CIOs and other senior ICT executives are
becoming increasingly sceptical of the value of conferences and seminars. In
the past many have wasted considerable time attending such events. They have
gone to them in the expectation of learning something useful only to find
themselves enduring a hard sale from a group of evangelical and subjective sales
people. With many businesses increasingly expected to do more with less time
has become probably everyone’s scarcest resource. As such, many CIOs and ICT
executives find it easier to avoid most conferences and seminars and to look
for other ways of acquiring information.
Yet many of these same executives also
recognise the importance of networking with their peers in other companies. Such
contact enables them to learn from the experiences of their counterparts elsewhere.
Such knowledge can save them from the dangers of re-inventing the wheel and
help them avoid project disasters. Networking can also widen ones source of contacts
which could prove useful in times of corporate restructuring and downsizing.
Roundtables are really a way of helping
CIOs network with their peers while, at the same time, allowing an ICT supplier
to make contact with potential future clients in an informal but pleasant
environment.
Peter Hind and Coalface Research have been
undertaking roundtable research among executives in the ICT industry in the
Asia Pacific region for over 12 years. We can work with a supplier to determine
a suitable topic, we can help develop a presentation to act as the framework
for the discussion, we can structure a series of discussion points to drive the
dialogue at the meeting and we can chair the event to ensure everyone attending
has a chance to participate and to avoid any one attendee either monopolising or
hijacking the proceedings.
Focus
group research
Further value can be gained by structuring the roundtable as a
focus group. This is a more sophisticated version of roundtable discussions
which aims to harness the knowledge of ICT executives to help industry
suppliers with the marketing and targeting of their products and services.If a client requires such a focus
group research project Peter Hind and Coalface Research have extensive
experience in such events. In particular, focus group research is valuable when
an ICT supplier requires qualitative research feedback from a select group of
potential clients to help it better optimise its marketing and sales activities
for newly released products and services.
At the outset of a focus group project Peter Hind and Coalface Research can help a client develop
a script to drive the discussion at the meeting. From there, Peter Hind and Coalface Research can project manage the event including
attracting the attendees and audio-taping the dialogue among those
attending. From this audio-tape Peter Hind and Coalface Research can then produce a report based on the content of this dialogue together with go-to-market recommendations for the focus group sponsor. Some of the focus groups and roundtable
events Peter Hind has managed include:
The pros and cons of various options within a proposed
corporate standard operating environment- four focus groups held in cities across Australia
The challenge of better managing the desktop – how big a
problem area is the desktop and where do CIOs need help
How to harness, control and oversee email – discussion on where
their responsibilities begin and end as well as the tactics and strategies utilised
by Australian CIOs to oversee the email environment
What are the challenges CIOs face around ICT security, what
tactics and toolsets have they embraced to overcome these problems and
where else do they need help in this area.
How serious a threat is fraud in the insurance industry and is
there a role that ICT could play in addressing and minimising its
occurrence.
What are the trends in technology adoption, IT expenditure, IT
staffing and CIO challenges in New Zealand. What is behind
these trends and how can New Zealand CIOs obtain better executive support
How serious a threat is an avian flu pandemic and what role
could ICT play in helping a business tackle the difficulties that would
arise from such an occurrence
What areas do CIOs need to cover in the
preparation of business continuity plans and how should they enlist the support
of the business for such plans.
Is there a business case for IT offshoring and, if so, is there more to it that cost savings?
