The Executive's Guide to Information Technology

The Executive's Guide to Information Technology is a sophisticatedand comprehensive guide to running a cost-effective, efficient, andbusiness delivery-focused corporate Information Technology (IT)unit. Eschewing the theoretical for the practical, the book givesmanagers the guidance they need to handle any problem effectively.It provides specific policies, approaches, and tools for eachcritical IT management functionó from application managementto vendor management. IT management experts John Baschab and Jon Piot provide thetechniques IT managers and executives need to accurately assesstheir current operations. Further, they offer a step-by-stepimprovement plan designed to raise productivity and service levelswhile reducing costs significantly. The authors begin by examiningthe symptoms and causes of waste, inefficiency and underperformancein typical IT departments before offering in-depth analysis of eachoperational area of IT management. They present current andemergent best practices for transforming the department into aworld-class service organization. Packed with prescriptive advice and hard-earned insight, thiscomprehensive resource is organized into stand-alone chapters thatprovide quick access to important information when managers needit. In addition, spreadsheets, documents, and checklists aredesigned to aid in planning and decision-making and can be easilyaccessed on the included CD-ROM. Designed to help IT managers and top executives get the most outof their departments, their budget and themselves, the book coverssuch topics as: managing the department, establishing leadershiproles, assessing the organization, cost management, project demandmanagement, operations management, infrastructure planning, vendorselection and management, technical standards setting, investmentevaluation, and productivity and quality measurement programs. With The Executive's Guide to Information Technology, ITmanagers will understand the main sources of waste in theirdepartments, identify major management issues, learn and implementcritical steps toward improvement, and manage more effectively. Thebook will help managers improve their performance and staturewithin their organizations by providing the tips and tools toovercome typical areas of friction and miscommunication between ITdepartments and other business functions. Executives willunderstand how to work effectively with the CIO or IT director, aswell as provide constructive management input to the IT function,achieving the best return on their IT assets.