{"id":2765,"date":"2020-04-29T15:26:54","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T11:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/?p=2765"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:43:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T11:43:29","slug":"eight-actions-cios-take-coronavirus-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/eight-actions-cios-take-coronavirus-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight actions CIOs must take during the coronavirus pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many of the financial business implications of COVID-19 <\/a>will be felt in the IT department, according to Gartner, Inc. CIOs should take eight actions to protect or quarantine their IT organisations\u2019\u00a0cash flow during the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSurvival, not growth, will be the priority\nfor executives in 2020. Survival will depend on maintaining cash flows and income\nwhile continuing to be innovative with technology,\u201d said Stewart Buchanan<\/a>, research vice president at Gartner. \u201cOrganisations\nthat fail to act may not survive this disruption or will have their subsequent recovery\ndelayed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The eight action items for CIOs to take include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place nonessential spend on hold<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CIOs should immediately establish\nwhat aspects of their current spend<\/a> can be deferred, eliminated\nor altered. Attention should be focused on spend that is not yet incurred or committed\nand is nonessential\/discretionary and variable in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anticipate spend increases <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many organisations and industries\nthat are largely office-based use desktops and fixed office networks and\ninfrastructures. To move the office to remote work, spending increases might\ncome in the form of obtaining and funding laptops, monitors and mobile devices,\nincreased software, VPN and hardware costs and consumption-based communications\ncosts \u2013 both voice and data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCIOs must anticipate and plan<\/a> for the increased costs, which in many organisations will be felt in the IT budget. CIOs need to communicate this with business leaders and their CFO to ensure that the costs can be met, as well as the spend can be reduced where possible,\u201d said Mr. Buchanan. \u201cFor example, if offices or work locations are partially or completely vacated, can enterprise-\/office-based utilities, communications\/access, infrastructure and services be suspended or deferred? CIOs should carefully consider their cost base<\/a> and cost categories to anticipate both what increases, and what can decrease, with some action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduce current spend rates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CIOs must work with the business\nto reprioritise requirements and set spending levels<\/a> that they can\nafford. Spend and actions should be classified in three groupings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n