Decoding the IT Value Problem: An Executive Guide for Achieving Optimal ROI on Critical IT Investments

204 Pages·2013·36.05 MB·English

by  Gregory J. Fell(auth.)

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DecoDing
the it Value
Problem
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DecoDing
the it Value
Problem
an executiVe guiDe for achieVing
oPtimal roi on critical it inVestments
Gregory J. Fell
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Cover image: © iStockphoto.com/alengo
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2013 by Gregory J. Fell. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Fell, Gregory J., 1964-
Decoding the IT value problem, + website : an executive guide for achieving optimal
ROI on critical IT investments / Gregory J. Fell.
pages cm. — (Wiley CIO)
ISBN 978-1-118-43805-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-75409-2 (ebk);
ISBN 978-1-118-75433-7 (ebk)
1. Information technology. 2. Information technology—Cost effectiveness.
3. Capital investments—Evaluation. I. Title.
HD30.2.F4567 2013
004.068’1—dc23
2013017991
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For my Computer Club brothers, who toiled on weekends
solving big-endian/little-endian problems and kernel
panics. We have changed the world forever.
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Contents
Foreword: UnCovering an essential skill oF it ManageMent xi
PreFaCe xiii
aCknowledgMents xv
introdUCtion 1
ChaPter 1 the value of it 3
The 80/20 Law of IT Spending 5
The User Interface Is Not the Project 6
Just Like Buying a Car 8
Don’t Forget Maintenance Costs 8
The Math of Availability 9
My Favorite Analogy 11
The Hard Facts of Uptime 12
ChaPter 2 why it Projects Fail 17
Technology Is Not the Problem 19
Communication Is Critical 20
IT Projects Are Really Business Process Change Projects 22
When You Change a Process, Don’t Forget the People 24
Paradigm Shifts Are Real 24
ChaPter 3 the washington Principle 27
The Skills of a Leader 29
Why We Need IT Governance 31
A Process for Generating Commitment 32
They Cannot Read Your Mind 35
Multiple Levels of Governance 36
Delivering Expected Value 37
The Basics of Good Governance 38
vii
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viii CoNTENTS
ChaPter 4 Balancing risk and exposure 41
The CIA Model of Risk Assessment 43
An Easy Method for Modeling Risk 44
The Risk Profile Matrix 44
Bring options and Recommendations to the Table 49
Managing IT Security Risks 52
What about the Black Swan? 53
Note 54
ChaPter 5 time is the enemy 55
Riding to Nowhere? 57
It’s All about Time 62
If Necessary, Rebaseline the Project 63
The 5 Whys 63
ChaPter 6 software is not Manufactured 67
The Art of Programming 69
Consider Agile or Lean Methodologies 73
ChaPter 7 technology disruptors 77
Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon 79
Think Like a VC 81
When Technology Disruption Hits Close to Home 82
Specific Trends to Watch 84
Beyond the Keyboard and Screen 85
Encourage Exploration, Experimentation, and Fast Failure 86
ChaPter 8 the office of know 89
Correcting a Classic Case of Misalignment 91
Are CIos Wired Differently? 92
Sometimes There’s a Good Reason for Being Risk Averse 94
Technology Is Not the only Solution 95
The View from the Crow’s Nest 97
Faster, Nimbler, and More Proactive 99
Walking the Assembly Line 100
Gone Hunting 102
Moving from No to Yes 103
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