| | DECEMBER 20159CIOReviewto research, deploy and integrate new technologies into the workplace. However, thanks to the benefits of Software-as-a-Service, such as easy, near-instantaneous deployment and little to no maintenance, we're at something of a crossroads. Technology isn't so baffling to line of business owners anymore and the barriers to entry are considerably lower. Leaders at all levels and across all departments are more comfortable with technology and they're bringing that knowledge to bear in their departments. The SaaS model has revolutionized productivity. As long as they have power, internet, and bandwidth, LOB owners can deploy and manage their own cloud applications without going through IT. Departments outside of IT--finance, HR, marketing, operations--are allocating increasing portions of their budgets to their own technology initiatives.So how do CIOs adapt to this changing landscape, where departments can more easily circumvent them to meet increasingly complex technology needs?It's all about partnership.Because let's be honest: IT doesn't always have the skills or experience required to properly marry the people and technology within other departments. We don't understand the personalities, needs and skillsets involved the way those LOB leaders do. So in order to best serve our internal customers to deliver value and contribute to productivity and company growth, CIOs must position themselves not as gatekeepers but as partners, willing to work together and learn how best to serve each departments' needs. It's really not that different from how we treat our external customers. Learn who they really are, identify their pain points and what they really need to be successful and then purchase or design products and services based on those insights. The future of IT departments is one built with one eye always on the customer, regardless of whether that customer is an internal employee with a new problem that needs solving or an external client with high expectations when it comes to digital interactions. With a customer-centric mindset, CIOs can create strategies and drive initiatives that deliver meaningful results and contribute to the success of the entire organization. Whenever you're developing new products or evaluating new systems, it's important to keep the entirety of the customer journey in mind
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