Comments for The IT Value Challenge

Comment on Go to the “Gemba” by Rich Goidel

Rich Goidel — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:47:40 +0000

Good post Matt. I’ve worked with, and in, a number of IT-related areas over the years, both as a director and as the liaison “wearing out his shoes.” In my experience, relationships between IT and the rest of the office are often strained because neither camp “gets” the other very well; going to “gemba” goes a long way toward common understanding and shared goals. Companies would also do well to seek out a few individuals who are both right- and left-brained to bridge the gaps.

I’d also like to add that this isn’t confined to IT and sales; companies, by their very nature, easily become silos. A significant effort to spend time in other realms can yield dramatic results for anyone.

Comment on You Should Challenge Technology Vendors’ Fine Print by CIOUpdate: Being Unreasonable With Software Vendors | The IT Value Challenge

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:44:39 +0000

[...] In fact, a case study from that conversation featured in one of Jeff’s earlier articles, You Should Challenge Technology Vendors’ Fine Print: While working with a client to select and contract an outsourced IT services vendor, I noted that [...]

Comment on Returns on annual IT investment… the math isn’t pretty by Returns on annual IT investment… the math gets even uglier | The IT Value Challenge

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:08:12 +0000

[...] up” spending falls into non value-creating categories. Together, this suggests returns on annual IT spending is on-track to decrease — which could have dire impacts on companies’ willingness to make strategic IT [...]

Comment on The “new normal” requires further IT spending cuts despite economic recovery by Bob Kantor

Bob Kantor — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:02:56 +0000

Re” “strategic efforts to reduce non-value IT spending…”

All the examples in the post are great ideas that most of us can leverage. In addition, effectively assessing which IT spending has higher value and which has lower, requires aligning IT programs and capabilities with the firm’s business processes. (One approach is the use of an IT Services Catalog.) The strategic value of each of those business processes then implies the value of each of the IT services and related spend.

Comment on A CFO Speaks: Three Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching IT Spending by Bob Kantor

Bob Kantor — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:50:48 +0000

Another way to ensure that this error does not occur is to consider every technology project or investment as a component in a more fundamental business change initiative. I.e., what is the underlying business change (or changes) that the project will enable? When we focus on that first, we are more likely to make an effective business case that is relevant to the project’s real stakeholders.

Comment on Protect IT budgets by reallocating non value-creating IT spending by The “new normal” requires further IT spending cuts despite economic recovery | The IT Value Challenge

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:09:12 +0000

[...] previous articles, The IT Value Challenge discussed protecting IT budgets by reallocating non-value creating IT spend to efforts creating tangible business value and maximizing available IT funding by recapturing a portion of non-value creating IT spend. Even [...]

Comment on New member appointed to the ISACA 2010 IT GRC Conference Task Force by Disaster Recovery Planning – How Far is Far Enough? | The IT Value Challenge

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:40:27 +0000

[...] The IT Value Challenge’s author shares with CIOUpdate.Com readers an interesting consideration when planning the location of disaster recovery facilities and provides a useful guideline to follow in this article by versatile and engaging IT writer Pam Baker. Also featured in this article is Brian Barnier of ValueBridge Advisors - an IT governance, risk and compliance visionary and fellow member of ISACA’s IT Governance Forum. [...]

Comment on Protect IT budgets by reallocating non value-creating IT spending by Recapture IT spend to increase available IT funding | The IT Value Challenge

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:00:35 +0000

[...] a previous article, The IT Value Challenge discussed protecting IT budgets by reallocating non-value creating IT spend to efforts creating tangible business value. While that approach can protect or even expand IT budgets, it may not be enough. A second [...]