CIO Albert Ruocco decided to use the quieter weeks before the December holiday to test how an artificial intelligence tool could add capabilities within his company, West Monroe Partners. For Ruocco, the proof of concept does more than tease out the potential business value; it gives him time to watch the economic indicators, too.
“I have the option in two months to decide whether to invest. So if the economy doesn’t look good, I can table it if we don’t want to take a risk,” he says.
Although Ruocco says he hasn’t changed how he manages his IT department as a result of speculation about a potential recession, he acknowledges that he’s more cautious.
“If there were predictions of sunny skies ahead, I might take more chances, but I think there’s a little more caution in the wind,” he says, adding that he’s watching key economic indicators — like most other executives — and trying to discern what they mean.
Predicting when a recession might strike or whether it will be anytime soon is well outside the wheelhouse of the typical CIO. Yet some leading authorities are advising their executive clients to have plans in place should the economy take a downward turn.