Book Description

Today's technological advances are directly affecting the success of business tomorrow. With recent-- and continual--improvements in technology, many organizations are finding their information systems obsolete, and are having to take a close look at their current Information Systems and answer some tough questions, including:oHow well are our current Information Systems applications meeting the business needs today? How well can they meet the needs of our business tomorrow?oAre we obtaining true value from the investments made in Information Systems?oAre we integrating the Information Systems projects that provide the most value to business?oWhat Information Systems mission, objectives, and strategies are necessary to successfully meet the business challenges of the future?A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning helps take the "guess work" out of evaluating current and future Information Systems, and provides the necessary tools for maximizing the investment made in new technology. This invaluable guide shows readers how to take advantage of the latest technology available in Information Systems planning, and how to develop a solid Information Systems plan that is directly linked to their business' goals.In an easy-to-follow, hands-on format, this complete reference describes a process for facilitating communication between business management and the Information Systems functions. Both Information Systems Executives and general business executives will find the information they need to develop a successful, value-added Information Systems plan. Readers will find a step-by-step approach to the process of developing an Information Systems plan that helps them gain a competitive edge well into the future. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Proven approach and a detailed roadmap
This book, like all of Ms. Cassidy's work, is straightforward, to the point and reads like a blueprint for success. In particular, she frames the objectives (Where are we? Where do we need to be? What's the best way to get there?), then gives guidance on answering the questions and a realistic and actionable plan for meeting the objectives.

Her approach is focused on business needs and linked to the overriding imperatives and strategies of that domain. She begins by discussing the business drivers and why strategic planning is necessary, then provides a phased approach to the strategic planning process itself. This approach captures the business and technical "as-is" and "to-be" pictures, performs a gap analysis, and a plan for going from "as-is" to "to-be". On the surface this appears to be common sense, but the devil is in the details, and she provides the details. That is what makes this book so valuable. More importantly, it's obvious that she has extensive experience in strategic planning because all of the subtle issues are addressed, and her advice is on the mark every step of the way.

Of course, one of the big issues in strategic planning is the question of what capital investments to make in software, either as an upgrade or entire replacement of company-critical systems, that align to the slected strategy. This book shows how to select the best fit to meet strategic plans, and how to capture the true costs and support requirements as a matter of due diligence.

This book is, in my opinion, one of the better ones on the topic, and is only exceeded by her most recent book titled "A Practical Guide to Planning for E-Business Success: How to E-enable Your Enterprise". That book contains substantially the same approach as this one, but is aligned to e-business. Regardless of which book you choose, you'll find Ms. Cassidy's approach to reflect best practices, and the advice interspersed throughout the book to be invaluable.

The glass is half full
Half of the book deals with strategic planning which is quite helpful. Half the book deals with how to acquire an application which is not.

Simple, Thorough, Comprehensive
I work for a large East Coast Utilities company. Our project team was charged with producing an "Information Systems Strategic Plan". A daunting task given multiple platforms, architectures, and technologies. Our team was experienced and knowledgeable, but lacked process direction.

We turned to Anita Cassidy's book and found it amazingly helpful. We found ourselves referring to it many times during the planning and implementation stages of the project.

Her book provides an authoritative reference which allowed us to cut total project time by 25%. We didn't need to argue about process, methodology, or research strategy. We went with Cassidy's suggestions and we were more than pleased with the results.

Cassidy's simple, straightforward approach is easy to follow, meaningful, and very applicable. If you have the task of assembling an IS Strategic Plan, then this book will give you the step-by-step methodology to do so.

Nice job Anita!

Right on Target! Great Examples for Constructing an IS Plan!
My graduate IS/IT Strategic Planning course did not assign a text book on writing up an IS/IT Strategic Plan, so I had to track one down on my own. After reviewing at least a dozen books, I found Cassidy's to be the most practical with multiple and varied examples of the critical ideas, sections & components found within an IS Strategic Plan. There are many great examples of Mission and Vission statements and detailed sections on ROI analysis, executive summaries and the entire planning process, etc. The graphics & exhibits are easily understood and well organized, as is the entire book. In fact, other students actually purchased this book during the semester at my recommendation and our professor is looking to add this book as required reading for the course! It is especially good for those who have little to no experience putting together an entire IS plan from ground zero. Thorough, to the point, terrific examples and extremely well organized is how I would sum up this book. It will serve both students and IS/IT professionals extremely well. ... Read more

Book Description

What is the one thing I have that my competitors do not have? What can I invest in that my competitors cannot replicate? Information. It's the new competitive edge.

Capitalizing on the information a company owns about its customers, suppliers and partners is now the value proposition for sustainable long-term growth. Authors Mark Hurd and Lars Nyberg go inside companies to see the value proposition in practice. Combining case studies and analysts' insights with common sense and surprisingly simple ideas for growth, The Value Factor shows how companies transform information into a competitive asset.

Hurd and Nyberg have access to some of the top companies in every industry and from around the world. In this book they share their unique perspective on what the innovators are doing to get ahead and stay ahead in the tough business environment of today and how top companies are meeting challenges and turning them into growth opportunities. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Staggering fairness
"It's a book of staggering blandness, but in fairness, no more than thousands like it: the CEO's management manual," notes The Register in a review of the book. (...) "A title to send anyone to sleep.".

It goes on to say, "The CEO may become expert at pattern recognition, but staring at the patterns doesn't help with the predictive instincts that often go into making a hit product. That's the essential risk of entrepreneurship, and it's a wildly unpredictable factor. The technocratic management culture of the modern MBA school tries to minimize that risk, and so we have remedies such as "Information Alignment", which tell us nothing. Hurd is very much a product of his time."

We couldn't disagree more. Information leads to knowledge and to insights that allows one to have the "predictive instincts". Data warehousing and data mining can uncover true gold since information and not data is the basis of any wisdom - from personal life to corporate life.

This short book can actually be an eye opener to those who have been sleeping or tend to. As the above review shows, one more reason to read it.

Excellent Examples of Adding Value with Better Information
For many years, hardware and software vendors have preached the benefits of unifying databases for major companies.In recent years, there has been a strong move to open up those unified databases for more and more people in the company so that better and timelier business decisions can be made.Such an effort can cost a large company hundreds of millions and be an even larger cost in percentage of assets for smaller companies.Before deciding to move ahead, what can a leader expect to gain?What must the leader do, once deciding to go ahead, in order to be sure that the gain is achieved?Those are the helpful subjects of The Value Factor.

I was very pleased to see that this book emphasized the business process of making such a change . . . rather than simply touting the potential benefits.You cannot spend potential benefits, after all.

Within the book, there were lots of examples to show what kind and size of benefits can be achieved . . . and how they are achieved.I found the airline examples to be especially telling in creating fast flexibility to respond within hours to marketplace shifts.The financial services examples were also compelling, as I was reminded of how often such organizations treat us differently depending on what product of service is involved.Seeing these examples, it was also clear how much it helps streamline decision-making if everyone is looking at the same facts in the same way . . . reflecting the total situation.

The book is very brief, which will be welcome to time-weary executives.It would be an excellent choice for a three hour plane flight.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the seemingly endless repetition of the need to break down independent "silos" of operations that do not cooperate with one another and have different data sets.

A good related book is E-Business Intelligence by Bernard Liautaud of Business Objects.

See what needs to be done . . . and empower those close to the problem to get on with it!

Highly Recommended!
This book is like a clear lamp knifing through the fog of business, saying that what really matters is developing one clear unified concept of your business, declaring who you are and what you do. The key to achieving this "unified truth" is information. Most companies stack information in silos represented by business units, so one part of the company doesn't know what the other parts are doing. Authors Mark Hurd and Lars Nyberg of the NCR global information technology firm make a cogent case that the key to overcoming this shortcoming is to take information out of scattered departments and develop centralized storage facilities for its collection, processing and retrieval. Armed with this base, this "unified truth," employees can become more customer-centric. One caveat, however, is that single view companies face the danger of tunnel vision. Sometimes companies need internal, competing views to be sure they consider the correct perspective. Although this book is an NCR public relations effort, it sets out a key point: if your firm isn't making information its top priority, you're could be falling behind the curve. We highly recommend this book to leaders and future leaders.

The 'Value Factor' is Information
Hurd and Nyberg call on their vast industry knowledge to provide corporate leaders with real-world examples from top companies around the globe where information gathering steers profitable business decisions.

This quick read (only 132 pages) provided me with the confidence I need to drive practices within my organization to get and maintain good information for decision-making purposes.

I was pleased to see leaders at Hurd and Nyberg's level, who really understand the value of a unified corporate vision based on levelheaded information management, are willing to share their insight.

This is a must-read for anyone making key business decisions! ... Read more

Book Description

The emphasis is on the way information technology is used and applied for problem solving; the new and emerging technologies as they are being implemented in real organizations; applications to personal and professional practice; and the challenges and opportunities of IT in international business situations.Beginning with an introduction to Information Technology, this book covers hardware, database, and network technologies; IT applications development; and current Information Technology issues.Those interested in keeping current with the development and applications of Information Technology. ... Read more

Book Description

Practical guidelines for an effective implementation of software development processes
Designed to ensure effective software development processes, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)--North America's leading standard for software development--requires companies to complete five steps, or levels, in the development process. But while it is widely adopted by Fortune 500 companies, many others get stuck at the initial planning stage. Focusing on Levels 2 and 3 of the CMM, this book helps readers to get over the hurdle of the two most problematic areas in this process--the project management and software development steps. It offers clear, step-by-step guidance on how to establish basic project management processes to track costs, schedules, and functionality; how to document, standardize, and integrate software processes; and how to improve software quality. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

capability Maturity Model
that is a nice book. basically this book is very useful for me as i am doing a research on it. and my topic is
Is Capability Maturity Model (CMM) really the best approach to Quality Assurance in India??

could you please help me about this topic as i need only few Indian companies using CMM(capability maturity model)

thank you
waiting for reply
prabha

good book for process engineers
This is a pretty interesting book as it has step by step instructions and guidelines for implementing the CMM up to level 3. If your organization is in a chaotic mode, here is a good place to start to see what to fix first. Also includes a set of example policies and procedures which can be modified to fit your needs.

Clear roadmap to levels 2 and 3
The author of this excellent book give a realistic roadmap to achieving CMM levels 2 and 3, which are major hurdles in capability maturity, especially level 2 from a culture-shock point of view.

What makes this book realistic is the way you're lead through the important steps, with a complete focus on what it takes instead of theory. The book starts off with an obligatory overview of the CMM, but quickly segues into the steps needed to attain level 2 (repeatable), which are creating the structures, processes, training program and policies. While each of these are important, I especially like the inclusion of policies because they are necessary to codify goals and are frequently overlooked. This section also includes subcontractor management, which is important for aligning those with whom you are using on projects with your own organizational capabilities. This makes sense because if your organization is repeatable and your subcontractor(s) aren't, then you either need to go shopping for more compatible subcontractors, or get dragged back into ad hoc approaches.

The same approach to graduating to level 3 is used, with slight changes. In the section that covers level 3 the first topic is about focusing on organizational process improvement, followed by an in-depth chapter on defining organization processes. These reflect the key changes between level 2's repeatable goals and level 3's focus on defined processes. After these are clearly and completely explained the same formula - structures, processes, training program and policies - is addressed for level 3.

Following the steps to get to levels 2 and 3, the next section is centered on implementation and assessment. This section prepares you for the assessment process itself, and offers excellent advice on how to get through it. Additional information of value is provided in appendices B (Annotated Level 2 Preassessment Questionnaire) and C (Samples of Level 2 Policies), both of which are provided in PDF format from the book's associated web site.

One key question that needs to be answered: Which is better, this book or CMM Implementation Guide: Choreographing Software Process Improvement by Kim Caputo? My opinion is that both books are equally important and both should be read because they cover two different aspects of attaining CMM levels 2 and above. This book concerns itself with the nuts and bolts of processes, where Caputo's book is more focused on organizational change. I recommend both books, and think that they nicely complement each other. ... Read more

Book Description

Foundations of Service Level Management provides detailed recommendations for creating a service level management strategy and establishing service level agreements. This book also shows IT managers and executives at third-party SLM companies how to deploy services more quickly, placing a premium on time tomarket and time to scale, become more service oriented, delivering guaranteed services through service-level agreements (SLAs), evolve from reactive network management to proactive service management, and reduce costs whenever possible by automating network and service management. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Where is your SLM these days?
In the old school of thought, the three most important rules in business were location, location, and location. In today's virtual world, the new rules are service, service, and service. Foundations of Service Level Management establishes a framework from which to address the SLM phenomenon. It is comprehensive, up-to-date, and embraces the actual and virtual complexities inherent in today's computing environments.

How well are we serving our customers? How well are we serving ourselves? How well are our vendors serving us? These are simple questions often extremely difficult to answer accurately, timely, and in an easy to understand manner. These perspectives lie at the heart of FoSLM's focus and, like a breath of fresh air, renews the SLM mindset.

As one manager of a large credit card company put it: "A fool with a tool is still a fool." FoSLM brings this point home by emphasizing that a plan must be in place before selecting the tool to make it happen. The number of companies offering SLM tools is approaching the three-digit mark. Because of this, it is vital that a company have their plan in place before shopping. Otherwise, like going to the supermarket hungry, you may wind up buying things you don't really need. And while you may eventually eat those other things, shelfware has the potential of costing time, money, and careers.

Drawing on decades of combined experience, the authors zero in on the concept of "end-to-end" metrics. This customer-centric view cannot be seen among the vast silos of vertically aligned data based on individual network components. These must be combined and related to business functions at the transaction level -- and reported in a manner the customer understands. Quality service, from the customer's viewpoint, is the prime directive.

For companies embarking on establishing or refurbishing their SLM programs, the FoSLM book is a must. There are strategies, tactics, and operations for building a game plan. There are examples, templates, and references in its appendix. Dozens of available SLM-related products are briefly discussed. To use an Emerilism, the FoSLM takes SLM and kicks it up a notch.

Dissapointed
I admit I was impressed by the table of contents of this book, and I admit I had no previous experience with the subject, but sure with the 'real life' of support services for a database company. Most of the book is devoted to review commercial software available on the market and for me, this is just enough to be dissapointed. There are better commercial magazines or even websites can provide you this information for free... Although some formulas and templates looks very interesting (that's why 2 stars), maybe should you consider a help desk book instead.

Among the best on the subject
This book is important for two reasons: (1) it's written by experienced practitioners who have specialized in service level management for a large part of their careers, and (2) it covers all of the key points of creating, implementing and managing an effective service level management initiative.

The five chapters of Part I thoroughly covers principles. One of the strongest chapters in this part is 2, which addresses factors and issues that other books (and articles and white papers) seem to sidestep. Among them are the effect of batch processing and workload on your ability to meet service level objectives, security, recovery management and costs/affordability. Lest you think that batch processing is a thing of the past, consider what it takes to refresh data warehouses and data marts, which depend on batch processing. Workload management, especially the balancing act of squeezing in batch jobs, back-ups and other tasks that need to occur in maintenance windows that are shrinking because the demands of e-commerce and supply chain management practically demand 24x7, is highlighted in this book as well. Other chapters in Part I that contained gems include: the report card summary in chapter 3 (service level reporting), the plethora of tips in chapter 4 (service level agreements) and the excellent collection of resources cited in chapter 5 (standards efforts).

Part II of the book is weak. It consists of a chapter on service level management practices for a selection of U.S. companies, and a chapter on service level management products. In my opinion this entire part of the book can be dispensed with because the authors have a web site that augments this book that provides a more up-to-date survey of practices in the U.S. and an additional survey that is global. The chapter on products was obsolete before the book was published. Again, the web site (URL is provided in the book) provides up-to-date information.

Part III is superb. It is a roadmap to developing, implementing and managing service levels, starting with chapter 8 that leads you through developing a business case. Chapter 9, implementing service level management, was a little light because the task is much larger than what the authors squeezed into the 14 pages allocated to this topic. Chapter 10 is devoted to data and metrics, which are essential to a viable service level management initiative. The remaining two chapters are a wrap-up; however, each is worth a thorough reading because there are gems of information and advice sprinkled throughout.

The appendices are forms and templates, which can also be obtained in soft copy from the authors' web site. Each of these artifacts are valuable and will save you a significant amount of time if you're starting from scratch.

I'm tempted to subtract a star for Part II's deficiencies, but I won't because this book still stands as the best I've read. Moreover, the authors make available updated information on their web page, which is something you cannot do with a paper book, and also provide a wealth of additional material that adds significantly to this book's value. My hope is the authors will trade the page count consumed by Part II for a more in-depth treatment of implementation in chapter 9.

Much-needed book on a neglected topic
There is a real dearth of books that deal with service level management from an IT pespective, which makes this a "must-have" for consultants, production services managers and others in IT whose job involves service delivery.

The book is straightforward and puts service level management into perspective. It addresses all key process areas for establishing, implementing and managing service delivery. Also provided are artifacts from the authors' web site that are invaluable to anyone who is in the process of implementing SLM.

I especially like the business case approach taken to quantify the value of a sound service delivery program, and also thought that treament of how to negotiate a service level agreement was a highlight of this book.

Why 4 stars instead of 5? Some of the URLs provided in the book either were dead or led to sites that did not provide valuable content.

If service delivery is your business I strongly recommend this book. There are two companion books that should also be on your book shelf: IT Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing (the material complements this book) and Mission Critical Systems Managemet (also complements this book, but also has an excellent SLA template and addresses SLM in a comprehensive manner).

you've read the book, now visit www.nextslm.org-
"Foundations of Service Level Management" (the book)has spawned a significant website- the world's only Service Level Management learning community. The book mentions the website- almost as an afterthought by the publisher, but believe me it is worth it!

The book not only explains how to implement Service Level Management (SLM), it also points out how to avoid common pitfalls. The web-site takes their efforts online

Nextslm.org is an educational zone- you can post comments and questions to the authors along w/ other industry experts on SLM.

The site also provides:

- a benchmark tool which helps you assess the state of your organisational SLM efforts

- specific recommendations for developing a Service Level Management discipline

- templates for building Service Level Agreements

- guidelines to shorten the process of negotiating a Service Level Agreement

- sample business justifications supporting Service Level Management investments

- a comprehensive list of vendor products used for Service Level Management

- an ongoing discussion group

- a free report: "Service Level Management- North America Survey 2000"

- links to SLM/SLA resources

- a featured "ASP of the Month"

and much more...

Visit the site, read more about it and learn why SLM is a critical core competence in the New Economy! A "must-read" if you're an IT manager, an ASP exec, or an enterprise business-process owner, a dotcom dude- or even if you're just an e-wannabee :-) ... Read more

Book Description

Building Accounting Systems Using Access 2003 gives students the unique opportunity toperform a central role in ensuring that the accounting systems they use, audit, and help design will deliver timely, accurate, and complete information. Valuable hands-on experience reinforces accounting system principles while promoting accountingefficiency and transparency that managers and decision-makers expect. This text is a powerful tool that you can give your students to help them bring accounting systems into a focused perspective. ... Read more

Book Description

Take the mystery–and anxiety–out of maximizing IT value

It is not unusual for companies to scrupulously analyze a fifty-dollar expense report, yet blithely commit millions of dollars to Information Technology projects that statistics show fail over 500f the time. Making Technology Investments Profitable: ROI Road Map to Better Business Cases applies the authors proven VALUE-on-Demand™ methods to maximizing the business payoff from IT projects.

Jack Keen and Bonnie Digrius’s forward-thinking study provides an abundance of practical tools, tips, and techniques for elevating the role of ROI-savvy business cases to become a firm’s prime driver of improved payoff from IT investments. The book shows managers how to:

• Formulate simple, but powerful ROI business cases that help maximize the value from IT investments
• Develop easy-to-install procedures for selecting and prioritizing competing IT investments
• Implement straightforward methods for tracking IT value during implementation and operation

The authors include examples and case studies gleaned from their experiences in applying their VALUE-on-Demand™ methods to over 200 projects in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Making Technology Investments Profitable: ROI Road Map to Better Business Cases provides a welcome, essential guide for CFOs, CIOs, IT managers, business unit managers, IT sellers, and consultants interested in applying simple, but powerful techniques for enhancing IT value.

"The value proposition of technology has always been about reducing cost or increasing revenue. In this book, Jack Keen and Bonnie Digrius show companies how to ensure that technology is really doing that. Making Technology Investments Profitable is direct and straightforward advice, highly recommended for companies and vendors alike."
–Craig A. Conway, President and Chief Executive Officer, PeopleSoft® inc.

"An extraordinary, practical, how-to-do-it book. The authors have been there, have the battle scars, and have an important message to communicate and do so with great impact. It should be on every CIO’s and project manager’s desktop."
–F. Warren McFarlan, Professor, Harvard Business School

"This book is packed full of practical techniques for measuring and powerfully communicating ROI. Every company, large or small, must justify their products or services to both their sales prospects and internal executives. Every businessperson needs this book!"
–Christine Comaford Lynch, General Partner, Novus Ventures

"Authors Keen and Digrius have created a powerful ensemble of topics that remove the stigma of traditional ROI process as well as offering a rare blend of conventional wisdom combined with practical guidelines, useful appendices, charts, checklists, and anecdotal user experiences. Comprehensive and complete, this book provides a litany of techniques for project success."
–Paul C. Tinnirello, Executive Vice President, Information Services Division, A. M. Best Company ... Read more

Reviews (12)

5 stars!
This book was sent to me from a friend in San Jose. She thought I would gain a basic idea of how to implement these TCO methods. Well this book is the beginning of my exploration into strategic TCO initiatives. I plan to have two or three of my senior managers read it!

I've Profited Already
This book was worth the price I paid for it even before I reached page 10. I've spent 15 years in the business analysis office of a major corporation funding internal projects. This book confirms what I've been doing and adds what seems to be another 15 years of experience. It organizes the process so that my job has gotten a lot easier, a lot quicker and is percieved as being fair. The book reveals successful techniques the authors have personally implemented for their cleints. These people have insight and they know what works in the real world.

Raises the bar in business case development
I have a pile of books that address the same subject and would not have picked this one up if a colleague had not persistently badgered me into reading it. Instead of yet another tome on business cases, ROI and value, I discovered what to me is the absolute best book on the following three areas:

(1) business case development - the authors shine here by showing how to craft a realistic business case that does look at the important factors and benefits. More importantly, you're shown how NOT to write a business case, and common problems with too many business cases that are presented (and all-too-often accepted). This aspect of the book alone raises the bar in business case development.

(2) properly computing ROI that is real - in many organizations ROI is a forbidden word and NPV used instead. One reason for this is it's rarely computed correctly. Before reading this book I used ROI as a quick and dirty gage, but always looked to NPV as the deciding factor when exploring the feasibility to a project or solution. The way the authors expose fallacies of improper ROI computation, and how to avoid them is invaluable, and will restore credibility to ROI as a realistic indicator.

(3) assuring value - the VALUE-on-Demand approach the authors propose is a straightforward method for evaluating, selecting and prioritizing projects. This methodology has no flaws that I can find, and will add structure, clarity and process to governance.

Regardless of your experience, there is much to learn from this book. It can serve as a company 'how-to' guide and standard as is with little-to-no tailoring, and represents the best book I own on business case development and determining ROI. It's also one of the best books on establishing a viable governance program I've read.

A must have on every IT manager desk
Have you ever been in situations where you are asked to implement some project and all that back it up are some fuzzy logics?
Discussion is going nowhere because no one is able to get beyond gut feel to show real benefits?

Well, I had. And until I encounter this book, it was a struggling process.

This book's step by step method make it all clear how to justify a project, what are the right question to ask, how to get people all aligned. Suddenly a framework appears, a road map indeed that guides all the discussions and leads to conclusion.

The best I like about it is how to get from intangible to tangible. From just premise to prove. How you can justify user request that goes "We want this system because it improve our efficient". "Yeah right, so does dozen others that want to get implemented"

Get this book.

Great Book!
After this book I feel that much more prepared to tackle my clients ROI expectations. Out with the spreadsheets and in with these new ways. ... Read more

Book Description

Intelligent IT Outsourcing enables practitioners to focus in on the essential issues that need to be addressed so that the fundamental structure of their sourcing strategy and its implementation is sound. The authors provide insight into the challenges likely to be faced and give detailed advice on how to pre-empt and manage these.


IT and outsourcing continue to be problematic, not least because fundamental learning about this subject fails to be applied systematically, and because IT is inherently difficult to manage. The economics are not obvious and emerging technologies have to be addressed, therefore IT goes to the heart of many enterprises and interfaces with multiple business units and processes, and there are continuous skills shortages.

Unfortunately complexities are not removed in outsourced situations where additional problems come into play, for example the supplier's capabilities, whether the IT is right for an outsourcing solution, and whether the contract is robust but flexible enough to allow for outsourcing to take place. Objectives need to be realistic, and factors such as whether the internal management is mature and capable enough in this field, and the impact of prohibitive switching costs on behaviour once an outsourcing deal has been signed all have to be taken into account.

The authors have built up over two decades of research, advisory and practitioner experience that enables them to distil the fundamental challenges in IT and outsourcing and demonstrate how these can be addressed.

* Focuses on the fundamentals of what should be done and what should be avoided, based on actual experience applied in major IT outsourcing deals
* Research findings and case examples included throughout to support recommended practices
* Written by highly experienced, internationally acknowledged experts in the field ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Getting it right
In the area of outsourcing there are many texts, but few that make it simple to achieve the outsourcing goals an organisation requires. This text is comprehensive, but lays out the process to achieve a successful outcome in a logical and clear manner. It will allow you to undertake IT outsourcing activities inside your organisation while minimising the use of expensive external consultants.

It also focuses on the successful running of the contract once the outsourcing has been completed as this is an area many other texts fall down in. The most impressive part of this book is its focus on the end of contract transition out of the outsourcing deal you create. Regardless of whether it is sucessful or not, at some stage the contract will be re-market tested. It is here that many errors occur resulting in costly delays and degredation of service performance.

If you want a text that relates to the delivery of real world outsourcing outcomes - this is the one for you.

Outsourcing Delight
As an Outsourcing Professional a book of this nature is long overdue. It is an insightful presentation, clearly written by an expert in the field. It provides a clear and concise framework on which to build methodologies and arms the reader with the knowledge to go forth and conquer.

This book is a must have for anyone in the IT Outsourcing game no matter what level of the food chain.

Very insightful book!
Ms Cullen really knows her stuff when it comes to Outsourcing! I found this book a very comprehensive and useful reference. I think the fact that it is already "dog-eared" and littered with "post-it-notes" is a testament to that!

Great practical book
I found this book to be very useful. It allowed me to stay one step ahead of the suppliers. It provided a flexible, but thorough framework that I could easily adapt to different current situations. I had led a few outsourcing projects previously and wish I had it back then! ... Read more

Book Description

In many organizations, Information Technology (IT) has become crucial in the support, the sustainability and the growth of the business. This pervasive use of technology has created a critical dependency on IT that calls for a specific focus on IT Governance. IT Governance consists of the leadership and organizational structures, processes and relational mechanisms that ensure that the organization’s IT sustains and extends the organization’s strategy and objectives. Strategies for Information Technology Governance records and interprets some important existing theories, models and practices in the IT Governance domain and aims to contribute to the understanding of IT Governance. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rich compendium with wide scope
The collection of essays that comprise this book cover the full spectrum of IT governance thought and practice. There is no single prescriptive approach to IT governance set forth in this book, but instead, approaches that address a single facet of governance, which can be used as a resource for ideas and practices.

There are fourteen essays grouped under the following topics areas:
- IT Governance Frameworks
- Performance Management as IT Governance Mechanism
- Other IT Governance Mechanisms
- IT Governance in Action

Among the most thought-provoking (in my opinion) essays are: Assessing Business-IT Alignment Maturity, Measuring and Managing E-Business Initiatives through the Balanced Scorecard, Technical Issues Related to IT Governance Tactics: Product Metrics, Measurements and Process, and Governance in IT Outsourcing Partnerships.

Major standards are also addressed (see the essay titled, "Governing Information Technology through COBIT"). My only disappointment is there was no contributions by Peter Weill or Jeanne Ross, both of whom have coauthored an excellent book on IT governance titled "IT Governance: How Top Performers Manage IT Decision Rights for Superior Results" ISBN 1591392535. Overall, this is an outstanding book for senior management who are crafting an IT governance strategy. ... Read more

Book Description

This title presents students with real-world system analysis skills and techniques within the framework of the systems development life cycle (SDLC).Examples and cases are drawn from actual systems projects that enable students to learn in the context of solving problems, much like the ones they will encounter on the job.Students will find concepts easy to understand through the clear writing style combined with figures that illustrate current technology and concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Good overview of SAD but not good for serious SAD study
For beginners to Systems Analysis & Design I would recommend this textbook, however do not rely on this for a serious study of Systems Analysis & Design. This book is easy to read, but the "This technique is so great, note - there are some disadvantages" can get annoying at times. Maybe this book could be used as an overview of SAD for managers. Also, the Student Study Guide provided on CD-ROM with the text is not useful for quick review of the text for an exam as each chapter takes up 80 slides and each review of each chapter takes a while to read.

Comprehensive Introduction
Ok, firstly this book has excellent presentation and pedagogy. Somebody took some serious care to ensure this book is visually pleasing and well organized. It contains a CD-rom with summaries of each chapter as well as well as weblinks, glossaries of each chapter and chapter outlines. There are no design tools CASE tools however.

Content: This book is a very good introduction to systems analysis and design: the operative word being INTRODUCTION. It paints a very broad picture in reasonable detail. There are enough examples and explanation to be able to extrapolate how to do very basic structured systems analysis. Object oriented analysis on the other hand while covered, is done so in a fairly rudimentary manner (in a toolkit- ie. appendix- rather than in the body of the book). This book is less about the mechanics of how and more about the why and why not and what you're likely to need before you do do some systems analysis. Personally I think the book by WHitten (isbn 0072552360) provides more bang for your buck in that it covers functional decomposition, functional primitives, decision tables, databases, ERDs, prototyping, OO analysis and design in greater depth and with more reality and for significantly less money. WHitten is far less accessible though, the price of being far more technical than this one- and it is fairly old now. This book is very accessible, but that comes at the cost of content. If you want deeper how-to, try Whitten...if you want a easier overview then try this. However the price is quite significant for this book.

Pedagogy wise, this book is very good. Lots of pratical examples and expositions of real life situations, review questions (no answers) directions to a web site to chase down further understanding and knowledge. A case study permeates the book which makes it very accessible because the case study I found was interesting and quite 'likely'. The toolkits (ie. appendices) are quite interesting, if somewhat 'lite'. To me, they seemed more of a checklist and point of reference than a substantive learning source.

So, in all, a nice, neat book, if rather expensive though. Look at it if you're looking for a broad overview and/or a jumping off point for systems analysis and design. ELsewhere may provide you with work of a more concrete, down to brass-tacks (leveling) nature. It can also serve as a reasonable adjunct to a more technical text, to clarify concepts and provide a philosophical overview of systems analysis and design as well as clarifying some concepts in a clear, concise way. It probably won't teach you 'deep thought' systems analysis and design however.

Good High Level Introduction to Software Engineering
This is a very digestable text for an introductory class to software analysis and engineering. I particularly liked its parallel between traditional structured and OO analysis. It is very readable. My only criticism is that it should have had the discussion on CMM and other development models to set the tone earlier on the importance of this material to the industry.

Good for students
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The book covers a broad spectrum of systems issues and is a good introduction for the aspiring systems analyst. Systems Analysis and Design would go well in a classroom setting as it does well to outline and explain the roles, environment, and tools of a systems analyst.

The book was written to help prepare the reader for the Master CIW Enterprise Developer certification exam (Database Specialist).

Excellent Book
The text book was prescribed for the Course that I attended.
It is an excellent book! It is easy to read, got plenty of practical case studies, review questions, quality graphics, etc. The subject has been well researched and written in an easy to follow format.
I found the on-line sites useful and powerful. Plenty of referals, etc.
Excellent Book!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Information retrieval is a communication process that links the information user to a librarian, museum curator, fingerprint identification specialist, or whoever is in charge of a collection of what we are calling documents. The communication will normally involve the processing of text, strings of words known to both parties in the process that can be used to describe a document's content and other attributes and link it with a need expressed in similar terms. This book's purpose is to teach people who will be searching or designing text retrieval systems how the systems work. For designers, it covers problems they will face and reviews currently available solutions to provide a basis for more advanced study. For the searcher its purpose is to describe why such systems work as they do. The book is primarily about computer-based retrieval systems, but the principles apply to nonmechanized ones as well.
The book covers the nature of information, how it is organized for use by a computer, how search functions are carried out, and some of the theory underlying these functions. As well, it discusses the interaction between user and system and how retrieved items, users, and complete systems are evaluated. A limited knowledge of mathematics and of computing is assumed.
The first edition of this work appeared just before the World Wide Web came on the scene, but was nonetheless a student favorite because of its clarity. The new edition is updated and expanded, covering not only the Web but also new developments in how IR systems are or could be designed.

Key Features
* Helps users understand why things happen the way they do and thus aids users in designing new systems, evaluating systems before use, and teaching or using IR systems
* Provides an understanding of basic principles so that users may read, understand, and evaluate detailed works such as the many research papers on this topic
* Explains complex mathematical models so that readers may become familiar with the underlying mathematical concepts of IR systems ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Text Information Retrieval Systems
This book in question, i.e., Text Information Retrieval Systems
by Charles Meadow (Author), et al ,demystifies the process of searching a database with a computer in order to retrieve information from texts or abstracts. For graduate students in library or computer science; a knowledge of a programming language and elementary algebra would be helpful, but only a passing familiarity with information technology is essential. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The premise of Improving Data Warehouse and Business Information Quality is that the quality of information stored in a database is just as measurable as the quality of the cars that come off an assembly line. Furthermore, database managers can take steps to ensure that their databases collect the best possible information.

This is a dense book, loaded with management jargon, statistical analysis, and complicated flow diagrams. You won't succeed in skimming casually through it, and you will probably get more out of the book if you have some experience with quantitative management techniques.

Regardless, this book makes excellent reading for those taking the holistic approach to database design, in which a good database considers where the information comes from, how it is used, and what results come from that use. English covers some methods for extracting information from various sources--through surveys and other methods--before launching into an elaborate discussion of information-quality metrics. --David Wall ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Keeps On Helping
Every time I put the book back on the shelf, I wind up taking it down a day later to refer to it. Every chapter is jammed full of value. For those of us who are responsible for information quality initiatives, chapter 7, Measuring Nonquality Information Costs, is a must read. If you want to know how defective your data is, then read chapter 6, Information Quality Assessment, to learn how to measure and quantify your information problems. Concerned about the cultural issues in your organization? Chapter 13, Implementing an Information Quality Improvement Environment, will get you started in the right direction. If you are a "knowledge worker," supervisor, CIO, or on the business or IT side, this book is for you.

An important and unique work
This is an important and unique work that addresses a big problem: data quality. Why is this a problem? Data warehouses are proliferating at a dizzying rate. Since data warehouses are fed by production databases, many of which are legacy systems, the poor quality of existing data quickly becomes [painfully] apparent. I spent the last half of 2000 bringing data warehouses into production and can attest to this sorry fact. However, the author drives home this point in chapter 1, titled "High Costs of Low-Quality Data" by giving nearly three pages of eye-opening examples from real life. This alone should inspire anyone responsible for data integrity or quality, or who uses data to carefully read this book.

The big question is "what is quality"? Specifically, "what is information quality"? Answers to these basic questions are given early in the book, and sets the tone for what follows. The foundation of data quality is carefully built by how the author applies quality principles to information, which segues into a chapter on improving information quality. It quickly becomes obvious that Mr. English is a Deming fan - although I am more in the Juran camp, I like the way that the author places data and information quality into a recognizable framework.

Things get interesting in the chapters on assessing data and information quality. The two chapters devoted to this subject are strengthened by the chapter on measuring the costs of non quality. This is a great foundation for a business case for data and information quality improvement, which can be expensive.

The rest of the book is a step-by-step approach to getting data quality under control using data reengineering and cleansing; proactive measures for data defect prevention, and how to establish an information quality environment.

Although I found every chapter to be both informative and thought provoking, I particularly liked the concept of information stewardship (this goes far in aligning IT and business, and places roles and responsibilities where they belong), and the chapter on implementing a quality improvement environment. This is especially valuable because it clearly outlines the critical success factors and steps needed to get there.

Who should read this book? Obviously DBAs, data architects and anyone else responsible for designing and implementing data warehouses. It should also be read by key business process owners because they, after all, own the data (or should) and depend on it as the basis for information. In fact, Mr. English's approach and writing make this book highly accessible to non-technical readers, which is probably the book's most valuable aspect. I personally believe that this book is the best on the subject and strongly recommend it.

Answers Business Executives Concerns on Data Warehousing
Data warehousing conjures many myths - both technical and business. Seldom is a marriage of business and technical skills more necessary than in data warehousing implementations.

Many data warehousing books wax on the technical issues and requirements - such as data extraction, modeling etc. These are important and bring great benefits to any implementing team. However, till recently, there has not been a good book to follow through on the data warehousing implementation.

The business benefits and how it can be enhanced from data warehousing are discussed in Larry English's book. Many reader, will no doubt, have data warehousing implementations and will want to enhance the investment. This is the book for you.

Understanding the business is an almost primordial instinct that a data warehouse designer must have. Mr. English's book will enhance on this instinct and also give tips on cutting cost and finding areas of additional business value.

Please let me know if you found this review helpful - contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. Thank you.

This is a "must-have" guide
Some books belong on a shelf in the library; not this one! As a quality practitioner, this book stays on my desk where it belongs - in active use! "Improving Data Warehouse and Business Information Quality" is a 518 page source of enlightenment and should be considered mandatory reading; not only for Data Warehouse professionals but for every knowledge worker and business manager. This book "delivers the goods" and then goes the extra mile by transcending industries and corporate levels to promote a deep understanding of quality concepts. Not only does Larry use relevant examples to show causes and effects of poor quality, he also shares practical advice that is meaningful and can be readily implemented. Larry's writing style and human component make reading this book very enjoyable and thought provoking. I have used this book for over four years and found no other book to be as relevant and useful.

Data is an Asset
I have been an information systems professional for several years now and I am happy to see that there is finally a focus on data as the asset it truly is. If I could put "certified data" on the Balance sheet as a separate line item, I would. I have been reading your book "Improving Data Warehouse and Business Information Quality" over the past several weeks and I have this ear-to-ear grin that some peers find disturbing. (Why does he get so excited about data?) High Quality Data=success. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very Helpful.
I found this book to be extremely helpful in assisting me understand Knowledge Management. I believe the book was very easy to read and understand for a 'layman' like myself. Alot of books out there are very technical or directed to people in the academic arena, not this one. Anybody looking for a book to explain KM, I strongly recommend this book as it is balanced by not being too simplistic or too deep.
For me is was money well spent

Cheers
nv

An excellent intro to the basics of KM
Looking for a concise jargon-free guide to implementation of knowledge management processes and culture in your company? This book is your best bet for an easy-to-read guide to KM roadmaps, management roles, support infrastructure, and cultural change issues.

In contrast to the more serious and academic tomes on KM, this guide is written in a refreshingly witty, humourous and 'in-your-face' manner, with numerous sidebars, checklists, and reminders.

The 25 chapters are divided into 6 sections: basic foundations, KM strategy, IT infrastructure, change management, KM measurement, and potential pitfalls.

The first section briefly covers some of the key literature and pioneers in KM, such as Karl-Erik Sveiby, Peter Drucker, Tom Stewart, Michael Polyani, Ikujiro Nonaka, Peter Senge, David Gavin, and Etienne Wenger - as well as some of the earliest conferences (held by Ernst&Young, Arthur Andersen, and APQC).

"KM refers to the systematic processes by which knowledge needed for an organization to succeed is created, captured, shared, and leveraged," Rumizen begins. KM draws on numerous concepts and processes like shared vision, team learning, mental models, systems thinking, and intellectual capital.

KM is key for companies that seek to increase efficiency, cut costs, innovate, preserve and enhance organizational memory, and operate on a global scale in an environment of high employee churn rate as well as accelerating mergers and acquisitions. Merely gathering all kinds of business information may lead to "data junkyards" if a focus on actionable knowledge is not adhered to.

According to Nonaka's "knowledge spiral" model of knowledge evolution in a company, there are four conversion processes: socialization (tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge), externalization (tacit to explicit), combination (explicit to explicit), and internalization (explicit to tacit).

IT approaches particularly shine in the combination process, where explicit knowledge in documents, email and databases can be manipulated to create new kinds of knowledge. "Without the quality of connectivity and the simplicity and commonality offered by the software interface to application that is provided by an Intranet, an organisation's ability to create, share, capture and leverage knowledge is stuck in the Stone Age, just above the level of typewriters, faxes and snail mail," says Rumizen.

Studies show that companies focusing on explicit knowledge tend to devote more time and effort on codification and maintenance of content and knowledge, whereas a focus on tacit knowledge involves more of connecting people.

Rumizen advises companies to start with a pilot or several pilots with clearly defined objectives, and then scale up depending on the lessons learned. New roles will need to be created, both within a core KM group as well as throughout the organization. A steering committee including senior members of diverse backgrounds - and possibly external consultants as well - is a critical success factor.

The real killer application for KM is the communities of practice, with clearly defined activities, roles (especially community coordinator), and connections support infrastructure. This includes a best practices database, lessons learned database, expertise finders and corporate yellow pages (which list employee qualifications, experience, network affiliations, project experience).

Communities of practice are known by various catchy names like Learning Networks (in HP), Best Practice Teams (Chevron), Family Groups (Xerox), COINS (Ernst&Young's community of interest networks), and Thematic Groups (World Bank). Corporate yellow pages have been known variously as PeopleNet (Texaco) and Connect (BP).

Many companies now have full-time positions for Chief Knowledge Officers (CKOs), who often have had a prior role as a CIO, librarian, academic, IT engineer, or independent consultant. A good CKO has an entrepreneurial streak, is a good communicator, can negotiate well, benchmarks new ideas, and is IT savvy. Other KM roles and titles include KM architects, KM managers, KM stewards, KM researchers, and KM brokers.

One section of the book focuses on IT infrastructure like electronic whiteboards, Intranets, content management, and knowledge taxonomies, but the treatment of actual KM architectures - particularly for large enterprises - is quite weak.

The section on change management touches on rewards and recognition for KM system usage and inputs, training programs, marketing the KM idea, effective design principles for KM Intranet interfaces, telling springboard stories (as exemplified in Steve Denning's book "The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge Era Organisations"), and moving from awareness to commitment to passion for KM.

The "Achilles heel" of KM, according to Rumizen, is measurement of performance beyond mere anecdotes. Quantitative and qualitative metrics for actionable understanding should target RoI, barriers to sharing of knowledge, employee attitude, level of knowledge standardization, KM systems maturity level, and assessment of intellectual capital and knowledge assets.

Numerous organizational measurement tools have cropped up here, such as Balanced Scorecard (financial results, customers, internal business processes, and learning). Other tools and benchmarks have been proposed by APQC, Celemi, Skandia Navigator, and Intellectual Capital Index.

The final section covers some of the challenges and roadblocks that typically arise in KM systems, such as cultural differences in knowledge sharing across a global enterprise, poor linkages between KM and business strategy, lack of IT scalability and interoperability, inadequate training, lack of employee support, and improper measurement.

The book offers numerous anecdotes and case studies of KM in action. "A successful KM program usually takes several years," according to Rumizen.

Thanks to KM practices, Ford Motor Company has cut costs in areas like brake installation, and Chevron saved operating costs of $2 billion in 2000.

In sum, a good KM strategy must incorporate vision, top-level sponsorship, alignment with business objectives, and clarity of scope. The focus of the initiative could be on entire corporate culture, introduction of new business lines, new markets, organizational restructuring, M&As, or new leadership. The balance between innovation and reuse is a critical success factor for any KM effort.

>>>>>>>

Madanmohan Rao is the author of "The Asia-Pacific Internet Handbook" ...

Essential tool
I work on implementing KM strategy, and always have this book at hand. It is an excellent, practical guide which I couldn't do without. I own many bookson KM and this is by far the most useful one. Well done to the author!

Ideal for KM Beginners!
I'm new to a Knowledge Management role and was searching desperately for a book to give me more background information... this was it! Concise, very easy to read and with some inspiring examples about how KM can work within a variety of environments.

With this book by my side, I'm now ready to start trying to make a difference!!

Start Here!
New to knowledge management? Already deep in the throes of a knowledge initiative, but hitting the sticky spots? Then this is a must read. As a leader and strategist in two successful implementations Melissie Rumizen obviously knows the realities of bringing this new management focus into an organization. Yet, she brings deep understanding of the principles as theories as one who was in on the new thinking around knowledge and intangibles from the beginning. Everything in this book is tried, true, and respected in the field. The author has synthesized and simplied the best practices and theory from a variety of sources and experiences, laying out the path forward in a clear, direct and good humored style that will make this one of the key guides for successful knowledge initiatives. ... Read more

Book Description

The new Sixth Edition is designed for business students who are or who will soon become business professionals in the fast changing business world of today. The goal of this text is to help business students learn how to use and manage information technologies to revitalize business processes, improve business decision making, and gain competitive advantage. Thus it places a major emphasis on up-to-date coverage of the essential role of Internet technologies in providing a platform for business, commerce, and collaboration processes among all business stakeholders in today's networked enterprises and global markets. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive overview of knowledge management, now available in paperback

This influential book establishes the enduring vocabulary and concepts in the burgeoning field of knowledge management.It serves as the hands-on resource of choice for companies that recognize knowledge as the only sustainable source of competitive advantage going forward.

Drawing from their work with more than 30 knowledge-rich firms, Davenport and Prusak—experienced consultants with a track record of success—examine how all types of companies can effectively understand, analyze, measure, and manage their intellectual assets, turning corporate wisdom into market value.They categorize knowledge work into four sequential activities—accessing, generating, embedding, and transferring—and look at the key skills, techniques, and processes of each.While they present a practical approach to cataloging and storing knowledge so that employees can easily leverage it throughout the firm, the authors caution readers on the limits of communications and information technology in managing intellectual capital. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

KEY LESSONS OF MAKING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT WORK
If you are like most people, you are a victim of "stalled" thinking about how to make knowledge transfer work better in your organization. As the authors point out, many people believe things that will not work in practice, such as "build it and they will come" from a technology resource sharing perspective that all one needs to do is have the resource available. Unlike the theory about knowledge management, Davenport and Prusak have investigated many organizations to learn what does and does not work. Unlike some books that are no more than a few case histories strung together, the authors concisely use examples to examplify the key points of what they have learned. In their parlance, this book is full of "knowledge" rather than just "information" or "data." They are also astute observers, and notice things that many might miss. A key example of their astuteness is the observation that those who are expected to share must be given some meaningful incentive to do so. In these days of downsizing, rightsizing, etc., those with knowledge often see that knowledge as a security blanket for an economic livelihood. You have to provide some incentive to share that matches or exceeds the incentive to hoard knowledge. You need to read and understand the lessons of this book if you want to get further along in using the knowledge that is available (both in and outside of your company) to achieve greater results. A terrific book on the related subject of how to create new knowledge and use that knowledge to then create much greater results is "The 2,000 Percent Solution."

A solid overview
While this book summarized the concept of working knowledge with thoughtfulness and communicated these concepts clearly, it is not a comprehensive step-by-step instruction guide for knowledge management. Also, the book examples from organizations seemed more like a portfolio of successes or resume of experiences by the authors rather than serving as a means to more clearly covey working knowledge in action. While the examples did allow the reader to delve into more areas of working knowledge and better understand it in action, the parallel of how one would implement such strategy in one's own workplace was not nearly explored. All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and feels it serves a good, basic introduction into working knowledge. It covers what knowledge is, who has it, who uses and needs it, what skills are necessary to form and manage it, cultural and other issues related to knowledge management, ways to incorporate it (with or without technology) into the workplace, and what measurements can be used. The measurements area was a little weak. But, again, the absence of true measurement analysis and instruction remind the reader that this is a book intended for a solid look and understanding of knowledge management--not a comprehensive guide for implements and assessing it within an or