One interviewee in the article remarks most CFOs appear to welcome the responsibility. Another interviewee “warns that finance executives not well versed in technology can be 'hoodwinked' by IT leaders bent on building or buying systems that don't deliver suitable return on investment.”

In tackling IT management, the article advises to determine the overall mandate for change, assess IT's role in the organization, and evaluate the relationship between IT and the organization's key risks. The first two suggestions could be anyone's. As for the last one, while it is indisputably important, I wonder whether it would rate among the top three items in a CIO's action plan with everything there is to worry about. On the other hand, it is something a CIO cannot lose sight of. Point taken.

Then comes the issue of spending. Interestingly, the article's main caution rests on the business side. “Do whatever you can to discourage provincialism on the part of the line leaders and functional managers.” This piece of advice precipitates another: to establish steering committees and governance. Amen.

A little troubling, however, is the next point: A “mistake is to buy new hardware or software when existing technology can suffice,” says the author. “CFOs, like IT executives, 'fall in love with bright, shiny objects,'” according to one article source. The sin of omission, here, is while existing technology can “suffice,” it may leave a company in the dust competitively now or down the road.

What I culled from the article is both sides do have ideas they can teach to each other and others they should dispel for each other. While the relationship has come a long way, both sides still need to beware of any biases and remember: Two heads are always better than one.