To say that CFOs are pressured to spur growth in the midst of a slow and still uncertain economy would be an understatement. As organizations continue to look for ways to tighten their budgets, their technology investments are often one of the first areas to undergo intense scrutiny. As a result, CFOs must figure out how they can guide and foster the innovation that enables the company to achieve sustainable growth and maintain a competitive advantage.

In a CFO Journal article, Frank Friedman, COO & CFO of Deloitte, addressed this issue head on, offering three tips to drive innovation and growth in a weak economy. From providing greater capital flexibility, leveraging more insight and transparency in decision making, and becoming more optimistic, Friedman asserts that the CFO can help their organizations overcome external challenges and adopt the strategies and best practices that will lead to success.

While these strategies are applicable to the role of the CFO as a whole, they can be applied more specifically to the IT function. After all, technology is often the main driver in enabling operational efficiency and facilitating innovation. Fortunately, there are several things CFOs can do to ensure their organization is primed for continued growth and innovation.

Despite lingering economic uncertainty, organizations must still make the right investments to ensure they can continue to operate strategically. Having the financial flexibility to invest in the solutions that can lead to improvement and deliver ROI is essential. But, in order to realize this state, the CFO must be able to identify the products and services that can bring the company to the next level and achieve technology optimization. With a flexible approach to technology spend, the CFO can proactively manage the business of IT, ensuring the company acquires the solutions necessary to bring greater efficiency across the enterprise.

Along the lines of increasing capital flexibility, the CFO must also gain insight into their company’s current spend and IT utilization. With real visibility into the costs of supplying IT products and services, and the ability to analyze how they are being used, the CFO is better positioned to make key decisions about the best solutions in which to invest. At the same time, the CFO will also be able to uncover underutilized technologies or instances of duplication, enabling them to be more strategic and avoid those situations. Equipped with the knowledge and clear line of sight into IT consumption, CFOs can act more strategically and ensure they make the right investments that can foster innovation.

Finally, to truly grow their companies, CFOs must look beyond the present situation in order to leverage the opportunities for improvement. As Friedman pointed out, CFOs “have to view the organization through a strategic, not just financial lens.” By moving beyond the “business as usual” approach to managing IT spend and utilization and thinking about how they can deliver the tools and processes that lead to an improved future state, the company can operate more effectively in today’s challenging business environment. As a result, they can better drive the innovation crucial to staying ahead of the competition.

One way to foster IT innovation is to ensure that the business and IT departments can effectively communicate. To learn more, be sure to read our White Paper “How to Start a Productive Conversation About Business and IT Alignment.”