itinfraworld

Stable Infrastructure for Effective Delivery

By Walter A. Yosafat, CIO, Wyndham Worldwide

Walter A. Yosafat, CIO, Wyndham Worldwide

Delivering business needs

It is always a challenge to drive to commonality while delivering the needs of the business without impacting operations. As 2014 unfolds my wish list of solutions includes stable infrastructure and applications, ability to leverage and successfully re-apply data center and email consolidation tools and approaches and finally effective and efficient data management.

Execution and delivery of secure infrastructure

I am always concerned about and focused on industry-wide reliable, stable and just-in-time capacity and secure infrastructure and applications, along with consistent and successful change management processes. No matter how well things are going and regardless of any recent positive track record, execution and delivery on these always make up what I believe to be job 1 of an IT organization.

“3Ps” of Data and “Mobility”

I believe there are two trends to follow. The first is data Proliferation, Protection and Privacy(3Ps). More and more companies need to collect, report and act on data. A  model I’ve always followed is my DIKAR model - Data to Information to Knowledge to Action to Results. All things start for me with raw data. How that  data proliferates throughout an enterprise requires a CIO to deal with protection and privacy concerns for customers and employees. Watching how other industries and companies handle and help with the 3 Ps is extremely important. The second trend to watch is mobility. Mobile needs of customers and employees, devices, solutions and security are things which change every minute and placing of smart bets, combined with internal innovative uses of mobile solutions, will facilitate and speed our industry’s future success.

My role as a CIO

My role as a CIO began to change significantly in my previous company and has carried over into my current role. I was to be responsible for all things in IT. Interestingly, my title has never been CITO, or Chief Information Technology Officer but Chief Information Officer, with Information as a key  component included in my DIKAR model. The CIO role has evolved to be one of a greater partner with other executives and leaders to drive needed, improved business process change and automation. The impact is one of bringing needed knowledge that drives action and results for customers and employees. Innovation is also required along with delivery of automation and knowledge in a secure, compliant way is a greater challenge everyday given regulation and external threats. Finally, being “global” has evolved from just operating in a few spots outside your home country to thinking, planning, acting, and delivering support 24/7 anywhere in the world.

Advice to fellow CIOs

Focus on the meaning of “global”. Think hard about what that word means for your business and how to think and act globally, adapting to the needs of your business, customers and employees. It doesn’t mean the same thing in all businesses and industries. It truly means adapting and partnering with other leaders to learn how to grow your business successfully outside North America. Different models work for different businesses and the key to our success is identifying, agreeing on, driving to and adapting that model in true partnership with our peers. Second, work hard to drive out the use of the terms “the business and IT” as it relates to leaders, resources and members of teams. Teams, programs and projects all will be more  successful once everyone understands and treats each other as equal partners for the business’ success.