What does a CIO Advisory actually do?

Digital expertise is a decisive factor for companies that want to be and remain successful. Every area of a company and every sector of the economy is affected by the transformative power of digitalisation. New value chains are emerging, digital tools are revolutionising processes, routines and old ways are being . Technological change is rapid and those who do not keep up remains, loses its competitiveness.

We are passionate about IT and its transformative power.

Keeping track of this complexity and making the right and important decisions is the task of the digital leaders. Our CIO Advisory team consists of experienced IT consultants who support companies and digital leaders in developing their IT strategy, making optimal use of the cloud, designing their IT organisation efficiently and selecting the right IT tools and systems. CIO stands for Chief Information Officer – the person in a company who is usually responsible for the company's information technology and ensures that it supports the company's business objectives.

With our portfolio, we support organisations in shaping their digital future. We are convinced of the opportunities that IT offers for companies. We work with organisations of all sizes, from energy suppliers with tens of thousands of employees to cities with 100,000 inhabitants and public foundations with 50 IT employees.

The following is an overview of our portfolio, which will help you prepare for the future.

1. IT strategy: the compass for the digital future

The IT strategy is the common thread that connects a company's entire IT landscape. It defines the goals that are to be achieved with the help of IT and also determines which measures are required to achieve them. In the fast-paced digital world, it is difficult to develop a future-oriented IT strategy that meets the constantly changing requirements of the company.

With our strategic toolbox, we help companies to develop a clear and future-oriented IT strategy that is aligned with the company's business objectives. We analyse the company's current IT landscape, identify the challenges and opportunities, and develop a strategy that will guide the company on its way into the digital future.

Once the strategy has been developed, it needs to be implemented. And we don't leave our customers to deal with this alone either. We work with them to translate the strategy into concrete fields of action and measures, and implement agile management methods such as OKRs (Objectives & Key Results).

2. Cloud strategy: Entering new spheres with the cloud

For example, a financial services provider wants to migrate its legacy systems to a hybrid cloud environment in order to save costs and become more agile. To do this, not only must various regulatory requirements and the different goals of the departments within the organisation be taken into account, but also the effects on the processes and governance within the company, because these are still completely uncertain. The path to the cloud is therefore more than just choosing the right cloud provider. The development of a suitable cloud strategy is an important foundation for successful cloud utilisation and is often overlooked in technical discussions. However, those who only think of the cloud in technical terms run the risk of ending up in a dead end.

We like to talk about a guided ascent into the cloud. We advise companies on the development and implementation of a cloud strategy that meets their individual needs. We analyse the company's requirements, evaluate various cloud providers and develop a strategy that enables the company to achieve its business and IT added value.

A good cloud strategy defines a vision, draws up a roadmap with the most important milestones and takes into account the most important framework conditions, such as security and compliance requirements. It is essential to embed the cloud strategy in the IT strategy, as cloud use can also change business models or create completely new ones.

3. Enterprise Architecture Management: An overview of IT

Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) enables companies to plan, develop and manage their IT architecture. This ensures that the IT architecture is in line with the company's business objectives and is used efficiently and effectively.

The challenge here lies in the high level of complexity of modern IT landscapes in companies. We use our experience to bring this complexity under control and help companies to plan, develop and manage their IT architecture.

We create a detailed inventory of the current IT architecture, develop a plan for modernisation and support companies in implementing the planned measures. In doing so, we follow the Lean EAM approach. Pragmatic and customer-oriented, we bring everything with us in our toolbox, but only use what is needed.

4. IT organisation and governance: the framework must fit

In addition to the technical side, the structure of the IT organisation is also crucial. We provide advice on topics such as organisational structures, roles and responsibilities, and governance processes. This is because established organisational structures are often organised in a silo-like manner, processes are slow and there is a lack of transparency and efficiency.

We work with the company to develop an organisational and governance model that is efficient and future-proof. We develop clear role models, establish a skills management system to ensure that the necessary skills are built up sustainably within the organisation, and redesign processes in interactive workshops, thereby taking into account the company's various requirements.

5. Green IT: taking responsibility

Every relevant company today has sustainability goals as part of its corporate strategy. To achieve these goals, all areas of the company must contribute. CIOs are therefore faced with new challenges. The aim is to identify and implement value-adding measures to improve and reduce the environmental impact of IT. With positive interactions with cost effects, resilience and regulatory compliance, attractive business cases for green IT initiatives can be developed. To do this, those responsible must have the necessary expertise, as well as the right tools and experience in operationalisation. A strategic framework defines which technical trades and which organisational fields of action – roles, skills, responsibilities – are to be processed with which priority. Furthermore, the question of the measurability of effects and the KPIs, incentives and guidelines for action derived from them must be answered in the organisation before the first measures are implemented. Only organisations that pursue a strategy that fits their culture, the technologies they use and their emission hotspots will be able to turn their green IT initiative into a success story. CIOs who make these successes visible in their contribution to the company's goals and set a positive example can strengthen their position as a value driver in the organisation. You can find out more about the strategic dimensions of a green IT strategy in this blog post.

6. Maturity assessments: determining the maturity level of IT

Where do I stand in comparison to other organisations? This question is often asked by customers who want to advance the topic of transformation. Our maturity assessments can be used to assess the maturity of a company's IT. We can take a holistic view of the organisation or focus on topics such as agility, cloud maturity or skill management.

Maturity assessments make it clear in which areas IT is well positioned and where there is room for improvement. Knowing the status quo is an important and often underestimated step on the journey of transformation. Regular maturity assessments then enable progress to be tracked.

7. Tool and system evaluations: The right choice for IT

Selecting the right IT tools and systems is crucial to the success of any organisation. However, the large number of providers and products often makes the selection process a major challenge. In addition, companies usually have different requirements for the tools and systems.

Our approach to tool and system evaluation is independent of manufacturers and is based on the requirements of our customers. Whether ITSM tool, shared workspace, customer relationship management or IT lifecycle management – the creation of requirements as well as the evaluation and selection of tools is essential. Through targeted evaluations and the introduction of suitable tools, infrastructure costs and administrative expenses can be reduced and efficiency and employee satisfaction can be increased.