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July - 2013 - issue > CIO Insights
A Bird's Eye View of Progress
Mike Patel
CIO & VP of Business Services-San Jose Medical Group
Monday, July 1, 2013
Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations

Businesses are struggling on how to access the massive amounts of data they collect from multiple sources every day. Worse, once they do access that data, they are unsure of how to mine it for business advantage. Business cycles are becoming shorter, driving the need for faster and more competitive decision making.
Another big challenge for us in 2013 includes building technology infrastructure for Health Care Reform initiatives such as Affordable Care Act which requires millions of uninsured people to buy their health insurance from state owned or private health insurance exchanges. We also need to get our systems ready to participate in Accountable Care programs which require very sophisticated systems from claims processing to population management.


The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or not up to the mark, and which if existed, would've made job easier
• Today’s Network needs to be smarter and invisible – Today’s network connects everything. There is a need for improvements in network reliability and resiliency, coupled with intelligent end to end points that provide the foundation for connecting smart applications, smart devices and smarter people.
• Security – No longer is strong security an option, it is a requirement for all organizations to protect their intellectual and physical capital and customer identities. Security breaches can occur on fixed and mobile networks and its impact on business is huge.

Technology Trends Impacting Enterprise Business Environment


• Cloud Computing - In 2012, more companies embraced cloud technology and there’s no doubt that this trend will continue in 2013. With the advancements in the cloud technology – including advanced privacy and security features, legislation is being revised to insure this technology is included.
• Analytics – As data storage continues to grow and businesses recognize their potential value, the demand for Big Data Analytics increases. IT’s role is to enable high-performance analytics capabilities at low cost and with easy access.
• Smart Mobility - Today’s swift to mobility is similar to the changes Internet brought in the 1990’s. Driven by innovation and consumer adoption, mobile devices have become an integral part of our personal and professional lives.

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO


Looking back into the past couple of years, it’s evident to see how my role as CIO has changed. I am involved with innovation and growth, business strategy and process. I am delegating more IT operations to trusted lieutenants while initiating new products, services and tools for competitive advantage. I am more involved in organization and team management; ensuring that my team communicates effectively with IT customers, creating quick wins for business partners. Maintaining strong relationship with executive colleagues is also a must as a CIO.

Lessons learned as a CIO


1. Get everyone to talk to each other: Collaborate beyond what is currently imagined, using new channels and new schedules with new tools. Use policy as carrot, not stick. Communicate, communicate and communicate some more.
2. Simplify things: Be relentless in the pursuit of easier ways to get work done.
3. Embrace the power of analytics: Educate yourself, your team, and your organization about the power of analytics and data mining.
4. Maintain an “end-to-end” view of technology’s role to deliver business value.
5. Think like an entrepreneur every day: CIO needs to be visionary, creative, passionate, energetic, confident, self-motivated, risk taking and persistent.

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