The life-sciences industry is highly complex and regulated, wherein the delivery of technology requires deep domain expertise and the ability to understand and navigate regulatory complexities across markets. Given the growing cost of drug development, the need for biopharmaceutical companies to make faster go/no-go decisions, and the pressure to reduce time to market, technology plays a critical role in improving our customers’ probability of success. Technology can enable safer trials and help bring valuable new drugs to patients faster and with lower development costs.
Given these realities, the role of the CIO is becoming even more strategic, taking on a leadership role in developing solutions that directly impact business decisions and customer success. At Quintiles, for example, we have combined our clinical domain expertise with technology to develop Quintiles Infosario, which seamlessly integrates data, systems, processes and our therapeutic expertise to unlock faster, better-informed decisions.
As CIO, Asia-Pacific, my role is to ensure that our technology solutions have both the scale and innovation needed to address the evolving needs of our customers. Historically, we have innovated and piloted new technologies in the West. With the technical skills and the appetite for technology that we have in Asia-Pacific, my focus is on driving technological innovation in this region, which I believe is an evolution in the role of the CIO as global organizations expand their presence across geographies. Given the nuances and differences across markets in this region, I am closely involved with regional teams in adapting global solutions to local needs as well as developing unique, localized solutions.
Partnering with internal and external business stakeholders is another growing need of today’s CIO. CIOs have to collaborate more closely across businesses and functions. Developing relationships with industry stakeholders is vital everywhere in the world, but it’s even more so in the Asia-Pacific region, given the influence that governments and other stakeholders in many countries have on technology adoption.
Another big challenge is the changing dynamics of the information workplace. Big data, cloud computing, social media and mobile computing are creating a more challenging role for CIOs. Today the role has extended beyond traditional architecture, development and support models, and investment in capital intensive on-premise infrastructure continues to decline. Over the last few years, we have assembled a highly flexible and adaptive portfolio of clinical applications and patented technologies that are used internally, integrating and then virtualizing them as they are stored in our private cloud. From our cloud, they are available and can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection.
Another evolving trend with the emergence of a younger workforce is the consumerization of enterprise technology. Employees are increasingly bringing their personal devices to work, be it a smartphone or an iPad. Devices and solutions once considered non-standard within the enterprise will grow exponentially in their use. This is forcing organisations to think differently about how they need to adapt and ultimately embrace this technology evolution.
I believe there are challenging and yet exciting times ahead for CIOs. With the rapid pace of technological change, the arrival of the cloud and the realization of the immense value of integrated data and analytics, CIOs are at a very interesting cross-section of technology and business. They need to build an enabling and engaging digital environment for employees, businesses and customers. Their roles are transforming from information officers to innovation officers where agility and decision-making capability are key. No longer will numbers be their only measure of success.
Naz Haji is CIO – Asia-Pacific & Senior VP – Global IT Client Services, Quintiles