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Digital Transformation
Market Narratives
The ROI Clock is Ticking: CIOs Define Success Metrics
Oct 15, 2025
CIOs are under rising pressure to show rapid ROI, yet gaps in KPI tracking hinder their ability to prove technology’s business value and impact.
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CIOs face growing pressure to prove the business value of technology investments quickly. Cost savings and risk reduction dominate success metrics, while CFO and CEO involvement signals heightened scrutiny. However, KPI tracking maturity lags behind expectations, creating a gap between board-level demands and measurement capabilities. With most CIOs expected to deliver measurable value within 6–12 months, tolerance for delayed ROI is shrinking.
Core insights
- Value metrics under the microscope: Cost savings (80%) and risk reduction (78%) are the top success measures, followed by productivity, agility, and customer experience.
- High stakeholder oversight: CFOs (74%) and CEOs (72%) are deeply involved in technology investment decisions, reflecting increased financial and risk governance.
- Measurement gap persists: While 45% of organisations use structured KPI reviews, only 2% have real-time dashboards, limiting visibility and slowing value realisation.