For midmarket insurers, implementing a new definition of ROI might help guarantee achieving the traditional one.

CIOs of mid-size insurance companies frequently struggle to balance the demand for speed in strategic systems implementations against the need for appropriate analysis, diligence, planning, and rigor. Midmarket companies often fail to apply enough depth and discipline to the process of analyzing options and choices. Consequently, many critical business decisions are made without the foresight that could save a lot of pain down the road. That pain is avoidable, if the CIO employs ROI (relevant, objective intelligence) to maximize ROI (return on investment).

Making critical decisions is not a question of talent or ability. Rather, it is a question of resources. Big companies have the money and manpower to experiment with new technologies, to engage the best talent, to put pressure on vendors, and to absorb the occasional project failure. Their CIOs often can separate themselves from the daily operational issues to do some strategic thinking. Such luxuries are quite rare in midmarket companies. Midmarket CIOs wear so many hats there simply is not enough time to wear them all. The ones labeled Analytic, Strategic, and Visionary often must remain in the closet.