What: IT is becoming ever more central to retail operations.

Why it is important: IT appears to be shifting from a service to more operational role with responsibility for results.

Gartner has published a report on the top priorities for IT in 2021. One of the main findings is that IT in businesses will be experiencing a more urgent imperative to generate more business value and approaches to information. This will be the case at all levels in IT roles. Furthermore, as business partners get used to technologies, IT leaders will need more sophistication in their partnerships and collaboration. Specific issues also arise with the covid pandemic and its consequences: one is the crucial role played by the function in allowing business continuity; another, on the other hand, is the increased risk to security with working from home which generally falls within the scope of IT. The increased use of data in business will mean, according to the report, that “by 2024, 25% of … CIOs will be held accountable for digital business operational results, effectively becoming ‘COO by proxy’”.

See full report by Gartner below:

Top Priorities for IT: Leadership Vision for 2021