The Top Six Metrics Every CIO Should Measure and Act On, According to New Research From Info-Tech Research Group

The top metrics for a CIO to measure and monitor have very little to do with IT and everything to do with ensuring the business' success.

TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - In today's data-saturated world, CIOs can often find it difficult to define and narrow down the metrics that support an organization's vision, key stakeholders, and the IT function. Metrics can be used as a tool to make informed decisions that enable the appropriate actions to deliver value, but they are often measured without any method or insight into how to take actionable steps forward. To help technology leaders successfully define a set of priority-based metrics and increase the impact of initiatives, global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has released its new blueprint titled Key Metrics for Every CIO.

According to the firm's research, every CIO has the same set of priorities, regardless of their organization or industry, given that these metrics are influenced by similar goals of organizations. By using priority metrics, CIOs can make incremental improvements that can be measured and reported on, making program maturation a natural progress.

"Strategic CIOs monitor the right metrics relevant to their priorities, regardless of industry or organization," says Brittany Lutes, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. "When CIOs provide a laundry list of metrics to stakeholders, it demonstrates that they are probably measuring more metrics than they truly could action. It also indicates a lack of trust in their IT leadership team, who are the ones who should be monitoring these commonplace operational measures."

According to the blueprint, the right metrics can help CIOs ensure that their team members are focused on the correct priorities, that IT is continually adapting to meet changing business demands, and that communications with the business use language that resonates with stakeholders.

The firm recommends CIOs measure strategic business metrics related to people or stakeholders that will impact the business. For example, these metrics can be related to the customers who will purchase the product or service, the decision-makers who fund IT initiatives, or the IT employees who will be driven to succeed. CIOs should avoid spending time on operational metrics such as delivery times, ticket resolutions, or the number of phishing attempts. Although these operational metrics are important, CIOs should empower their IT leaders to be responsible for their management.

"Metrics are tools that can quantifiably and proactively indicate whether a goal is on track to being achieved, or retroactively if it was successfully completed," adds Lutes. "CIOs should use the data from these metrics to inform their actions instead of just collecting data simply to know a data point. They must be willing to act."

Info-Tech's blueprint defines the six areas that inform the key strategic metrics every CIO should be measuring and monitoring:

By harnessing the value of data from the right metrics, CIOs are more likely to increase the performance of their IT department, have better insights to make better decisions, and be seen as leaders by the business and its executive leadership team.

For more information and insights on the research methodology and each key metric, download the complete Key Metrics for Every CIO blueprint.

To learn more about Info-Tech Research Group, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com. 

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group