DUBAI — IT is responsible for business innovation more than ever before, said ManageEngine President Rajesh Ganesan, while stressing its role to drive innovation inside Saudi enterprises. He said this was the outcome of a ManageEangine recent study that also emphasized increased role of non-IT employees in innovation.

“This is due, at least in part, to the collaboration between IT personnel and non-IT employees, which has markedly increased post-pandemic,” he said while speaking to Saudi Gazette.

In order to drive innovation, CIOs in Saudi enterprises should be open to collaboration. In fact, they should treat their colleagues in every other department as equal partners, he added.

On what initiatives can the IT department take to improve technology skills and technology decision-making in other departments, he said, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics are fast becoming key cornerstones of today's enterprises.

Non-IT employees are increasingly encouraged to develop their own applications using low/no-code platforms; however, we're seeing organizations failing to take full advantage of these low/no-code tools due to lack of training from IT personnel. Here are the excerpts

Q. Based on the survey, how can the CIO in Saudi enterprises work more closely with other departments to drive innovation inside Saudi enterprises?

A: According to the results of ManageEngine's recent study, IT is responsible for business innovation more than ever before. This is due, at least in part, to the collaboration between IT personnel and non-IT employees, which has markedly increased post-pandemic.

In order to drive innovation, CIOs in Saudi enterprises should be open to collaboration. In fact, they should treat their colleagues in every other department as equal partners. Despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, companies that have engaged in such collaboration have performed quite well.

Additionally, we recommend that CIOs embrace a hybrid IT model. CIOs should champion IT decentralization and collaboration throughout the organizational chart, while also maintaining a centralized IT group that ensures that all tools are safe and secure.

Q. What initiatives can the IT department take to improve technology skills and technology decision-making in other departments. What is the role played by IT and technology skills and business innovation for the enterprise, example low code, no code for business?

A: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics are fast becoming key cornerstones of today's enterprises. Non-IT employees are increasingly encouraged to develop their own applications using low/no-code platforms; however, we're seeing organizations failing to take full advantage of these low/no-code tools due to lack of training from IT personnel. It's important that IT teams train, advise, and mentor non-IT personnel to ensure that all their tools are secure and effective.

With an increase in collaboration, as well as technological democratization and IT decentralization, it is vital that IT personnel orchestrate workflows. Also, they should talk in terms of business objectives and ensure that all their colleagues across the enterprise are cognizant of cybersecurity, user experience, and data privacy concerns.

Q. What is the importance of artificial intelligence and automation in Saudi enterprises and how can the benefits of automation be increased in Saudi enterprises? What is the role of the IT manager and IT department in ensuring that benefits of automation are available across the enterprise?

A: AI/ML technologies are increasingly being deployed across enterprises, with our study revealing that these tools are predominantly used for automation and the prevention of cyberattacks.

IT leaders should work alongside non-IT employees to establish a "digital first" and "automation first" mindset. This can be done by clearly articulating the benefits, defining the processes without ambiguity, investing in the right tools, and empowering employees with the knowledge to use these tools.

Automation brings immediate productivity, reliability, and resiliency benefits; in the long run, it allows people to move up the value chain, as it relieves them of mundane and error-prone tasks. This helps the organization build and retain top talent, which subsequently helps to build differentiation and lead in the market.

Q. How can the CISO work more closely with the business and management to increase the awareness of cybersecurity across the enterprise and for stakeholders?

A: There is a perception that cybersecurity is the sole responsibility of IT and security teams. But the truth is, every employee should be responsible for protecting their organization from cyberattacks. This involves a change in the mindset of employees. Organizations should treat security and privacy awareness as an ongoing process and not as a one-time activity. Here are some ways to improve cybersecurity awareness across the organization:

• Encourage all employees to embrace a Zero Trust mindset.

• Organize periodic quizzes and make them more relevant by using real-world incidents.

• Issue team-based privacy scores to motivate entire teams.

• Embed contextual hooks in applications used by employees to enable contextual learning. — SG