Five success factors for infrastructure transformation
Put people at the heart of tech transformation
Infrastructure optimisation does not belong in a CIO or networking silo. Stakeholders across the organisation, from CEO to CFO, CISO to network operations and IT Directors, must work together to develop a clear picture of the opportunities and pitfalls of any change.
Nicolas Fischbach, Global CTO | Forcepoint
I can tell you, if the CISO and CIO don’t talk to each other, and fully align, the business is dead. If those two don't partner up and deliver, it's a failure for the enterprise.
David Cadenhead highlights: “The board is really looking for outcomes. It’s not so much interested in the technical challenges. They want to know: If we do this, if we make this investment, take this time, effort, and build a new infrastructure, what broader benefits will this give our business? Establishing the clarity of that message, I would say, is probably core. Win hearts and minds by showing some small wins very early on.”
Consider how easy it will be to find or develop the in-house skills needed to deliver the transformation of your global corporate network. The alternative is to outsource network management. This is a good option for many businesses. But they may still need support with navigating the complex vendor and technology landscape.
Vignesh Dumonceau says: “Very often in an organisation, if we don't disrupt and transform and push forward, not a lot happens. So, we need a driving force from senior leadership but we also need to bring strong up-to-date tech skills into the organisation. This is definitely an ongoing journey. I think it would be best done with a combination of outsourcing and internal - and also partnering with some businesses to upskill.”
Digital leaders highlight a shortage in cybersecurity skills and newer networking tech such as software-defined networking. According to Pat Harper, “There is a skill shortage in the space. It drives you into having to look at specialised recruiting, looking across large geographies, international geographies, in many cases, to find those skill sets.”
Stephen Byrne, IS Director, Global Data Centre Services at Stryker, outlines the skills challenge he has seen: “Enterprise environments require different skill sets – your core network environment, your security and your cloud skill set. And having all of those necessary skill sets in one organisation can be challenging, especially, when you look at geographical locations, when you look at an emerging technology. And so, oftentimes, a service provider is probably better equipped to provide that support.”
Quang Phuong, Director of Network Engineering | HedgeServ
You need to have in-house engineers be up-to-speed. Outsourcing will bridge the gap, but that paradigm shift has to be done from within.
Action Points:
Communicate clearly the need for change to the board and employees.
Carry out a skills gap analysis and consider how to upskill to meet changing needs.
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