Thought Leadership on AI & Tech Leadership
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Latest !nsights from our Experts
Accelerating ROI · the Flywheel Effect of Digital Investments
Digital investments are usually justified on ROI from efficiencies, compliance or added revenue. The flywheel effect reduces friction and increases pace as investments build on one another. The edge may evaporate for companies that wait, so think beyond immediate gains.
Innovation Vista’s 2026 Mid-market Picks · Top Ten CRMs
Midsize companies have myriad CRM options, and this comparison ranks the top 10 on features, scalability and affordability. The list starts with Odoo, Salesforce Sales Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM. Match the choice to your growth plans through a professional evaluation.
The Key Ingredient for Innovation Isn’t What You Think
Most people believe the key to innovation is investing in technological capabilities, but culture matters more. A poor culture has a dark side, while a healthy culture lets innovation flourish. Leaders who want innovation should treat culture as their most potent weapon.
The Art & Science of Turning Around an IT Department
No single article can describe exactly how to turn around an IT department, because every organization has different strengths and weaknesses. The approach builds trust with leadership, then with the IT department and vendors. The final analysis shows the organization’s resilience, adaptability and capability for change.
The Fox Guarding the Henhouse · Why your MSP is your Worst IT Strategy Advisor
Managed service providers excel at keeping systems operational and secure, but expecting them to define your IT strategy may be misguided. Conflicts of interest, a cost-efficiency bias and limited exposure to industry trends get in the way. Seek advice that is uncompromised and focused on your organization’s best interests.
CIOs must Unlearn some of their Training in order to Succeed
CIOs often have to leave part of their training behind to succeed in the C-suite. The modern CIO is a business leader first, so business vernacular and objectives should come before technical jargon. That means balancing technological proficiency with business acumen.
How to Find Impactful AI Projects for your Company
Excitement over AI often runs ahead of identifying the needs and opportunities where it could be used. A practical approach first categorizes high-volume tasks by AI feasibility, then analyzes the economic return. Targeting areas where AI complements or supersedes human effort is where the efficiencies appear.
The SEC Formally Raises the Cybersecurity Bar for Public Companies
The SEC has adopted sweeping new cybersecurity rules for publicly traded companies. These rules are set to change how public companies approach data protection and incident reporting. Companies that respond proactively can meet requirements while raising investor confidence and gaining competitive advantage.
The Power of Personalization · Progressive Insurance
In 2011 Progressive Insurance was a mid-tier player in a commodity market, about 10x smaller than today. Auto insurance was priced in buckets by age, zip code, gender and driving record, so nobody knew how people actually drove. Progressive collected the data no one thought to collect, and a flywheel began turning.
A Bottom-Up Path to Innovation – Obviate your Open Jobs
Top-down digital transformation plans are not always feasible or palatable for leadership. A bottom-up path automates the duties of open jobs, turning vacancies into a starting point for innovation. Organizations that adopt it can maintain or even build their competitive edge.
How much do Interim & Virtual CIOs cost? · A Transparent Pricing Guide for the Mid-Market
Innovation Vista’s CIO services range from $4,000 to $50,000 per month, depending on the scope of leadership required. Most mid-market engagements fall into three bands: strategic advisory, part-time fractional or virtual leadership, and full-scope interim or turnaround leadership.
AI · Solutions in Search of the Right Problems
ChatGPT reached 100 million users in 60 days, and AI has inverted the traditional IT and business challenge. Now coming up with the right problems is the hard part. Finding them is a collaborative exercise pairing your knowledge of strategy and process with an expert’s knowledge of the art of the possible.
Innovation Vista Earns 2nd Innovation Award in As Many Months
SuccessKnocks magazine chose Innovation Vista for its Innovation Awards, the firm’s second innovation award in as many months. The firm is especially pleased that the magazine recognized both the innovation it brings to clients and its innovative model.
It’s the Customer, Stupid
Customer experience drives organic growth, yet it is often forgotten and maligned in the name of controlling costs. Technology can optimize the experience for both B2B and B2C companies. Businesses that invest in it to deliver personalized and efficient experiences will be better positioned to grow.
Innovation Vista named a Top 50 Most Innovative Company to Watch
CEO Views magazine named Innovation Vista one of its Top 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch in 2023. Its writeup highlighted the firm’s network of over 450 proven IT leaders and the unique approach that sets the firm apart.
Aren’t CIOs just for Large Companies?
CIOs are not just for large companies, because experienced IT leadership matters even for small organizations. Asking the right question is key, and it matters whose hand is on the steering wheel for your technology. Experienced leadership will typically pay for itself, and going without leaves blind spots.
We have an IT manager; Do we also need a Virtual CIO?
Companies that rely heavily on technology need a competent IT manager or vendor partner, and for some organizations that is sufficient. Others benefit from adding a Virtual CIO to guide technology strategy. Companies that invest in one are likely to see significant benefits.
When Governance Becomes an Unlock · Spotify
Governance is usually treated as a tax paid for operating at scale, a necessary drag on the business. Spotify engineered it differently, with four layers working as one system. Most organizations have never asked what governance would look like if engineered to enable them.
Digital Transformation · Necessity, Not Luxury, for the Modern Age
Digital transformation is not merely an option but an absolute necessity for organizations striving to secure their future. The article explains why it is critical and outlines strategies for doing it well. Embracing it lets businesses optimize operations and stay competitive.
The Power of Collective Intelligence · LEGO’s Turnaround
In 2003 LEGO was bleeding cash, with revenue near $800 million and falling after a decade of diversifying. The fix was already in the room, in the collective intelligence outside its walls. The question is whether you have built the infrastructure to hear it.
Fox Business segment on Digital Transformation, featuring Innovation Vista
CEO Jeff Roberts appeared on a Worldwide Business with kathy ireland segment on digital transformation. He discussed the true and false conceptions of the term and why transformation is feasible and powerful for small and midsize organizations.
Innovation Vista Acquires BoardTechAdvisors.com
Innovation Vista has acquired BoardTechAdvisors.com as another upgrade to the firm’s depth and portfolio. The deal bolsters its proprietary CIO IQ service, which offers strategic IT and AI guidance for midsize organizations starting under $1k per week.
The Many Dimensions of Innovation Change Management · from Human to Tech
Technological change is rarely a simple swap of old tools for new ones. The Human-Tech Ladder, developed by a researcher at Info-Tech Research, shows each rung as a dimension where change ripples through an organization. Organizations that climb it with purpose will keep pace as technology evolves.
What Is(n’t) Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation is the ultimate buzzword, so it helps to say what it is not. Implementing videoconferencing, collaboration software or a digital marketing solution is not it. Real transformation takes a professional approach, outside experts where needed and continued senior leadership commitment.
So Obvious It’s Revolutionary · The Culture-Driven Success of Barry-Wehmiller
Barry-Wehmiller built an organization where trust in people is tested under real economic pressure and holds. Trust shows up as observable behavior, applied through a loose-tight principle. In its view the trust is the stabilization, the collaboration is the competitive advantage and the culture is the strategy.
Webinar · How Innovation Vista Assesses IT Platforms
Founder Jeff Roberts presented a webinar on Innovation Vista’s approach and framework for assessing IT platforms and organizations. The webinar provides a framework that CXO business executives can use to assess the IT function at their own organization.
Helping Overwhelmed CIOs be Hero Intrapreneurs
Enterprise CIOs juggle everything from IT operations to AI, so it is hard to know where to spend time. That is especially true for new CIOs and when fires are burning. Outside thinking, targeted experience or extra bandwidth can help CIOs plan complex technology transformation.
Innovation Vista Acquires FractionalCIO.com
Innovation Vista has acquired FractionalCIO.com as the next step in enhancing the firm’s depth and portfolio. Founder and CEO Jeff Roberts says the domain aligns perfectly with the firm’s consulting service offerings and broadens its footprint.
The Five Highest-Leverage Activities of a CIO
The CIO role is among the most complex in the C-suite, so a CIO must choose where to spend personal time. Of five highest-impact activities, the first three are strategy, culture and talent. Other IT leadership functions can be delegated and monitored.
Innovation Vista named Most Promising Emerging Digital Transformation company
CIO Review named Innovation Vista the Most Promising Emerging Digital Transformation company this year and put it on the cover. The firm says the interviewers and editors grasped what makes it unique among IT strategy consultancies.