Gate 6: The Budget Integrity Lock

Is your IT budget a strategy, or just a list of expenses?

In a $20M to $100M company, the CFO is often the "accidental CIO." When the leadership seat is vacant, you’re the one signing the checks. But without a strategic gatekeeper, the budget starts to leak.

The Symptom:
You see a spike in "emergency" hardware requests, unvetted cloud subscriptions, and out-of-scope MSP charges. When you question them, the answer is always: "We need this to keep the system running."

The Reality:
Without a Budget Integrity Lock, IT spending becomes reactive. You aren't investing in growth; you’re paying a "complexity tax." You’re spending money to fix problems that a proactive strategy would have prevented six months ago.

The Check:

• What percentage of your IT spend is "keep the lights on" vs. "strategic growth"?
• Do you have a "Strategic Reserve" set aside for the new CIO, or is the budget being drained by tactical fires?

If you feel like you’re throwing money into a black hole just to maintain the status quo, you’ve lost the Budget Lock.

The Continuity Goal: Maintain Fiscal Discipline. During a transition, your goal is to freeze unnecessary capital expenditure and audit every recurring cost. You want your permanent CIO to walk into a "Strategic Reserve," not a depleted account and a pile of new debt.

Don't let a temporary vacancy drain your long-term capital.