models.
Every business will be different and the development of this
new model will be addressed at different speeds. In some
cases, the collaboration of the finance and IT teams will be
greater than in others and it remains to be seen how that will
impact business change. What is clear however is that without
this clear integration, the perception is that CIOs and IT directors
risk being distanced from the decision making ‘engine’ and
focusing more on delivery.

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