Does a Fractional CIO Cost
A Fractional CIO costs less than a full-time in-house CIO because they are available on an hourly basis or on a monthly retainer. You can hire a fractional CIO based on your budget, and they will work with you to find the best solution for your company’s needs. A good Fractional CIO can bring you a return on investment and save your business money through efficiency improvements.
The role of the CIO has been rewritten in recent times, moving out from the IT department and working alongside the C-suite to drive revenue-generating ideas throughout the company. A well-qualified Fractional CIO will take a holistic approach to working with executives, stakeholders, and IT teams to understand your current technology landscape and identify opportunities for improvement.
A seasoned CIO will provide guidance and direction through a variety of technical and operational issues, including data backup and recovery plans, hardware procurement, vendor management, managed IT services, cloud strategy, cybersecurity standards and policies, security audits, and risk management. They will also provide strategic planning that allows your organization to leverage technology advancements and innovations to meet your goals and objectives.
How Much Does a Fractional CIO Cost?
A good Fractional CIO will be able to bridge the gap between the technology teams and business leaders, enabling them to communicate effectively and build support for needed changes. They will be a change agent that can help align your employees with the vision of transforming your business through innovative technology and ensure that all systems are integrated to provide the best customer and employee experience.
One of the most important things to do before hiring a Fractional CIO is to define your goals and expectations. It’s a short-term position, so it’s important to be clear on what you want them to accomplish and what your expectations are for the role.
Ideally, you should have an idea of what you want your Fractional CIO to achieve in the coming months, such as maintaining continuity and completing pending strategies. When you are looking for a candidate, consider their industry expertise, technical knowledge, communication skills, and leadership style to make the right choice.
Many companies rely on an MSP (managed service provider) for their day-to-day IT support and management, but they often lack the technology leadership and expertise required to implement and integrate new solutions. A seasoned Fractional CIO will be able complement your MSP to ensure that your technology is aligned with your business goals, provides a better customer and employee experience, keeps pace with industry trends, and offers greater ROI.
A good Fractional CIO will be highly skilled in a variety of technical disciplines, including software, hardware, networking, and security. They will have an operations background, with a strong understanding of IT and the ability to communicate technical concepts to business leaders. They will be a strategic thinker and able to identify and capitalize on business opportunities, while keeping an eye on your return on investment. They will also be able to manage vendor relationships and establish effective processes for hardware and software lifecycle management.