If users understand what IT capabilities are already available, they’ll be less likely to want to buy technology themselves Sure, some rogue IT is the result of unmet technology needs. Other times, it’s just the product of misunderstanding or miscommunication. Often, says Lisa Davis, CIO of the U.S. Marshals Service, “the customer is not aware of what [the business] owns or does not own or how to apply it to their business.” To deal with that, she’s set up an in-house app store on the agency intranet. If users are looking for a geographic information systems analytics tool, there’s one available via the CIO Store, which also provides links to training resources. “We have brought considerable change in additional tools and capabilities to the enterprise,” says Davis. “Our focus is now on adoption strategies, on how we get those tools or apps integrated into day-to-day operations.” Jay Burgess, CIO at Muscogee Nation Casinos, observes that sometimes the new capability a customer is seeking is right in front of them. Consider employees’ voice-over-IP phones, for example. The average user sees a handset on the desk and thinks it’s just an expensive telephone, says Burgess. So his IT-business liaisons are educating users and rebranding the phones as productivity tools with integrated voice, video and data functions. Users are amazed, he says. “They can now see and find their coworkers, get voice mails from their email, integrate their calendars—all at a faster pace.” Ideally, says National Geographic Society CTO Stavros Hilaris, business users “articulate their needs in the near term so that we may develop proper solutions for their immediate needs as well as their long-term needs.” But in the real world, that doesn’t always happen. Burgess’s biggest problem with rogue users is that they don’t give IT a chance to meet their needs. It’s not just that users feel empowered by consumer devices and software they can buy with a credit card. “Business is struggling for survival. They’re not following a strategic plan the way it is typically created. They’re not looking five years out,” he says. “But often times, they don’t communicate [their needs], so IT is unable to respond quickly or nimbly.” And that may be because users don’t know what they want, says Davis. “They know they need technology, but they do not know where to start.” CIOs who want to head off rogue IT should get their staff—such as the account managers Davis has assigned to each agency division—out among those users to help them figure that out. Related content BrandPost Are tech layoffs inevitable, or can your company avoid them? Despite tech industry layoffs, one ITSM company remains committed to growth and expansion of internal teams. The company’s successful endeavor is largely credited to one difference between TOPdesk and other tech organizations. By TOPdesk Mar 30, 2023 6 mins IT Leadership Analysis CIOs must evolve to stave off existential threat to their role With LOB leaders learning tech faster than CIOs gain business-savvy, IT leaders must strengthen advisory skills, build relationships, and embrace strategic transformation before losing out to business counterparts. By Yashvendra Singh Mar 30, 2023 10 mins Roles Opinion 5 ways AI will transform CRM Recent announcements by Microsoft and Salesforce on how they’re ramping up integration of AI tools into their software offerings mark the start of a revolution in the CRM marketplace. By Martin De Saulles Mar 30, 2023 4 mins Channel Sales CRM Systems Artificial Intelligence Interview From CIO to CX SVP, Cisco’s Jacqueline Guichelaar takes a road less travelled By David Binning Mar 29, 2023 7 mins Careers IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe