In a time where technological pace is unprecedented, where new technologies are constantly emerging and old ones evolving, it’s critical for organisations in every industry to keep up and adopt the solutions that can best benefit their businesses and help them stay ahead of their competitors.

However, it’s too easy to adopt new technologies for the sake of having the latest and greatest solutions, without really understanding how these technologies can add value, or even if they are suitable in the first place. This is why the role of chief technology officer (CTO) was developed, to help businesses navigate the complex technological landscape, and take control of a business’s information and communication technology needs.

The CTO’s job is to look at the organisation’s long- and short-term needs, and then either invest in new technologies that meet those needs, or redesign and update the old technologies with the same goal in mind. This helps the company to meet its business objectives and to create products and solutions that match its customers’ requirements and that offer real value.

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But although every organisation needs advice about which technologies to invest in, not every organisation needs or can afford a full-time CTO.

This is where outsourcing the services a CTO provides comes in. An organisation that offers these services will give their customers the level of strategic advice they need to truly harness the benefits of the technologies available today.

HelloCTO will act as a trusted resource for the organisation’s technologies, and work with the existing IT team and other technology partners. It will advise whether the company’s current technologies are up to standard, identify any cybersecurity risks and offer completely impartial, vendor-agnostic advice without having to bring a full-time person on board to complement existing internal IT teams and appointed service providers.

Impartial

To remain completely impartial, HelloCTO works with your existing providers and offers advice on existing and potential solutions. The company will do a thorough assessment of the business, and then advise on the solutions that are best suited to that business’s specific requirements and financial resources. In short, it provides neutral and objective advice on the best way to make technology work for its customers.

This process begins with a thorough evaluation of the organisation’s current infrastructure, hardware, software, governance and compliance, as well as what is being spent on all of them. From here, it will advise the business on any gaps, as well as how urgently these need to be addressed.

HelloCTO will then work with the business leaders to develop a technology strategy that gives the business a competitive edge and boosts efficiencies, and one that is based on priorities and their urgency.

Once the HelloCTO team has a good understanding of the company’s goals and priorities, it will advise on which technologies are best to help the business meet its objectives and budget, as well as the suppliers that are best equipped to implement them. Essentially, a good provider can help with the management of short- and long-term IT initiatives.

But perhaps the most compelling reason for outsourcing the CTO function to a good service provider is the experience they bring to the table. Having a provider on board, with years of real-life experience, will give the business a concise picture, not only of its existing technology investments, but of the IT sector, and what is on offer.

They will make sure the business and IT strategies are aligned and can offer in-depth advice on the technology stack as well as any technical issues that will help the business inform the decision-making process for the board and other stakeholders.

Moreover, companies can effectively plan monthly and yearly IT budgets, as well as define a clear road map for its technology and developer teams, from the starting point to the end goal. Similarly, they can help to define short- and long-term goals, to put all stakeholder on the same page, and provide clear direction.

HelloCTO can help identify any gaps in security, as well as risks and vulnerabilities. Once a company’s appetite for risk has been established, the team can put tools, policies and procedures in place accordingly.

By doing a full audit of the existing IT investments, HelloCTO can advise on how to increase productivity, and which solutions will help this process. Hand-in-hand with this, it can manage the delivery of all IT initiatives, ensuring goals are met and risk is managed.

Another critical role is the skills evaluation of IT staff, and the recruitment process of new employees, to make sure the company has the required in-house skills. HelloCTO can advise on training to keep these skills up to date, which will ensure all new staff have the technical knowledge they need.

There are many reasons for outsourcing the function of the CTO to a skilled service provider — and removing the added cost of another seat on the board is only the tip of the iceberg. The real benefit is truly objective advice, working with a partner that is not aligned to any one supplier, one that will recommend the solutions that best fit your company’s strategy and budget.