Considering the New IT Buyer
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THE NEW FACE OF THE IT BUYER: FROM MARKETING EXECS TO FINANCE OFFICERS Who’s the arbiter of IT purchasing? That used to be a simple question as the vast majority of technology decisions historically have been handled by a CIO or internal IT department. But times are changing in the era of cloud, mobile, data and as-a-service business models. The new IT buyer could be anyone, with any title. Chief marketing officers, finance heads, and executives spanning human resources, logistics, and sales departments are all asserting leverage in IT decisions today. This presentation details research findings that shine a light on new IT buyer trends and the implications they have for today’s tech providers.
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Considering the New IT Buyer
- 1. CONSIDERING THE NEW IT BUYER Considering the New IT Buyer CompTIA May 2017
- 2. 25% 14% 19% 40% Primary Decision-makers for IT Purchases Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=600 U.S. firms Combo of all depending on circumstance Non-IT business unit Business unit working jointly with IT IT department Which LOB units are more involved in tech buying today • 68% Operations • 54% Sales/Customer service • 53% Finance • 48% Marketing • 30% Human resources
- 3. Reasons LOB Business Units Make Own Tech Decisions 20% 20% 22% 38% 50% IT department does not support specific app or device we use Frustrated with speed of IT department Decentralization of IT purchasing is company directive Cloud computing made it easier for business units to provision own tech Business unit staff are tech- savvy/innovation-focused Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=531 U.S. firms
- 4. How Should IT Be Handled: Centralized vs. Decentralized Centralization is optimal because… 64% IT professional are the experts 49% Need to focus on our core business unit mission 40% Security and compliance Decentralization is optimal because... 61% Each business unit undertands individual needs best 46% Less bureaucratic / faster results 43% More focus on innovation with business units Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms
- 5. Items That Improve Business Unit Decision-Making for IT 33% 38% 41% 44% 47% Case studies showing application of new technology Better explanation of total cost of solutions Better information for internal IT team so they can convey to business units Education on various pieces that make up a system or application Better explanation of benefits/downsides of technology Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=531 U.S. firms
- 6. Tech vendors/providers Peers/colleagues Business publications Tech publications Trade associations Peers/colleagues Tech vendors/providers Business publications Trade associations Tech publications Tech vendors/providers Peers/colleagues Business publications Tech publications Trade associations Tech vendors/providers Peers/colleagues Business publications Tech publications Trade associations Finance Marketing Sales Logistics/Operations Where LOB Buyers Source Technology Information Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=411 U.S. firms
- 7. 54% Consult with multiple vendors/third parties before buying 39% Research & finalize decision on own – before dealing with seller 3% Rely on third parties Understanding the LOB Customers’ IT Decision Process Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms
- 8. Who Pays for Business Unit Technology Purchases? Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=531 U.S. firms 39% 46% 15% Individual business unit Depends on type of technology IT department
- 9. 7% 36% 25% 27% 5% Less than a year 1-2 years 3-5 years More than 5 years Don't know In the last year, more than half of respondents (52%) tapped their own business unit budget to pay for between 15% and 44% of their department’s technology purchases Business Unit Technology Budget Trends Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=449 U.S. firms How Long Non-IT Business Units Have Maintained Own Tech Budget
- 10. Expectations for 2017 Business Unit Tech Budget vs. 2016 48% 40% 12% Somewhat/much higher About the same Somewhat/much lower Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms
- 11. 15% 32% 38% 14% 36% 26% 30% 8% 42% 20% 35% 3% Internal IT department Within our business unit Combination of internal IT and business unit staff Outside tech firm / third party Small Medium Large Management of Technology in Individual Business Units Which party handles implementation, integration and management of IT after initial purchase? Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms
- 12. Whose Budget Responsible for Ongoing IT Support Costs 30% 22% 46% 31% 29% 38% 26% 23% 46% Internal IT department Individual business unit Combination of IT and business unit budgets Logistics LOB Sales LOB Finance LOB Marketing LOB 46% Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms 26% 26%
- 13. Reasons for Staffing Tech Jobs Within Non-IT Business Units 31% 27% 16% 53% 53% 20% 13% 20% 17% 56% 61% 40% 24% 21% 16% 67% 50% 37% 14% 13% 23% 50% 46% 31% Tighter control of staff Cloud computing changed how buy/staff Decentralization happening companywide Easier collaboration Faster response time for support/projects Needed specialist IT staff does not have Marketing LOB Logistics LOB Sales LOB Finance LOB Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=675 U.S. firms
- 14. Types of Tech-Related Job Roles in Sales & Logistics Units Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=202 U.S. firms Sales LOB Tech Staff 32% Data analysts 30% Database administrators 25% Project management specialists 25% Business systems analysts 24% Security specialists 19% Software developers Logistics LOB Tech Staff 35% Project management specialists 31% Data analysts 30% Database administrators 26% Systems engineers 24% Business systems analysts 18% Software developers
- 15. Finance LOB Tech Staff 44% Data analyst 40% Systems administrator 24% Database administrator 23% Business systems analyst 23% Security specialist 19% Software developer 19% Data scientist 15% Cloud specialist Marketing LOB Tech Staff 45% Social media manager 39% Digital marketing manager 32% Systems administrator 31% Data analyst 30% Web analytics specialist 30% Content manager/ strategist 26% Marketing technologist Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=209 U.S. firms
- 16. 13% 14% 23% 31% 46% 50% Cloud computing changed how we view tech buying/staffing Tighter control of staff/team Decentralization of tech roles happening in company Needed type of specialist that IT department lacks Faster response time for support/project completion Easier and more efficient collaboration Reasons for Using Marketing-based Tech Staff vs Internal IT Source: CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer n=125 U.S. firms
- 17. CONSIDERING THE NEW IT BUYER Thank You! Questions?
Notas del editor
- Line of business buyers are flexing their muscles Who ultimately decides what technologies or services are purchased has expanded beyond the IT department to individual business units, reflecting a shift from IT as a support function to IT as a strategic asset. Half of respondents said the prime objective for technology use today is more business focused than in the past. Another 45% said that ideas about technology come from different areas of their organization, and 36% said that more business executives are involved in the IT decision-making process.
- A tech-astute workforce is the primary reason study respondents cite for their business units making at least some of their technology purchase decisions independent of the IT department. Exactly half said that their business unit employees’ “tech-savvy” and “innovative” nature gave them confidence and insight to make department technology decisions. As a result, many business unit employees are doing their own research into the latest technology solutions to address their specific initiatives and projects. And the resources for them to do so abound. Cloud is another main reason. Nearly 4 in 10 respondents said that cloud computing has made it simpler to self-provision technology, chiefly applications, without IT involvement. Now that reality may be daunting to a solution provider or MSP that feels edged out of a potential sale, but if played right it can actually open doors. Consulting, integration, security, management and compliance comprise a raft of services that many LOB buyers might not consider nor in some instances think they need when provisioning a SaaS solution on their own.
- Twenty-two percent of respondents cited a leadership directive to decentralizing IT purchasing across business units. A decentralized approach to purchasing technology – or any other asset or service – carries some obvious advantages. One is speed. Purchasing can be done quickly and in the exact moment required without having to go through a central IT department where bottlenecks or delays may occur. For a marketing professional working on major customer campaign, the ability to provision a specific application in real time from a cloud vendor could be the difference between meeting a deadline or not. There are downsides to decentralizing IT purchasing, of course. Security and compliance oversights can occur if the IT department is not looped in, while the benefits of bulk buying are often negated, to name a few. Respondents in the study appear to recognize the need for balance. More than half (53%) said the best way to handle IT buying is to do so collaboratively with their IT counterparts. That compares to 24% in favor of centralized tech buying by the IT department, and 12% that believe it is best if business units handle it themselves. Another 11% say a conditional approach is best, which basically means that the type of purchase being made – devices vs. applications, for example – dictates who owns the decision.
- A growing number of non-IT buyers (39% this year), research and finalize a tech-buying decision independent of any vendor or channel partner input. They might also be self-provisioning these solutions directly from the cloud.
- It stands to reason that the business unit itself would maintain a budget to handle IT-related purchases made independently of the IT department. But that is not always the case, especially in these early days of tech-buyer diversification. While nearly 4 in 10 respondents said their business unit foots its own IT bill, another 46% reported that the identity of the party that picks up the tab – business unit vs IT department – is dependent upon the type of technology that is being purchased. Much of what is driving non-IT business units to dictate their own technology choices can be attributed to the ubiquity of cloud-based applications, which can be self-provisioned quickly within a department. These application-specific solutions are mushrooming across marketing departments and CFO offices. And it’s most likely that these are the types of solutions that individual business units pay for out of their own budgets. What’s more likely to fall within the domain of the IT department’s budget are infrastructure purchases such as desktops, servers, and other devices.
- The trend of non-IT business units managing their own technology budgets shows no signs of abating. It’s becoming more commonplace, in fact. Nearly 3 in 10 business units today have had their own tech budget for more than five years now, compared with just 7% that have had so for less than a year. Likewise, 4 in 10 respondents across all non-IT functional areas expect their individual business unit’s IT budget to increase in 2017 over 2016 levels, compared with 14% that say 2017’s budget will drop.
- The vast majority of LOB buyers said they do not tap the resources of an outside firm to implement, integrate or manage their IT post-purchase. Instead, roughly a third each rely on their IT group, their own business unit expertise, or a joint effort between those groups to handle technology management. There is a positive caveat, however. For LOB’s relying on their IT department to handle tech management, it’s possible that said IT group is then turning to an outside channel firm to manage things. And while LOBs’ lack of familiarity with the channel is troubling, viewed another way it’s a new business opportunity to seize.
- A raft of other tech-specific activities fall under the domain of marketing departments today. And these are typically the types of projects that CMOs will pursue on their own and consider a tech expenditure that they fund out of their own IT budget. A few examples: 63% of respondents cited Web site development and management as a marketing department tech expenditure, 40% put creative/graphic design online in that bucket, and another 34% deemed the creation of a micro-site for a marketing campaign to be the tech responsibility of the business unit. Fifteen percent expressed the same sentiment about e-book and other digital creations work. Marketing departments, like their counterparts in finance, also are hiring staff to fulfill these initiatives. These are job roles CMOs consider inherently technical in nature, such as social media strategist, Web analytics specialists, database administrator, SEO specialist, and systems administrators. These job roles correspond to the wide array of applications today’s marketing departments are using.