What is CXO as a service?
As the demand for senior level tech leaders grows, more and more companies are taking advantage of part time resource to help them navigate complex digital transformation projects.
The term SaaS (Software as a Service) has been with us for a while now, originally coined in 2011 by Belgian Open Source Developer — Dries Buytaert. It allowed applications to be accessed by users via a thin client / web browser. SaaS has become a common delivery model for many business applications.
With the wider adoption of the cloud, many other ‘as a Service’ models now exist, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS), managed software as a service (MSaaS), mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), datacenter as a service (DCaaS), integration platform as a service (iPaaS), and information technology management as a service (ITMaaS).
So with that in mind, ‘CXO as a Service’ is a ‘Fractional Service’ giving an organisation the flexibility to immediately engage the services of C-Level professional on a part time basis. The ‘X’ refers to ‘any type’ of person from a C-suite, but would probably not include a CEO. So CIO, CTO, COO or CFO. They might only work 2–3 days per week or per month, similar to what you might see with a NED (Non Exec Director). Usually an organisation will agree to a set of deliverables or outcomes that the ‘CXO’ will deliver over an agreed timescale. For a CTO or CIO this might include a Digital Transformation project or the adoption of new technology, systems or platform. In Data a fractional CDO (Chief Data Officer) could be brought in to help drive a new data analytics strategy.
At the start of the pandemic, it was easy to distinguish between organisations who had invested in technology and to some extent carry on as normally as possible. People being able to work from anywhere, anytime, and being able to trade with customers as normally as possible.
The other end of the scale were the organisations that hadn’t and were scrambling around trying to set equipment and policies up to enable to secure remote working, not to mention how they interact with the customer base. Covid has changed the way we work and most organisations now know they need to change, if they hadn’t already, to be able to survive.
With that in mind, are you able to answer the following;
How are you planning for growth in the next 12 months?
How are you engaging with your employees?
How are your planning to retain staff in 2022?
How are you planning for Working Remotely?
How are you planning to up skill your leaders?
How are you planning for Digital Transformation in this new age?
How are you utilising the power of Automation right now?
How are you maximising the power of your data to make better decisions?
To find out more about how we can help you overcome key business challenges with a fractional CXO (CTO, CIO) get in touch today.
Sam Mikkelsen is founder of True Worth Consulting Ltd.
A consultancy that helps companies to deliver tech and data products and projects.
www.trueworthconsulting.comWeb illustrations couretsy of www.storyset.com
