Helping the CIO Lead

Charlie Feld, the former CIO of Frito-Lay and a pioneer in his field, explains how IT can play a key role in developing corporate strategy.

by Mike Cooke and Edward Baker -

Charles (“Charlie”) Feld began his career in information technology leadership at IBM in 1966, back in the days of the mainframe and whirring tape drives, when IT was separated from the rest of the business by the proverbial glass wall. Since then, he has seen vast changes in both the technology that underpins how businesses operate and in how IT and its relationship with the business are managed. He has contributed greatly to those changes, most notably as CIO of Frito-Lay Inc. in the 1980s, where he pioneered the use of wireless handheld devices that enabled delivery people to constantly update sales figures from the road. Today, he is a leading advocate of the evolution of IT from a provider of services to an enabler of overall strategy, especially when innovative uses of technology can transform the way a business operates.
Following his work at Frito-Lay, Feld developed a general framework for IT-enabled business transformation. This led to his founding of a consultancy called the Feld Group in 1992 (it was subsequently purchased by EDS in 2004, became part of Hewlett-Packard Company in 2008, and is now independent again). That framework, and its related management techniques, has been the basis of his approach ever since, and it forms the basis of his new book, Blind Spot: A Leader’s Guide to IT-Enabled Business Transformation (Olive Press, 2010). The Feld Group’s research arm, called the Center for IT Leadership, has championed a strategic role for IT in business transformation, and the role of the CIO as a leader in that transformation. This view of IT leadership is validated by experience at companies as diverse as BNSF Railway, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, WellPoint, and CBS.
Feld’s ideas have particular resonance today. As computing infrastructure and interface design continue to evolve, it is crucial for IT leaders to find a viable pattern for strong leadership, to build their own leadership capabilities, and ultimately, to ensure that their specialized knowledge is integrated with real-world experience in multiple aspects of the business.
Feld recently sat down with strategy+business to discuss a wide-ranging set of topics, including his transformation framework, the proper career path for CIOs, and how to encourage top executives to mentor the leaders of the future.

The 4 Es of Social Media Strategy

Jill Dyché in her Information Management Blog "The 4 Es of Social Media Strategy" contests that companies

are pretty vague about the drivers for the new "Social Media"initiative.

Apart from the usual platitudes of “getting closer to employees, partners, and customers via lower-cost channels” it turns out very few business leaders can answer my question about the desired outcome of social media analytics.
In our experience, there needs to be at least one prevalent driver for social media.

She calls these the “4 Es of Social Media Strategy.”

A 4 Step Approach for Selecting the Right BI solution

Boris Evelson  in his Information Management Blog - Forrester Muse, titled "Use a Four-Step Approach to Select the Right BI Services Provider" contests that the fast-paced business environment often introduces new requirements, enhancements and updates before you're even done with your first Business Intelligence implementation. 

Therefore, we typically recommend doing sufficient due diligence upfront when selecting a BI services provider — as you may be stuck with them for a long time.

We recommend the following key steps in your selection process:

Social Business Intelligence: The Pipeline Dream

James Kobielus in his Information Management Blog "Social Business Intelligence: The Knowledge Management Connection" contests that Business intelligence (BI) has always had a “pipeline” orientation- known as “simplex” information transfer; in other words, a primary focus on the one-way flow of data, information and insights from “sources” (e.g., your customer relationship management systems, enterprise data warehouses, and subject-area data marts) to “consumers” (e.g., you).

However, many real-world intelligence flows are full-duplex, many-to-many, and person-to-person in orientation. This fundamental truth will continue to drive the spread of “social” architectures in core BI and advanced analytics...

Performance Management is not just another Business Process

Mark A. Smith in his Information Management Blog "Performance Management Is a Business Process That Requires Dedicated Applications" shares his professional experience that organizations continue to struggle to operate efficiently and effectively from an executive’s strategic perspective or the close-up tactical views of the lines of business, as opposed to the more efficient way of  treating performance management a business process - not just as a management process; an integral part of how the organization functions, not only a tool for evaluating the quality of work after the fact.