1. 2009 AICPA Information Technology
Conference
CIO / Executive IT Management In CPA Firms
Peter J. Henley, CPA
June 15, 2009
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2. Your Firm Needs a CIO!
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Technology executives add value.
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Help the firm accomplish its goals.
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Project focused, not billable.
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If you want to stay technical, help someone
else be the executive.
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3. An Industry in Transition
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1980’s – Office manager
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1990’s – Network Administrator
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2000’s – IT Manager
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Next decade – Tech executive
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Now is when techs are pushing up, but the
future is owners pushing down
(Growthwave.com, Woodscreek.com)
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4. How it Works
Formulas
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Planning
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Decision Models
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Policy
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Relationships
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5. Skills Evaluation
Leadership
Finance
Technical
Project Management
HR (intra department)
Marketing & communications (inter dept.)
Business Savvy
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6. Who You Are
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Trust is developed by processes, and formulas, not charisma.
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Values must align with the organization
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Competencies: Strategic agility, business acumen, results- orientation,
financial stewardship, political savvy
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Thirst for knowledge and lifelong learning
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Systematic thinker
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Listening – seek to understand first
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A positive, upbeat, but realistic person
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Secure, likeable, approachable with a good sense of humor
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7. Integrity
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Trust – It’s your responsibility.
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Keep your word. Manage deadlines.
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Be a company person. “They” is YOU!
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Never defend yourself.
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Passion, Wattage, Transparency
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Transparency, patience, kindness
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8. Acceleration
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The main thing is to keep
the main thing, the main thing.
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Technology is not the goal!
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Exceptions – Enabling technology:
Acrobat
Outlook Anywhere
Portals
Multiple monitors
Blackberries
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9. Acceleration
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"Selling tries to get the customer to want what the
company has, marketing on the other hand, tries to get
the company to produce what the customer wants.“
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(Source: Marketing Myopia, Theodore Levitt, Harvard
Business Review, Jul-Aug 1960)
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10. Acceleration
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"… the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.
The aim of marketing is to know and understand the
customer so well that the product or service fits him and
sells itself.“
(Source: Management: Tasks, responsibilities,
practices, Peter Drucker, Heinemann
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11. Plumbing
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Fast, Stable, Secure, Easily Accessible
Easy to manage (homogenous, standard)
4 Step implementation model
Documentation
Perspectives:
Tools
Applications
Data
Profiles
Servers
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12. Implementation Model
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Research – Will this provide value to the firm?
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Lab Test – Will this work in our environment?
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----------Decision to purchase or adopt----------
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Pilot Rollout – How can we best deploy this?
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Rollout
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13. Procurement – Where Trust Begins
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The PLAN
Decisions – consider three levels
Know your metrics
Vendor management
Balance cost cutting with innovation
Projects always tied to business strategy
This year’s project is next year’s maintenance
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14. Metrics
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Percentage of firm gross income
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Budget line items and categories as a
percentage of total IT expenditures
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IT expenditures per FTE
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Firm revenue per FTE
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15. Three Level Decisions
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Suggested solution: project, hardware,
software, etc, and what it will cost.
Inexpensive solution: “Here’s the cost, and
here’s what’s in the suggested solution
that we won’t get.”
Expensive solution: “Here’s the cost and
here’s what we would get in addition to the
suggested solution.
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16. Strategy
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There is no such thing as IT strategy!
Maintain a historical timeline of milestones
Dissect your business’ strategy
Every company has a business strategy
Ask backwards I’ll get back to you.
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17. Core Values
People
Establish
Key Values
In the
Culture
Client Service
Honesty & Integrity
Teamwork &
Interdependence
Promote
Respect
And
Trust
Clark Nuber is
regarded as the
best CPA &
consulting firm in
NW
Attract
Best
People
Career
Development
Work
Environment
Employee
Satisfaction
Innovation
Communicate
Well
(All Directions)
Vision & Mission
Clients
Employees
Business
Community
Peers
Retain
And
Expand
Business
Strategic Choices
Outcome
Accelerate
Growth
Innovative Advice
and
World-Class
Service
New Role of
Shareholders
Strategically
Managed
Permanent
Business
Everyone
Realizes
Their
Professional
and
Personal
Goals
One Firm Concept
Retain
Our
People
Private
Not For Profit
Create New
And
Innovative
Products and
Services
Support and care
For Community
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19. Default Strategic Plan
What if my strategic business plan is simply to grow by five
percent per year and maintain 33% net income before
partner compensation?
Amazed clients
Effective processes
Motivated employees
Satisfied owners
Mitigate our Weaknesses
Accelerate our Strengths
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20. Client Touch Points
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Portals
Auditor laptops
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Telephone system
Email
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Web site
Fax
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Paper financial statements and tax returns
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Electronic Financial Statements and tax returns
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Proposals, marketing materials
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21. Team
Cutting edge projects, resume building
Training
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Who you are, “who” the department is
Firm technology profile
Industry best practices
Lead by serving. Teammates compete.
Always involve HR in conflict
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22. IT Department Mission Statement
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Fast, stable, secure, easily accessible network
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Maximize the professional hour
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Promote innovation
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23. IT Commitment to Excellence
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Professionalism – Honest, dependable, flexible
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Communication – Listen closely, present tech. clearly
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Teamwork – Build trust, work toward common goals.
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Job Knowledge – Maintain skill sets
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Task Achievement – High level of productivity & quality
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24. Leadership
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When people ask for your help
Email, write, speak
Teach, and teach your team to teach
Open lunch sessions
Recruiting and new employee presentations
Arm partners with info they can use
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25. Education
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Manage your time
Read less with more comprehension
Develop a personal knowledge base
Correct mix of technology and executive skills
Lifelong goals
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26. Innovation
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Doing the same thing in a better way
Using the same amount of funds to do more
Shocked colleagues and supervisors
Mistakes
Innovate - processes, resources, not people
Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission
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29. [Your Name Here], CIO
Whatever creativity is,
it is in part a solution to a problem.
– Brian Aldiss
Make visible what , without you,
might perhaps never have been.
– Robert Bresson
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