CDOs Critical For Indian Businesses During Digital Transformation: Study

A study on Monday revealed that emergence of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) role is a response to the growing importance of data in modern business operations. 

A new IBM Institute for Business Value study on CDOs says that these leaders are under significant pressure to deliver results -- expectations for their role and remit vary widely and their tenure is the lowest amongst all boardroom roles, only four and half years on average.

While businesses look towards accelerating technology adoption for higher business value and growth, there is a growing concern for implementing the right security measures for enhanced protection. The majority (76 per cent) of the Indian CDOs surveyed ranked security as the most important characteristic of their data architecture, closely followed by being cloud-ready. 

The study also found that over half (57 per cent) of CDO respondents from India said that ensuring data security is the most critical responsibility of their role. Yet only 56 per cent agree their organizational data is secure and protected. With pressures like these mounting, CDOs are looking for ways not just to create value, but to protect it, the study noted.

About 48 per cent of CDOs surveyed say they are making better and faster decisions by applying AI and data, and only 38 per cent report they are using AI to automate decision-making.

Over 61 per cent of CDOs indicating they had clearly defined thresholds for automated decision-making in the study.