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Why a Fractional CIO May Be Beneficial for Your Business
Posted on March 26, 2020
How Might a Fractional CIO Be Beneficial for Your Business?
Fractional CIOs fill the role of traditional chief information officers — but they work part-time at a fraction of the price. Head here to learn more.
Could your company benefit from a fractional CIO?
If you operate a company that requires leadership for your IT needs, hiring a professional CIO (chief information officer) is something you’ve undoubtedly looked into already. This executive-level position would be in charge of your business’s information technology (IT) needs, including management of the IT department and its short- and long-term goals and objectives.
The trouble is, many businesses in this situation are not large enough to pay a CIO. Likewise, other companies might benefit from a CIO, but don’t need full-time one.
Enter the fractional CIO. With this position filled, your company will benefit from the best of both worlds — fulfillment of the roles and duties of a CIO and a salary your company can afford to pay.
What Is a Fractional CIO?
A fractional CIO is an individual who fills the roles and duties of a company’s chief information officer (CIO) when the business does not require or is unable to afford a full-time, in-house CIO. In some cases, fractional CIO services are offered. In this case, it is not an individual who fills the role of CIO, per se, but the collective employees of an IT company.
Fractional CIOs may also be referred to as CIOs on demand, part-time CIOs, and parachute CIOs. If an individual fills the role, fractional CIOs are often IT professionals who have extensive experience in information technology but do not want to commit to a full-time, in-house position.
How Are Fractional CIOs and Traditional CIOs Different?
Traditional CIOs are full-time C-level executives. As such, they earn a significant salary and benefits. While the services provided by a CIO are undoubtedly essential, it’s also critical to note that many companies don’t require their services full-time. This, unfortunately, leaves a lot of New Jersey businesses caught in a binary situation. If they don’t hire a CIO, they may miss the opportunity to improve and expand the IT goals of their company — essential in this day and age. On the other hand, if they do hire a CIO, it can often stretch their budget thin. This is exacerbated by the fact that some mid-sized businesses and those without extensive IT needs may simply not require a full-time executive in this role.
The answer is the fractional CIO. Fractional CIOs are IT leaders with wide-ranging experience and expertise, but they are not considered full-time employees. Instead, they provide ongoing services as needed — often to several different businesses at once. Because of this “fractional” way in which they work, they can work only part-time and charge less overall. Unlike traditional CIOs, they do not serve on the board of directions of a company or require a large office, company car, benefits, etc.
In some cases, the role is even able to be filled by the collective IT professionals within a managed services company. In this situation, what you would be paying for would be fractional CIO services, which are just as useful and productive.
Could Your New Jersey Business Benefit From Fractional CIO Services?
Techsperts Business Technology Solutions offers fractional CIO services for New Jersey and New York area businesses.
If you believe your company could benefit from hiring a chief information officer, but don’t require a full-time executive to fill the role, contact us at (201) 262-5066. You can also speak with one of our online chat assistants. A fractional CIO can help provide the leadership you need within your IT department — without the associated salary of a full-time C-level executive.
Contact Techsperts Business Technology Solutions today to learn more.