Top 5 Outcomes CIOs Need to Accomplish by 2025: Driving Business Value Through Technology

In January 2024, I published findings from some of my recent research as, “Top 5 Outcomes CIOs Need to Achieve by 2025: Driving Business Value Through Technology.”

By focusing on these five key outcomes, CIOs can ensure that their technology investments directly contribute to business growth, resilience, and competitive advantage in the years leading up to 2025. Remember, success requires not only embracing technology but also aligning it with strategic business objectives and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and innovation.

As digital transformation accelerates, CIOs face mounting pressure to deliver tangible business outcomes alongside managing essential IT operations, and this is all underpinned with digital resilience with security and observability. Here are the top five outcomes CIOs need to accomplish by 2025 to drive business value through technology, backed by analyst research and financial benefits.

1. Enhance Revenue Generation and Customer Experience

• Why: Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of CIOs will be explicitly measured on their ability to contribute to revenue growth. (Gartner)
• Impact: McKinsey estimates that personalization can deliver 5-15% revenue uplift while reducing customer acquisition costs by 50%. (McKinsey & Company)
• Actionable Steps: Implement AI-powered marketing automation, personalize customer journeys across channels, and leverage data analytics to inform product development and pricing strategies.
  

2. Drive Operational Efficiency and Cost Optimization

• Why: IDC predicts that cloud computing will save businesses an average of $1 trillion annually by 2025. (IDC)
• Impact: Forrester Research estimates that automation can save businesses up to 30% in operational costs. (Forrester Research)
• Actionable Steps: Migrate workloads to the cloud, automate routine tasks with AI and robotic process automation (RPA), and implement agile methodologies to streamline software development.

3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture and Decision-Making

• Why: Harvard Business Review states that data-driven companies are 23 times more likely to outperform their peers. (Harvard Business Review)
• Impact: McKinsey Global Institute estimates that data-driven decision-making can unlock up to $10 trillion in annual value by 2025. (McKinsey Global Institute)
• Actionable Steps: Invest in data governance and analytics platforms, democratize access to data for informed decision-making, and build data literacy programs across the organization. Data Platform: including; Security, IT / Infrastructure, and Observability.

4. Build Robust Cybersecurity Posture and Mitigate Risks

• Why: Cybersecurity Ventures predicts global cybercrime costs will reach $6 trillion annually by 2025. (Cybersecurity Ventures)
• Impact: Ponemon Institute estimates that the average cost of a data breach is $4.24 million. (Ponemon Institute)
• Actionable Steps: Implement a zero-trust security model, adopt a DevSecOps approach, and invest in continuous monitoring and threat detection technologies.

5. Embrace and Lead Digital Transformation Initiatives

• Why: MIT Sloan Management Review reports that companies with strong digital leadership achieve 26% higher profitability. (MIT Sloan Management Review)
• Impact: McKinsey & Company estimates that digital transformation can unlock up to 25% of enterprise value. (McKinsey & Company)
• Actionable Steps: Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, partner with business units to identify digital opportunities, and continuously upskill the IT workforce to adapt to new technologies. Understand your “Digital Transformation and Digital Resilience Journey(s)”

By focusing on these five key outcomes, CIOs can ensure that their technology investments directly contribute to business growth, resilience, and competitive advantage in the years leading up to 2025. Remember, success requires not only embracing technology but also aligning it with strategic business objectives and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and innovation.

To further my sharing of information, providing additional details and information from my research in each of these five (5) outcomes CIOs need to accomplish by 2025, I am posting detailed LinkedIn articles for you to: learn, share, and apply. 

1. Enhance Revenue Generation and Customer Experience
2. Drive Operational Efficiency and Cost Optimization
3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture and Decision-Making
4. Build Robust Cybersecurity Posture and Mitigate Risks
5. Embrace and Lead Digital Transformation Initiatives