So, if consumerisation is the driver for workplace transformation, how does the CIO enable and support this? Ross Dawson, a well known futurist, entrepreneur and strategy advisor sees IT at the heart of the strategy. A "fluid, connected IT architecture" is required to enable BYOD and support one of the biggest trends that we are right in the middle of: the shift of power from organisations to individuals.
CIOs need to think about a governance model for this transformation, and Dawson urges CIOs to consider:
After Davies reflected on the lessons of Dematic's BYOD roll-out, (which has now become global,) the organisation needed to become more risk tolerant, clearly define stakeholder engagement and better understand end-user preferences. The CIO played a proactive role in enabling consumer devices, implementing the appropriate technologies (in particular mobile device management), defining a deployment model and providing constant communications and IT support for staff. "It makes us an attractive organisation for employees. The future of our organisation is Gen Y. We have to move forward."
How effective are you as a business enabler? Consider measuring the rise of "shadow IT" in your organisation (i.e. non-sanctioned or non-corporate apps within your organisation). As Dawson concludes, the size of shadow IT is determined by how much CIOs are enabling employees.