CIOs and CDOs: A vital partnership for data value
DCCU
has
deployed
analytics
in
its
mobile
banking
app
that
required
the
company’s
data
scientists
to
develop
alongside
its
systems
architects,
to
ensure
a
cohesive
architecture,
Rayburn
says.
DCCU
has
deployed
analytics
in
its
mobile
banking
app
that
required
the
company’s
data
scientists
to
develop
alongside
its
systems
architects,
to
ensure
a
cohesive
architecture,
Rayburn
says.
Another
area
where
CDOs
and
CIOs
can
work
together
is
DataOps,
a
set
of
practices
that
combine
an
integrated
and
process-oriented
perspective
on
data
with
automation
and
methods
from
agile
software
engineering
to
improve
quality
and
speed
and
to
promote
a
culture
of
continuous
improvement
in
the
area
of
data
analytics.
“DataOps
allows
for
the
application
of
the
DevOps
methodology
to
ongoing
deployment
and
maintenance
of
data
or
data
analytics-intensive
applications,”
Rayburn
says.
“By
adding
data
specialists
to
operational
processes
typically
handled
by
IT,
DataOps
ensures
the
much-needed
collaboration
and
integration
between
IT
and
data
teams
happens
with
the
objective
of
seamless
orchestration
of
data,
tools,
code,
and
environments.”
DCCU
uses
DataOps
for
its
mobile
apps
to
improve
time
to
market
for
some
of
its
customer-facing
analytics
products,
through
continuous
delivery.
“A
data
scientist
works
hand-in-hand
with
IT
to
test
and
implement
analytics
iterations
in
sandboxes
for
quick
and
continuous
deployment
of
models,”
Rayburn
says.
When
CDOs
and
CIOs
work
together,
“joint
strategizing,
planning,
developing,
and
coordinating
will
ensure
an
efficient
division
of
labor
that
eliminates
data
silos
and
accelerates
digital
transformation,”
Rayburn
says.
Avoiding
friction
Given
that
there
will
likely
be
overlap
among
the
CIO
and
CDO
responsibilities
in
some
areas,
there’s
bound
to
be
friction.
“Data
is
generated
by
or
consumed
by
the
applications
that
enable
the
business,”
says
Marcus
Murph,
leader
of
CIO
advisory
at
consulting
firm
KPMG. “This
creates
a
natural
friction
between
the
CIO
and
CDO,
as
choices
about
data
architecture,
data
governance,
tools
—
and
their
costs
—
can
conflict
with
broader
IT
operating
model
preferences.”
In
addition,
data
must
be
secured,
and
this
creates
potential
conflicts
between
data
solutions
and
cybersecurity
standards
typically
established
by
the
CISO,
Murph
says.
This
can
also
create
friction
between
CDOs
and
other
executives.
“None
of
these
friction
points
needs
[to]
be
counterproductive,”
he
says.
“Proper
operating
model
design
explicitly
identifies
these
points
of
friction
and
provides
mechanisms
to
avoid
or
resolve
conflicts.”
Both
the
CIO
and
CDO
roles
have
a
similar
purpose
in
that
they
lead
corporate
efforts
to
drive
positive
business
outcomes
through
the
optimal
use
of
technology,
including
data
and
related
technology,
Rayburn
says.
Because
data
can’t
be
easily
separated
from
its
underlying
technology
infrastructure,
there
could
be
a
conflict
in
terms
of
responsibilities,
she
says.
“Too
many
IT
shops
are
still
more
vested
in
the
infrastructure
and
technologies
that
house
the
data
than
the
expertise
to
drive
value
from
data,
unless
the
CIO
has
traditionally
maintained
strong
analytics
focus,”
Rayburn
says.
The
role
of
the
CIO
emerged
in
the
mid-1980s,
whereas
the
chief
data
officer
is
a
relatively
new
appointment
recently
gaining
traction
in
the
face
of
increasing
digitalization,
Schwenk
says.
“The
lack
of
clarity
around
roles
and
responsibilities
and
the
drivers
for
CDO
appointments
can
mean
there
is
friction
between
these
two
roles,”
Schwenk
says.
“Their
roles
and
responsibilities
are
dependent
on
the
overarching
business
goals
and
where
the
organization
is
on
its
digital
transformation
journey.
Still,
there
could
be
friction
when
it
comes
to
how
data
is
managed
within
the
IT
infrastructure,
which
could
make
CIOs
feel
threatened.”
For
more
progressive
organizations,
a
clearer
distinction
between
the
roles
and
responsibilities
of
these
senior
leaders
and
where
they
fit
into
the
organization
is
more
common,
Schwenk
says.
Reporting
structures
Where
CIOs
and
CDOs
fit
into
a
company’s
reporting
structure
varies
based
on
the
data
maturity,
industry,
and
state
of
digitalization
in
the
business,
Schwenk
says.
“Why
the
CDO
has
been
appointed
bears
considerable
weight
[on]
where
they
typically
report,”
she
says.
According
to
the
CIO.com’s
State
of
the
CIO
2023
survey,
53%
of
CDOs
report
to
the
CIO
or
top
IT
executive,
with
35%
reporting
to
the
CEO
and
7%
reporting
to
the
CFO
or
top
finance
exec.
But
the
CDO
role
is
evolving.
The
first
generation
focused
on
governance
and
compliance
and
building
out
a
trustworthy
data
foundation,
Schwenk
says.
The
second
generation
had
a
solid
foundation
in
the
data
governance
and
compliance
area,
but
was
also
looking
to
drive
business
value
from
the
data.
“This
is
actually
where
we
see
this
tie-in
with
digital
transformation
cementing
itself,”
Schwenk
says.
“These
CDOs
placed
greater
emphasis
on
a
more
proactive
approach
to
data
management,
rather
than
reacting
to
GDPR
[General
Data
Privacy
Regulation]
and
other
privacy
laws
and
regulations.”
For
example,
they
began
serving
customers
online
by
using
data
to
provide
a
better
customer
experience,
optimizing
or
digitalizing
supply
chains,
or
other
things
of
that
nature,
Schwenk
says.
“CDOs
from
the
first
generation,
[who]
tend
to
care
more
about
managing
and
governing
their
data,
report
to
the
CIO
or
IT
leader,”
Schwenk
says.
“The
second
generation
tends
to
be
more
business-oriented,
which
means
they
could
report
to
a
leader
of
the
business
function
or
the
CEO.
And
research
shows
that
CDOs
reporting
to
the
CEO
tend
to
have
more
success.
They
have
sponsorship,
a
clear
sense
of
direction,
etc.”
All
this
matters
“because
the
use
of
data,
exploitation,
control
and
management
and
governance
of
data
isn’t
a
purely
technical
decision,
just
for
the
IT
department
or
assumed
solely
from
the
business
side,”
Schwenk
says.
While
CIOs
typically
have
been
more
likely
than
CDOs
to
report
to
the
CEO,
this
is
changing,
adds
Abhijit
Mazumder,
CIO
and
global
head
of
sales
enablement
at
consulting
firm
TCS.
“Increasingly,
CDOs
may
report
directly
to
the
CEO,”
he
says.
“In
other
cases,
a
CDO
may
report
to
the
[general
manager]
of
an
individual
business
unit.”
To
ensure
success,
the
CIO
and
CDO
must
be
closely
aligned,
Mazumder
says.
“In
situations
where
both
report
to
the
CEO,
this
is
even
more
important,”
he
says.
“Because
the
roles
may
overlap
in
platforms
and
practices,
conversations
about
new
platforms,
vendors,
or
even
new
revenue
lines
should
always
involve
both
leaders
and
their
teams.”
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