"Evaluation of success shouldn’t be on how fast you’re implementing the newest and greatest technology or solution but how well you are managing and maximizing your current solutions"

GRANT GUNNIGLE
CIO
Kids II

Grant is the CIO for Kids II, responsible for the overall strategy, direction and evaluation of the company’s IT infrastructure-technically uniting its 13 global offices and nearly 500 employees worldwide. In addition to his role as CIO, Grant has also served as Chief Operating Officer (COO). He has been essential in the strategic direction for Kids II’s technology and operational functions for nearly two decades. He is a veteran in the industry with nearly 20 years of experience in the IT field.

Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations.
Consistency of software and user experience across the entire organization is a priority for us. Considering the rapid amount of devices and versions that are being introduced, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure users are utilizing the tools fully. We have to be united to be successful and need solutions that will deliver these results for us. We have to ensure there’s dissemination of the information throughout the entire organization, it connects us in real-time and that we can make it actionable. And we need the technology to deliver this. We’re also committed to updated planning and production software to continue helping us reduce our already market-leading lead times and overall cost to Market.

Technology Trends Impacting Enterprise Business Environment
Simulation and scenario modeling, especially as we’re spending a lot of time and resources on Big Data visibility. Once we figure out how to identify decision information, we’ll be able to grade our choices before putting them into action. Thus, have efficient prediction analysis of the outcome of those decisions.

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO
The biggest change in my role, along with my department, is evolving from a very tactical division to a strategic essential segment of the business and company. We’ve gone from enforcers to influencers.Ten years ago, I was the educator and enforcer. Now, with our workforce being savvier and on the forefront of technology and with our collaborative environment, they are bringing ideas and solutions. IT is providing the guidance and expertise, and we’re working together to implement. The role is much more collaborative with the entire organization, which allows us to accelerate projects and be much more successful in the long run.

The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or not up to the mark, and which if existed, would've made job easier.
For us, it’s consolidation and analysis of Big Data becoming easier to assimilate and analyze. We need solutions that will consolidate and clearly present this information so that our  employees can effectively understand, quickly share and leverage this data. The tools we use to manage and analyze the business need to be more collaborative and synced together for more efficiency and faster results across the globe.

Consumer engagement is another priority. We need to make sure we have all the tools and technologies in place to easily connect with our consumers. Overall, the two things that I’m constantly thinking about is: technically connecting us internally across the globe and ensuring we have the tools, resources and technology to efficiently and effectively connect with our consumers.

Lessons I learned as a CIO that can help you
I always say IT is like the fashion industry. You have to be careful not to get caught up in what’s “sexy” and “hot” at the moment because it’s not always sustainable or able to maximize every investment dollar. Evaluation of success shouldn’t be on how fast you’re implementing the newest and greatest technology or solution but how well you are managing and maximizing your current solutions. It may not always be as sexy, but it’s most likely functionally viable and more efficient.