Dive Brief:
- Just 48% of enterprise digital initiatives are currently meeting or surpassing their business objectives, according to Gartner data published Tuesday. The company surveyed 3,100 CIOs and technology executives and 1,100 executive leaders outside of IT.
- Despite fewer hits than misses, more than 4 in 5 CIOs expect to increase their investments in key technology categories next year, including cybersecurity, generative AI and data analytics.
- Success rates increase when CIOs and non-tech C-suite executives take on digital initiatives together, according to the analyst firm. Organizations report success rates of 71% when CIOs and CXOs collaborate directly on initiatives.
Dive Insight:
Despite its novelty, generative AI has something in common with earlier enterprise technology initiatives, such as cloud adoption and SaaS: Executives want to see a return on their investments.
Technology adoption strategies that yield business results require collaboration, according to Jaime Capella, distinguished VP of research at Gartner.
"Success at digital is a team sport," Capella said. "Having the CIO and the CxOs that are involved collaborate closely increases the chances that enterprises manage interdependencies and the architectural and security compliance requirements more effectively, as well as have a more clear-eyed view of what is feasible."
C-suite leaders whose projects have the highest success rates — what Gartner describes as the digital vanguard — meet with their CIO counterparts four times more frequently than other executives.
Technology executives can encourage constructive engagement across business functions by setting a collaborative tone.
"CIOs need to make it easier for business areas to lead and build digital together with IT," Capella said. "That requires a mindset that goes beyond the traditional service delivery mindset."
CIOs in the high-success group also invested in technologies that can benefit the whole organization, and not just IT, according to Gartner.
