CIO priorities include implementing initiatives that are going to have the biggest impact on the business. As leaders in the IT world, CIOs are faced with the challenge of implementing and managing the right technology and processes to support all areas of the business. In a world where technology is constantly improving, adapting, and changing, this is no easy task.
Last year, CIO.com released an article sharing the top 8 priorities for CIOs in 2022 - many of which still resonate. Our takeaway? DAM could play a big role for CIOs leaning into some of these trends—and with good reason. Review the trends and see how DAM fits in.
4 CIO Priorities in 2023
While CIO.com covered 8 trends in their article, there were 4 in particular that stood out:
Trend 1: Optimize Digital Dexterity
One of the top priorities of the article is the need to improve digital dexterity. Specifically, the need to lean into technology that helps teams to streamline processes, even when working in a remote environment. As highlighted in the article: “The days when a team member could simply walk down the hall with an important contract and have a colleague physically sign it are over.” This thinking isn’t just limited to contracts. The “over the shoulder” way of collaborating and communicating is now much more limited. This emphasizes the need for new solutions and digital transformation.
Trend 2: Transitioning to The Cloud
Central to the topic of digital transformation is the need to commit to the cloud. The past three years have seen many organizations transition from on-premise solutions to the cloud—a trend that CIO.com anticipates will only continue to grow. In fact, even Steve Hagerman, CIO of Wells Fargo, shared that the organization will be moving to the cloud this year, despite operating in a highly regulated and security-focused industry. He expects the shift will result in benefits including “a more scalable workload, innovative practices, and an enhanced customer experience”. Those that fall behind on this trend risk being outpaced by their more agile competitors.
Trend 3: Double-Down on Automation
As the world moved to a work-from-home environment, many organizations were forced to accelerate their digital transformation to ensure that everyone could work efficiently outside of the office. With this in mind, it came as no surprise to see that CIOs are prioritizing automating redundant tasks and processes. Oliver Saucin, VP of Global IT Solutions at Computer Task Group, shared his insights into automating cost-inefficient processes to better position yourself to meet increasing business needs. He emphasized the need to prioritize areas where automation is already built into the solutions, in order to see faster proof of success.
Trend 4: Prepare for The Hybrid Workplace
While many have focused on enabling employees to work effectively from home, the next challenge for CIOs will be to address the hybrid working environment. Moving into 2023 and beyond, CIOs are addressing the needs of both those that are working in the office and at home, ensuring that tech and processes aren’t isolating or inconvenient. Just as important is ensuring that security remains high. Rahul Mahna, Managing Director of EisnerAmper, shares that the next phase will be creating hybrid environments that “function effectively and still facilitate secure platforms and delivery systems”. While the article focuses primarily on the impact of COVID-19 on employee abilities to come into the office, the hybrid work environment is becoming a norm for many organizations.
How a DAM Can Help Solve CIO Priorities
Whether you’re remote, hybrid or otherwise, improving processes and agility across teams is top of mind for CIOs. Using on-premise solutions, like servers and hard drives, to store your organization’s high-value assets (logos, images, videos, etc.) can significantly hinder your ability to work efficiently. Investing instead in a cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) solution can bring several benefits to your organization. Examples include:
- Access for Remote and Hybrid Teams: When your assets are stored in the cloud, they are available 24/7, regardless of where someone is located. This means your organization is able to lean into remote or hybrid work environments—or grow to multiple offices.
- Reduced Manual Processes: A DAM can help reduce some of the manual work from accessing the assets you need. No more requesting logos from the marketing team or asking your neighbor if they know where the latest document is. Everything is instantly available in the DAM.
- Automated Asset Discoverability: Relying on file names and folders alone can make it near impossible to find your assets. A DAM solution simplifies discoverability, allowing you to enhance your assets with keywords, custom attributes, AI auto tags, and more.
- Tailored Library Access: A DAM ensures users only have access to the assets that are useful for their specific role, location, or department. With custom user groups and permissions, it's easy to tailor how each person can use the DAM (download, upload, share, etc.) and which categories they can access.
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Benefits to The CIO
A cloud-based DAM brings many benefits to an organization. But it also has features that make it CIO-approved and friendly, including:
Enterprise-Level Security
A DAM offers enterprise-level security measures, such as triple redundancy, geo-replication, single sign-on and more. These features ensure that your company’s assets are safe from loss due to human error or natural disaster. Some DAM vendors, like MediaValet, are even SOC 2 compliant.
Comprehensive Compliance
Many DAM vendors are compliant with common geographical and industry-related regulations. Plus, cloud providers, like Microsoft Azure, deliver a large set of compliance certifications and attestations and offer data residency in over 60 regions across the world.
Scalability
A DAM is able to scale endlessly and adapt to internal changes easily, as the organization grows and changes. Taking this one step further, MediaValet offers an unlimited model, allowing you to grow and change with minimal constraints.
Support and Training
A DAM vendor typically offers support and training as part of their solution, allowing the IT department to focus on other initiatives. MediaValet offers unlimited support and training to all customers.
Reduced TCO for Storage
A DAM reduces costs for storage hardware and removes the costs for upgrades, maintenance, and disaster recovery.
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Prepare for Your Digital Transformation
If the CIO.com article made one thing clear, it’s that the time is now (if not yesterday) to invest in your digital transformation and, with that, your transition to the cloud. If your organization works with a ton of media assets, digital asset management should be your first stop.
Still not convinced? See why DAM is the Foundation of Your MarTech Stack here.
MediaValet is a leader in cloud-based digital asset management that helps organizations manage, organize and share their digital assets, improving productivity and increasing ROI. See MediaValet in action today.
