IT professionals are eager to contribute to business growth, but a fundamental lack of understanding between technical teams and business leaders often hampers their impact. A new report sheds light on how this gap can be bridged to unlock real business value.
According to the Whisper Report "What's the biggest packaging tech blind spot for CIOs?", many CIOs fail to involve IT early in packaging technology decisions. The report, based on insights from Pack Expo Vegas 2025, highlights three key blind spots: IT teams not being invited to the table, cultural clashes between IT and operational technology (OT) teams, and a general lack of understanding of each other's domains.
"The biggest blind spot is that IT is often not even invited to the conversation," notes Dr. Doreen Galli, analyst at TBW Advisors. "When they are, there's a cultural gap with OT teams that can stall progress."
The report features industry experts including Mike DeGrace (Universal Robots), Rich Parkhurst (KUKA), Aaron Silverberg (Flexible Vision), Chris King (Unitronics), Mike Wolf (Signode), and Brandon Winer (Cognex). It emphasizes that data ownership and collaboration are critical areas where improvements can turn blind spots into competitive advantages.
To bridge the gap, the report recommends fostering cross-functional communication, aligning IT and OT cultures, and ensuring IT has a seat at the table from the start. By doing so, organizations can harness technology more effectively to achieve business goals.