INTRODUCTION
In survey after survey, Canadians have ranked healthcare to be their number one priority, and indeed, the federal election of 2004 was often defined by what leaders would do to solve Canada’s ailing healthcare. In September of 2004, the Prime Minister of Canada along with provincial premiers gathered for spirited and often tense negotiations, and came to an agreement that would see billions more poured into the system. However, before the ink was dry on this ten-year plan, critics on all sides began to condemn it, some saying that not enough money was provided, others that more money is irrelevant, as the system itself is flawed. The reality lies in both, as there is a short-term need for additional resources in order to deal with dangerous waiting times for certain needs, while on the other hand, the cost of healthcare has been growing at an unsustainable rate, according to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Janice McKinnon, a former Saskatchewan finance minister and professor of public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, notes that healthcare costs have been growing at a faster level than the rate of growth of government revenues, crowding out other government priorities, raising the risk of deficit spending and the need for tax increases.

What is even more worrying is that this may be the tip of the iceberg; with an aging population, longer life-spans and more effective (and often more costly) medical treatments becoming available, changing demographics raise the specter that healthcare costs may grow at an even more alarming rate, if left unchecked. Therefore, in numerous studies and recommendations, reforms to make the healthcare system more efficient were always present, including better use of information technology. This paper will examine the possibilities of IT in improving healthcare, what obstacles there are, and what one solution, the CIOAdvisor^™, offers to remedy this situation.

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INTRODUCTION
In today’s knowledge economy, the role of the Chief Information Officer has perhaps never been more crucial. Be it through currency fluctuations, production over-capacity, high debt loads or unfunded pension liabilities, businesses the world-over are now faced with shrinking profit margins and tight cash constraints. Information technology has long promised to deliver the kinds of productivity-enhancing innovations needed to survive and succeed in this business environment, needed more now than ever.

However, while the information technology revolution has brought significant business process improvements with such advancements as enterprise resource planning and supply-chain management, little has been done to examine and improve the internal operations of the IT departments themselves. However, IT budgets now for as much as 4% of a company’s revenue according to a recent Gartner report, and according to Kenneth and Jane Laudon in Managing Information Systems: Organization and Technology in the Networked Enterprise, 6th Ed in service industries like finance, real-estate and insurance, information technology represents more than 70% of invested capital. Because of this, CIO’s are becoming hard-pressed to justify important upgrades with the current financial constrictions. This has created the dilemma where IT departments are being counted upon to improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of the overall business operation while at the same time facing the prospect of reduced resources with which to innovate. CIO’s must now turn their resources of innovation, integration and information inwards in order to overcome the challenge of today’s marketplace.

This paper will explore one such innovation, unveiling the world’s first comprehensive end-to-end integrated IT solution, the CIOAdvisor^™. It will explore the role of today’s CIO, examining issues faced along with what is currently being done (or not done) to meet these challenges. The paper will then detail how the CIOAdvisor^™ can revolutionize the IT department, identifying opportunities for resource reallocation and demonstrating the value of IT services while reducing up-front investment and total cost of ownership, changing the IT department from a tolerated cost-center, to an essential value center.

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INTRODUCTION
This document introduces Basilica Software Corporation’s product, the CIOAdvisor^™, a complete, integrated software solution that addresses the information management needs of IT departments around the world, a system that can make IT operations more efficient, effective and better organized. It discusses the challenges faced by IT managers and how the various features of the software can help IT organizations become a corporate “Value Centre” instead of just being a “Cost Centre”, effectively helping improve your company’s operating profits through a more cost-effective and efficient operation. You will understand why we have selected the slogan, “We Are the CIO’s Best Friend”.

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