CFOs tend to hold the cards these days when it comes to deciding whether an IT investment moves forward, and so it can be helpful to know in advance what they're looking for. CFOs from several businesses around the country offer their best advice in an article by ComputerWorld's Mary K. Pratt.

Regardless of the economic conditions, CIOs should be able to show that they have analyzed multiple systems and they should spell out the costs, features and ROI of each, says Don MacKenzie, CFO and COO at the professional services company Accounting Management Solutions. In tough times, though, cost tends to override other considerations.

At Tibco Software Inc., it is vital that CIOs can demonstrate that the company is using its current IT investments to their fullest, says CFO and executive vice president Sydney Carey.  Before she gives the green light for new purchases, Carey says she wants to be sure existing systems are leveraged. For example, to get more value out of the ERP system, Tibco added a business process management program to the front end rather than deploying a new system.

Jim Morrison, CFO for Teknor Apex Co., an advance polymers compounder, wants to see that the IT leadership understands the primary business challenges facing the company. In a difficult economy, it's critical that CIOs be prepared to move quickly to address changing priorities. When Teknor made an acquisition recently, the IT department's first priority was integrating it into the business, and these kinds of challenges can require shifting strategies and resources on the part of IT.

For more:
- see Mary K. Pratt's article at ComputerWorld

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