The role of the CIO is an artifact of the rise of the Information Economy. That it is a C-level role is testament to the central role that IT plays in business strategy and operations. For many companies, especially small and emerging companies, the need for the role often develops before the additional headcount can be justified. For companies in this situation, Rational IT offers the services of a “Virtual CIO” enabling companies to affordably fulfill a critical role. The Virtual CIO can act in all capacities as the “actual CIO,” leading the IT planning and budgeting effort and overseeing key project implementations. Operating under rigorous non-disclosure, the Virtual CIO can fully operate as a company executive.
The primary benefit of the Virtual CIO is to establish early on the essential best practice of linking company strategy to IT strategy and implementation and then to manage that “Virtuous Cycle.” At some point, a company may outgrow the need. At between a 30% to 40% commitment, the economics will begin favor filling the role through hiring. Rational IT will always advise the client when they should begin to consider transitioning the role. We work closely with a premier executive search firm and can assist in completing the transition. This raises a second significant benefit of the Virtual CIO program. By the time many companies can justify the addition to headcount and hire a CIO, IT is often in fairly serious disarray. With Rational IT, this whole process is smooth and well-managed. The new CIO takes command of an IT organization and infrastructure that is well-documented and well-run. For many small companies the need for a full-time CIO may never materialize and the Virtual CIO role becomes an embedded aspect of the full R/One IT Management Program.

 

Key Features of the Virtual CIO Program
		All Rational IT Virtual CIO’s have CIO or VP, IT experience, often in relevant vertical markets
		Rational IT Virtual CIO’s are equipped to act, in all capacities, as the “actual CIO.”
		All Virtual CIO’s have full access to all the IT resources and process management capacity of Rational IT’s R/One Program.
		At the point that it makes business sense, Rational IT can assist in managing the transition from the Virtual CIO to the actually “actual CIO.”

 

Virtual CIO FAQ

Here are some common questions we receive about the Virtual CIO program:
		If the Virtual CIO works for Rational IT, how can he or she be objective? How can they really act as our CIO?
		We confronted this question early on, before we launched the program, by working with a select group of advisors and clients who helped us structure the Virtual CIO program in a way that squarely addresses this issue and is captured in some pretty strict contract language that expresses our commitment to our clients and also expresses rational self-interest: we invest very heavily in building long-term client relations and are not going to jeopardize that investment. That, and we have a very strong code of business ethics.
		Can your Virtual CIO represent him- or herself as our “actual CIO?”
		Yes, clients often print business cards for the Virtual CIO and present them on their company web site.
		What happens if the Virtual CIO is not a good fit to our company?
		We put in a lot of front-end effort to assure a good fit, so misfits are rare. Should it happen, we can make as rapid a transition as is warranted and desired. Remember that through such a transition, your company will continue to be supported by all the resources and capacities of Rational IT.
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