Apple Inc.Silvia JimenezJacob PaizNadine AnsonINF220Pr.docx

Apple Inc.
Silvia Jimenez
Jacob Paiz
Nadine Anson
INF220
Professor Juliana Zimmerman
August 5, 2019
The History of Apple Inc.
The founders of Apple were Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
They were introduced in 1971 by a mutual friend who later
became one of Apple’s earliest employees Bill Fernandez
(Macworld, 2017). Both men shared a passion for technology
and worked together on several projects such as “blue boxes”
which allowed you to make long distance calls free of charge
and the Atari arcade game (Macworld, 2017). The two men
quickly recognized what they were capable of if they worked
together and decided to go into business and founded Apple
Computers Inc., in April 1976.
Apple’s mission statement has changed over the years as they
recognize the industry continues to change. Apple’s most
recent mission statements is “Apple designs Macs, the best
personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork
and professional software. Apple leads the digital music
revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has
reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and
App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and
computing devices with iPad” (Panmore, 2019).

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Steve Wozniak created his first computer using a kind of
typewriter keyboard and the ability to connect to a regular TV
screen. The computer was the prototype for what was to come.
Steve Wozniak named it the Apple I.
2
Apple’s Competitive Advantage
To gain a competitive advantage a business’s product or service
must stand out from the rest in that industry (Valacich &
Schneider, 2016). Competitive advantage can be achieved by
applying one of four generic strategies (cost leadership,
differentiation, niche (focus), and stuck in the middle. As
stated by Michael Porter (2004), a stuck in the middle strategy
is unlikely to achieve a competitive advantage.
Apple incorporates innovation, differentiation, and a focus on
customers to attain a competitive edge over its competitors.
Apple is consistently upgrading its devices to outperform the
competition. The company prides itself on five marketing
points which are better hardware, better software, better
operating system, better support, and its devices are compatible
to similar devices manufactured by other makers (Sahoo, 2012).
Apple’s Innovation and Differentiation Stands Out
Apple is known for producing long-lasting, well-built devices
using beautiful materials such as aluminum and glass (Sahoo,

2012). The company includes the latest technology, powerful
processors, advanced graphics, and fast memory in all its
products (Sahoo, 2012). Apple products are relatively more
expensive than other brand names but due to its customer
loyalty the company continues to see profits. The organization
has also created its devices to store its client’s data in a way
they are locked into Apple (Reluctant reformation, 2014).
Apple has over 800 million users actively using its media store
which is approximately three times the users of Amazon
(Reluctant reformation, 2014). The company’s revenues were
estimated at 16 billion and rising in 2013 (Reluctant
reformation, 2014).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-
NC
Apple’s technology and innovation continues to get better. The
company has created the iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch
to name a few of its most popular devices.
4
Apple’s Innovation and Differentiation Stands Out – Cont’d
Apple continues to create new products, but this is not the only
way the company differentiates itself. The company is moving
towards a better ecosystem combing software, services, data,
and partners (Reluctant reformation, 2014).
Apple is partnering with other companies such as IBM and
making it easier for developers outside the company to create
apps for the iPhone (Reluctant reformation, 2014). The
organization’s operating system will soon allow all Apple
devices to work together seamlessly (Reluctant reformation,
2014). The company has also introduced software which allows
its devices to monitor health and fitness applications. Apple

has acquired Beats a large headphones and music-streaming
company. The company also teamed up with other large
retailers such as Whole Foods, Walgreens, and large credit-card
firms to upgrade its payment system (Reluctant reformation,
2014).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-
ND
5
Apple’s Future
Apple announced record high third quarter earnings for June
2019 at $53.8 billion (Apple Inc., 2019). The company’s vision
statement is “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to
make great products and that’s not changing. We are constantly
focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the
complex. We believe that we need to own and control the
primary technologies behind the products that we make, and
participate only in markets where we can make a significant
contribution. We believe in saying no to thousands of projects,
so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important
and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and
cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a
way that others cannot. And frankly, we don’t settle for
anything less than excellence in every group in the company,
and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and
the courage to change. And I think regardless of who is in what
job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple
will do extremely well” (Panmore, 2019). Through its vision
statement the company inspires its employees to support and
engage innovation for competitive advantage (Panmore, 2019).

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-
NC
Apple’s Future – Cont’d
Even with Apple being one of the most successful tech
company’s in the world they were not up to speed with its big
data (LinkedIn, 2019). Its competitors gained a competitive
advantage by developing apps such as navigation and voice
recognition that could be used in Smartphones (LinkedIn, 2019).
Apple quickly caught up its technology and began developing
apps that could be monitored and shared with other users
(LinkedIn, 2019). An example being the company has partnered
with IBM to further the development of health related mobile
apps (LinkedIn, 2019). Apple has targeted other industries such
as banking, travel, and insurance providing them a wide range
of applications (LinkedIn, 2019). The company recently
acquired FoundationDB which is a well known database
architecture used for big data applications (LinkedIn, 2019).
The company now offers cloud based storage for personal and
professional use (LinkedIn, 2019).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
Apple’s Future – Cont’d
To remain a leader in the music streaming industry Apple
acquired Beats who developed software that is designed to
match listeners with the music they most likely enjoy
(LinkedIn, 2019). The company has also entered the world of
fashion with its “wearables” such as the Apple watch which is
designed to collect fitness and health information which can

also be shared (LinkedIn, 2019).
Conclusion
Apple Inc., is a leader in the technology market. The company
continues to improve its devices and improve upon its
innovation. The organization recognizes to remain competitive
it must not focus on expensive products to produce profits but
focus on services and software that are more in line with its
competitors (LinkedIn, 2019).
References
Apple Inc. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/07/apple-reports-third-
quarter-results/
LinkedIn. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-apple-uses-big-data-drive-
business-success-bernard-marr/
Macworld. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/history-of-apple-
steve-jobs-mac-3606104/#toc-3606104-1
Panmore Institute. (2019). Retrieved from
http://panmore.com/apple-mission-statement-vision-statement
Porter, M. (2004). Competitive advantage: Creating and
sustaining superior performance. Florence, MA: Free Press.
Reluctant reformation; Apple's future. (2014, September
13). The Economist, 412(8904), 73(US). Retrieved from

http://bi.galegroup.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/global/article/GALE%7CA382144067?u=ash
ford#page=1&q=advDocumentTitle^Reluctant%20reformation%
3B%20Apple%27s%20future.&q=advPublicationTitle^The%20E
conomist^and&limiters=pubDate^20140913
Sahoo, D. (2012). Strategic Change of Campaign at Apple
Inc. Vidwat: The Indian Journal of Management, 5(2), 38–48.
Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=78382
380&site=eds-live&scope=site
Valacich, J. A., & Schneider, C. (2016). Information systems
today: Managing in the digital world (7th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall
Essentials of Organizational Behavior
Fourteenth Edition
Chapter 15
Foundations of Organizational Structure
Copyright © 2018, 2016, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
Rights Reserved.
Rights Reserved.
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
Identify the seven elements of an organization’s structure.
Identify the characteristics of the functional structure, the
divisional structure, and the matrix structure.

Identify the characteristics of the virtual structure, the team
structure, and the circular structure.
Describe the effects of downsizing on organizational structures
and employees.
Contrast the reasons for mechanistic and organic structural
models.
Analyze the behavioral implications of different organizational
designs.
Rights Reserved.
What Is Organization Structure?
Organizational Structure:
Defines how job tasks are formally divided, grouped, and
coordinated
Key elements:
Work specialization
Departmentalization
Chain of command
Span of control
Centralization and decentralization
Formalization
Boundary spanning
Rights Reserved.
Organizational structure depicts how job tasks are formally
divided, grouped, and coordinated. The key elements of
organizational structure include work specialization,
departmentalization, chain of command, span of control,
centralization and decentralization, formalization, and boundary
spanning.
3

Key Questions and Answers
Rights Reserved.
This exhibit presents each element as an answer to an important
structural question.
4
Work Specialization
Work specialization:
Describes the degree to which activities in the organization are
subdivided into separate jobs
Also known as division of labor
Benefits
Greater efficiency and lower costs
Costs
Human costs when carried too far
Job enlargement as a solution
Rights Reserved.
A key part of organizational structure is understanding the
degree to which tasks are divided into separate jobs or work
specialization. The division of labor is helpful in creating the
most efficient way to utilize employee skills, increase their
skills, and maximize their input.
Work specialization can cause greater economies, but in some
cases it can cause diminishing returns due to repetition that can
lead to boredom. Job enlargement can be more effective at
creating greater efficiencies than work specialization.
5

Work Specialization Economies
Rights Reserved.
This exhibit shows economies and diseconomies of work
specialization.
6
Departmentalization
Departmentalization:
Basis by which jobs are grouped together so that common tasks
can be coordinated
Common bases:
Functional
Product or service
Geography
Process and customer
Rights Reserved.
Departmentalization defines how jobs are grouped together.
There are a number of options to choose from when grouping
jobs; you could organize around function, product, location,
process, or customer. When jobs are grouped, departments are
formed.
7
Chain of Command
Chain of command:
Unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the
organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to
whom
Authority: positional rights

Unity of command: one boss
Fewer organizations find this is relevant
Rights Reserved.
The chain of command represents the line of authority present
in decision making. Embedded in the chain of command is the
inherent right of a manager to give orders and expect the orders
to be followed. Unity of command is the idea that a subordinate
should have only one superior to report to so that directions and
the chain of command are clear.
As organizations change, this concept is becoming less and less
important.
8
Span of Control
Span of control:
The number of employees a manager is expected to effectively
and efficiently direct
Determines the number of levels and managers an organization
has
Trend is toward wider spans of control
Wider span depends on knowledgeable employees
Affects speed of communication and decision making
Rights Reserved.
Span of control looks at how many workers a manager can
effectively direct towards organizational goals. Wider span
allows for more efficiency because you need fewer managers.
However, it can also limit the amount of time and direction
managers can give to their employees. A narrow span can allow
for more direction but can add layers of management, increase
the complexity of the vertical communication, and encourage

overly tight supervision, limiting employee autonomy.
9
Contrasting Spans of Control
Rights Reserved.
The exhibit illustrates that wider spans of control have fewer
levels and fewer managers.
10
Centralization and Decentralization
Centralization:
Degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single
point in the organization
Only includes formal authority: positional rights
Highly centralized when top managers make all the decisions
Decentralized when front line employees and supervisors make
decisions
Trend is toward increased decentralization
Rights Reserved.
The fifth aspect of structure deals with centralization and
decentralization. Centralization is the degree to which decision
making is concentrated at a single point in the organization,
typically at the top. Decentralization represents an organization
that spreads decision making throughout the organization.
11
Formalization
Formalization:
Degree to which jobs within the organization are standardized

Formal: minimum discretion over what is to be done, when it is
done, and how
Informal: freedom to act is necessary
Rights Reserved.
Formalization is the degree to which jobs within the
organization are standardized. When there is high formalization,
workers have very little control over how they do their work,
and they will be required to follow a number of rules and
procedures. Lower formalization will tend to allow for different
job behaviors to get the job done, giving workers more control
over their work.
12
Boundary Spanning
Boundary spanning:
When individuals form relationships outside their formally
assigned groups
Liaison roles
Development activities
Job rotations
Organizational goals and shared identity
Rights Reserved.
Organizations can use formal mechanisms to facilitate
boundary-spanning activities through their structures.
One method is to assign formal liaison roles or develop
committees of individuals from different areas of the
organization.
Development activities can also facilitate boundary spanning.
Employees with experience in multiple functions, such as
accounting and marketing, are more likely to engage in

boundary spanning.
Many organizations try to set the stage for these sorts of
positive relationships by creating job rotation programs so new
hires get a better sense of different areas of the organization.
A final method to encourage boundary spanning is to bring
attention to overall organizational goals and shared identity
concepts.
13
Common Organizational Designs
Three common organizational frameworks:
Simple structure
Bureaucracy
Matrix structure
Rights Reserved.
There are a number of organizational structures available to
companies. We will look at a number of options over the next
several slides.
14
Simple Structure
Low degree of departmentalization
Wide spans of control
Authority centralized in a single person
Little formalization
Difficult to maintain in anything other than small organizations
Rights Reserved.
The first and most basic structure is the simple structure. This
structure has a low degree of departmentalization, wide spans of
control, and centralized decision making with little

formalization in job design.
This structure is difficult to utilize in anything other than small
organizations.
15
Bureaucracy
Highly routine operating tasks achieved through specialization
Formal rules and regulations
Centralized authority
Narrow spans of control
Tasks grouped by functional departments
Decision making follows the chain of command
Rights Reserved.
Another type of organizational design is bureaucracy. In a
bureaucratic organization, there will be a great deal of
structure. The tasks will be completed through specialization,
and they tend to be formalized through rules and regulations.
Departments will be highly defined by function, and authority is
centralized. Decision making will follow a strict chain of
command and there will be narrow spans of control. The
bureaucratic organization will be one that is highly defined and
very controlled.
16
Functional and Divisional Structures
Functional structure: groups employees by their similar
specialties, roles, or tasks
Divisional structure: groups employees into units by product,
service, customer, or geographic market area
Rights Reserved.

There are two aspects of bureaucracies we should explore:
functional and divisional structures.
17
Matrix Structure
Combines two forms of departmentalization
Functional
Product
Dual chain of command
Advantages:
Facilitates coordination and efficient allocation of specialists
Disadvantages:
Possible confusion, fosters power struggles, stress
Rights Reserved.
The matrix structure is another common organizational design.
This structure creates dual lines of authority and combines
functional and product departments in a way to effectively meet
organizational goals.
The key elements of the matrix structure is that it gains the
interactions between the functional and product departments by
coordinating complex and interdependent activities to help
reach the goals set forth in an efficient manner, opening up
avenues for new ideas to achieve the company’s mission. The
matrix structure also breaks down the unity-of-command
concept as the lines of authority are blurred.
18
Matrix Structure for a College of Business Administration

Rights Reserved.
This slide shows an example of a matrix structure within a
college.
19
New Design Options
Virtual Organization:
A small core organization that outsources its major business
functions
Highly centralized with little or no departmentalization
Provides maximum flexibility while concentrating on what the
organization does best
Reduced control over key parts of the business
Rights Reserved.
Virtual organizations are developing as acceptable
organizational structures. This structure offers a small core
organization that outsources many of its major functions to
competent suppliers. Virtual organizations are highly
centralized with virtually no departmentalization to provide
maximum flexibility, focusing on what the organization does
best. This type of organization reduces control over some of the
key parts of the business.
20
A Virtual Organization
Rights Reserved.
This exhibit shows a virtual organization in which management
outsources all the primary functions of the business.

21
The Team Structure
Team structure:
Eliminates the chain of command
Has limitless spans of control
Replaces departments with empowered teams
Breaks down geographical barriers
Rights Reserved.
Boundaryless organizations are set up to reduce the structure
and tight control over work. They organize in a way to try to
empower teams. They eliminate vertical and horizontal
boundaries, as well as geographic boundaries. Boundaryless
organizations also try to breakdown external barriers to
customers and suppliers through their structure and style of
communication. These organizations also break down
geographical barriers.
22
The Circular Structure
Circular structure: Top management is at the center of the
organization with its vision spreading outward in rings grouped
by function
May be confusing for employees
May be used to spread CSR initiatives
Rights Reserved.
Picture the concentric rings of an archery target. In the center
are the executives; radiating outward in rings grouped by
function are the managers, then the specialists, then the
workers. This is the circular structure.

23
The Leaner Organization: Downsizing
Downsizing:
A systematic effort to make an organization leaner by selling
off business units, closing locations or reducing staff
Controversial because of the negative impact on employees
Impact on organizational performance has been very
controversial
Rights Reserved.
In the midst of tough economic times and the need for
companies to be leaner, downsizing has been on the rise.
Downsizing is a systematic effort to make an organization
leaner by ridding itself of a business units, excessive locations,
and staff. It has been very controversial because of the strong
negative impact on employees. Because of this negative impact,
the link to performance enhancement has been questioned.
24
Organizational Design Models
Rights Reserved.
This slide show two extreme models of organizational design –
the mechanistic model and the organic model. Several factors,
discussed next, influence which type of structure is best for an
organization.
25
Determinants of Structure

Organizational Strategy
Innovation strategy: introduce new offerings-prefer organic
structures
Cost-minimization strategy: cost control–prefer mechanistic
structures
Imitation strategy: minimal risk and maximum profit–both
structures used
Rights Reserved.
Structures differ for a number of reasons. The first is that
structure is set up to facilitate the strategy of the organization.
If your organization is focusing on innovation as a key value,
then it may be best served by an organic structure. Whereas, if
the strategy emphasizes minimizing costs, a mechanistic
structure will work better. Strategy should always dictate
structure instead of structure dictating strategy.
26
Optimal Structural Option
Rights Reserved.
Exhibit 15-7 describes the structural option that best matches
each strategy.
27
More Determinants of Structure
Organization Size
Move toward mechanistic structure as size increases
Technology
Routine activities prefer mechanistic structures, non-routine
prefer organic structures

Rights Reserved.
Structures differ for a number of reasons. The first is that
structure is set up to facilitate the strategy of the organization.
If your organization is focusing on innovation as a key value,
then it may be best served by an organic structure. Whereas, if
the strategy emphasizes minimizing costs, a mechanistic
structure will work better. Strategy should always dictate
structure instead of structure dictating strategy.
Structures will also differ by organization size, the larger the
organization, the more likely it will be mechanistic. Technology
also influences structure. The more routine the activities, the
more mechanistic the structure should be.
28
Still More Determinants of Structure
Environment
Dynamic environments lead to organic structures
Capacity
Volatility
Complexity
Institutions
Act as guidelines for appropriate behavior
Rights Reserved.
Structures will also differ based on the environment in which
they exist. The more dynamic the environment, the more
organic the structure will need to be to facilitate quick decisions
and fast turnaround. Finally, institutions play a role in
organizational design by acting as guidelines for appropriate
behavior.

29
The Environment
Rights Reserved.
Exhibit 15-8 summarizes our definition of the environment
along its three dimensions.
30
Organizational Designs and Employee Behavior
Cannot generalize any link between structure and performance
Consider employee preferences for:
Work specialization
Span of control
Centralization
Predictability versus autonomy
National culture influences organizational structure
High power distance cultures accept mechanistic structures
Rights Reserved.
Organizational designs are not a good predictor of employee
behavior. Research has shown that work specialization can lead
to increased productivity but lower job satisfaction.
Specialization has not been popular, as employees are seeking
more intrinsically rewarding jobs. Span of control has mixed
results depending on individual differences in employees and
organizational factors. Centralization can facilitate different
employee responses.
Research suggests that national culture may influence
organizational structure. In particular, organizations with
people from high-power distance cultures typically find that

employees are more accepting of mechanistic structures than
employees from low power-distance countries.
Various factors will influence workers in their job satisfaction
and their willingness to stay with an organization.
31
Implications for Managers
Specialization can make operations more efficient, but
excessive specialization can create dissatisfaction and reduced
motivation.
Avoid designing rigid hierarchies that overly limit employees’
empowerment and autonomy.
Balance the advantages of remote work against the potential
pitfalls before adding flexible workplace options.
Downsize your organization to realize major cost savings, and
focus the company around core competencies-but only if
necessary because downsizing can have a significant negative
impact on employee affect.
Consider the scarcity, dynamism, and complexity of the
environment, and balance the organic and mechanistic elements
when designing an organizational structure.
Rights Reserved.
Structure does have an impact on both the attitudes and
behaviors of the people within the organization, so it is
important that managers effectively select and utilize structure
within their organizations.
32
Copyright
Rights Reserved.

IT STraTegy:
ISSueS and PracTIceS
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IT STraTegy:
ISSueS and PracTIceS
T h i r d E d i t i o n
James D. McKeen
Queen’s University
Heather A. Smith
Queen’s University
Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper
Saddle River
Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich
Paris Montréal Toronto
Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul
Singapore Taipei Tokyo
Editor in Chief: Stephanie Wall

Acquisitions Editor: Nicole Sam
Program Manager Team Lead: Ashley Santora
Program Manager: Denise Vaughn
Editorial Assistant: Kaylee Rotella
Executive Marketing Manager: Anne K. Fahlgren
Project Manager Team Lead: Judy Leale
Project Manager: Thomas Benfatti
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Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and
reproduced, with permission, in this
textbook appear on appropriate page within text.
Copyright © 2015, 2012 and 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.,
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 07458. Pearson
Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States
of America. This publication is protected by
Copyright and permission should be obtained from the
publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage
in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or likewise. For information regarding
permission(s), write to: Rights and Permissions Department.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McKeen, James D.
IT strategy: issues and practices/James D. McKeen, Queen’s
University, Heather A. Smith,

Queen’s University.—Third edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-13-354424-4 (alk. paper)
ISBN 0-13-354424-9 (alk. paper)
1. Information technology—Management. I. Smith, Heather A.
II. Title.
HD30.2.M3987 2015
004.068—dc23
2014017950
ISBN–10: 0-13-354424-9
ISBN–13: 978-0-13-354424-4
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CoNTENTS
Preface xiii
About the Authors xxi
Acknowledgments xxii
Section I Delivering Value with IT 1
Chapter 1 DeVelopIng anD DelIVerIng on The IT Value
propoSITIon 2
Peeling the Onion: Understanding IT Value 3
What Is IT Value? 3
Where Is IT Value? 4
Who Delivers IT Value? 5

When Is IT Value Realized? 5
The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition 6
Identification of Potential Value 7
Effective Conversion 8
Realizing Value 9
Five Principles for Delivering Value 10
Principle 1. Have a Clearly Defined Portfolio Value
Management
Process 11
Principle 2. Aim for Chunks of Value 11
Principle 3. Adopt a Holistic Orientation to Technology Value
11
Principle 4. Aim for Joint Ownership of Technology Initiatives
12
Principle 5. Experiment More Often 12
Conclusion 12 • References 13
Chapter 2 DeVelopIng IT STraTegy for BuSIneSS Value 15
Business and IT Strategies: Past, Present, and Future 16
Four Critical Success Factors 18
The Many Dimensions of IT Strategy 20
Toward an IT Strategy-Development Process 22
Challenges for CIOs 23

Chapter 3 lInkIng IT To BuSIneSS MeTrICS 27
Business Measurement: An Overview 28
Key Business Metrics for IT 30
v
vi Contents
Designing Business Metrics for IT 31
Advice to Managers 35
Chapter 4 BuIlDIng a STrong relaTIonShIp
wITh The BuSIneSS 38
The Nature of the Business–IT Relationship 39
The Foundation of a Strong Business–IT
Relationship 41
Building Block #1: Competence 42
Building Block #2: Credibility 43
Building Block #3: Interpersonal Interaction 44
Building Block #4: Trust 46
Appendix A The Five IT Value Profiles 50
Appendix B Guidelines for Building a Strong Business–IT

Relationship 51
Chapter 5 CoMMunICaTIng wITh BuSIneSS ManagerS 52
Communication in the Business–IT Relationship 53
What Is “Good” Communication? 54
Obstacles to Effective Communication 56
“T-Level” Communication Skills for IT Staff 58
Improving Business–IT Communication 60
Appendix A IT Communication Competencies 63
Chapter 6 BuIlDIng BeTTer IT leaDerS froM
The BoTToM up 64
The Changing Role of the IT Leader 65
What Makes a Good IT Leader? 67
How to Build Better IT Leaders 70
Investing in Leadership Development: Articulating the Value
Proposition 73
MInI CaSeS
Delivering Business Value with IT at Hefty Hardware 76
Investing in TUFS 80
IT Planning at ModMeters 82

Contents vii
Section II IT governance 87
Chapter 7 CreaTIng IT ShareD SerVICeS 88
IT Shared Services: An Overview 89
IT Shared Services: Pros and Cons 92
IT Shared Services: Key Organizational Success Factors 93
Identifying Candidate Services 94
An Integrated Model of IT Shared Services 95
Recommmendations for Creating Effective IT
Shared Services 96
Chapter 8 a ManageMenT fraMework for
IT SourCIng 100
A Maturity Model for IT Functions 101
IT Sourcing Options: Theory Versus Practice 105
The “Real” Decision Criteria 109
Decision Criterion #1: Flexibility 109
Decision Criterion #2: Control 109
Decision Criterion #3: Knowledge Enhancement 110

Decision Criterion #4: Business Exigency 110
A Decision Framework for Sourcing IT Functions 111
Identify Your Core IT Functions 111
Create a “Function Sourcing” Profile 111
Evolve Full-Time IT Personnel 113
Encourage Exploration of the Whole Range
of Sourcing Options 114
Combine Sourcing Options Strategically 114
A Management Framework for Successful
Sourcing 115
Develop a Sourcing Strategy 115
Develop a Risk Mitigation Strategy 115
Develop a Governance Strategy 116
Understand the Cost Structures 116
Chapter 9 The IT BuDgeTIng proCeSS 118
Key Concepts in IT Budgeting 119
The Importance of Budgets 121
The IT Planning and Budget Process 123

viii Contents
Corporate Processes 123
IT Processes 125
Assess Actual IT Spending 126
IT Budgeting Practices That Deliver Value 127
Chapter 10 ManagIng IT- BaSeD rISk 130
A Holistic View of IT-Based Risk 131
Holistic Risk Management: A Portrait 134
Developing a Risk Management Framework 135
Improving Risk Management Capabilities 138
Appendix A A Selection of Risk Classification
Schemes 141
Chapter 11 InforMaTIon ManageMenT: The nexuS
of BuSIneSS anD IT 142
Information Management: How Does IT Fit? 143
A Framework For IM 145
Stage One: Develop an IM Policy 145
Stage Two: Articulate the Operational
Components 145

Stage Three: Establish Information Stewardship 146
Stage Four: Build Information Standards 147
Issues In IM 148
Culture and Behavior 148
Information Risk Management 149
Information Value 150
Privacy 150
Knowledge Management 151
The Knowing–Doing Gap 151
Getting Started in IM 151
Appendix A Elements of IM Operations 155
MInI CaSeS
Building Shared Services at RR Communications 156
Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance 160
IT Investment at North American Financial 165
Contents ix
Section III IT-enabled Innovation 169

Chapter 12 InnoVaTIon wITh IT 170
The Need for Innovation: An Historical
Perspective 171
The Need for Innovation Now 171
Understanding Innovation 172
The Value of Innovation 174
Innovation Essentials: Motivation, Support,
and Direction 175
Challenges for IT leaders 177
Facilitating Innovation 179
Chapter 13 BIg DaTa anD SoCIal CoMpuTIng 182
The Social Media/Big Data Opportunity 183
Delivering Business Value with Big Data 185
Innovating with Big Data 189
Pulling in Two Different Directions: The Challenge
for IT Managers 190
First Steps for IT Leaders 192
Chapter 14 IMproVIng The CuSToMer experIenCe:
an IT perSpeCTIVe 195
Customer Experience and Business value 196

Many Dimensions of Customer Experience 197
The Role of Technology in Customer Experience 199
Customer Experience Essentials for IT 200
First Steps to Improving Customer Experience 203
Chapter 15 BuIlDIng BuSIneSS InTellIgenCe 206
Understanding Business Intelligence 207
The Need for Business Intelligence 208
The Challenge of Business Intelligence 209
The Role of IT in Business Intelligence 211
Improving Business Intelligence 213
x Contents
Chapter 16 enaBlIng CollaBoraTIon wITh IT 218
Why Collaborate? 219
Characteristics of Collaboration 222
Components of Successful Collaboration 225
The Role of IT in Collaboration 227
First Steps for Facilitating Effective Collaboration 229

MInI CaSeS
Innovation at International Foods 234
Consumerization of Technology at IFG 239
CRM at Minitrex 243
Customer Service at Datatronics 246
Section IV IT portfolio Development and Management 251
Chapter 17 applICaTIon porTfolIo ManageMenT 252
The Applications Quagmire 253
The Benefits of a Portfolio Perspective 254
Making APM Happen 256
Capability 1: Strategy and Governance 258
Capability 2: Inventory Management 262
Capability 3: Reporting and Rationalization 263
Key Lessons Learned 264
Appendix A Application Information 266
Chapter 18 ManagIng IT DeManD 270
Understanding IT Demand 271
The Economics of Demand Management 273
Three Tools for Demand management 273

Key Organizational Enablers for Effective Demand
Management 274
Strategic Initiative Management 275
Application Portfolio Management 276
Enterprise Architecture 276
Business–IT Partnership 277
Governance and Transparency 279
Contents xi
Chapter 19 CreaTIng anD eVolVIng a TeChnology
roaDMap 283
What is a Technology Roadmap? 284
The Benefits of a Technology Roadmap 285
External Benefits (Effectiveness) 285
Internal Benefits (Efficiency) 286
Elements of the Technology Roadmap 286
Activity #1: Guiding Principles 287
Activity #2: Assess Current Technology 288
Activity #3: Analyze Gaps 289

Activity #4: Evaluate Technology
Landscape 290
Activity #5: Describe Future Technology 291
Activity #6: Outline Migration Strategy 292
Activity #7: Establish Governance 292
Practical Steps for Developing a Technology
Roadmap 294
Appendix A Principles to Guide a Migration
Strategy 296
Chapter 20 enhanCIng DeVelopMenT
proDuCTIVITy 297
The Problem with System Development 298
Trends in System Development 299
Obstacles to Improving System Development
Productivity 302
Improving System Development Productivity: What we
know that Works 304
Next Steps to Improving System Development
Productivity 306
Chapter 21 InforMaTIon DelIVery: IT’S eVolVIng role 310

Information and IT: Why Now? 311
Delivering Value Through Information 312
Effective Information Delivery 316
New Information Skills 316
New Information Roles 317
New Information Practices 317
xii Contents
New Information Strategies 318
The Future of Information Delivery 319
MInI CaSeS
Project Management at MM 324
Working Smarter at Continental Furniture International 328
Managing Technology at Genex Fuels 333
Index 336
PREFACE
Today, with information technology (IT) driving constant
business transformation,
overwhelming organizations with information, enabling 24/7
global operations, and

undermining traditional business models, the challenge for
business leaders is not
simply to manage IT, it is to use IT to deliver business value.
Whereas until fairly recently,
decisions about IT could be safely delegated to technology
specialists after a business
strategy had been developed, IT is now so closely integrated
with business that, as one
CIO explained to us, “We can no longer deliver business
solutions in our company
without using technology so IT and business strategy must
constantly interact with
each other.”
What’s New in This Third Edition?
• Six new chapters focusing on current critical issues in
ITmanagement, including
IT shared services; big data and social computing; business
intelligence; manag-
ing IT demand; improving the customer experience; and
enhancing development
productivity.
• Two significantly revised chapters: on delivering IT functions
through different
resourcing options; and innovating with IT.
• Twonewminicasesbasedonrealcompaniesandreal
ITmanagementsituations:
Working Smarter at Continental Furniture and Enterprise
Architecture at Nationstate
Insurance.
•
Arevisedstructurebasedonreaderfeedbackwithsixchaptersandtwo

minicases
from the second edition being moved to the Web site.
All too often, in our efforts to prepare future executives to deal
effectively with
the issues of IT strategy and management, we lead them into a
foreign country where
they encounter a different language, different culture, and
different customs. Acronyms
(e.g., SOA, FTP/IP, SDLC, ITIL, ERP), buzzwords (e.g.,
asymmetric encryption, proxy
servers, agile, enterprise service bus), and the widely adopted
practice of abstraction
(e.g., Is a software monitor a person, place, or thing?) present
formidable “barriers to
entry” to the technologically uninitiated, but more important,
they obscure the impor-
tance of teaching students how to make business decisions about
a key organizational
resource. By taking a critical issues perspective, IT Strategy:
Issues and Practices treats IT
as a tool to be leveraged to save and/or make money or
transform an organization—not
as a study by itself.
As in the first two editions of this book, this third edition
combines the experi-
ences and insights of many senior IT managers from leading-
edge organizations with
thorough academic research to bring important issues in IT
management to life and
demonstrate how IT strategy is put into action in contemporary
businesses. This new
edition has been designed around an enhanced set of critical
real-world issues in IT
management today, such as innovating with IT, working with

big data and social media,
xiii
xiv Preface
enhancing customer experience, and designing for business
intelligence and introduces
students to the challenges of making IT decisions that will have
significant impacts on
how businesses function and deliver value to stakeholders.
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices focuses on how IT is changing
and will continue to
change organizations as we now know them. However, rather
than learning concepts
“free of context,” students are introduced to the complex
decisions facing real organi-
zations by means of a number of mini cases. These provide an
opportunity to apply
the models/theories/frameworks presented and help students
integrate and assimilate
this material. By the end of the book, students will have the
confidence and ability to
tackle the tough issues regarding IT management and strategy
and a clear understand-
ing of their importance in delivering business value.
Key Features of This Book
• AfocusonITmanagement issues as opposed to technology
issues
• CriticalITissuesexploredwithintheirorganizationalcontexts
•

ReadilyapplicablemodelsandframeworksforimplementingITstrat
egies
•
Minicasestoanimateissuesandfocusclassroomdiscussionsonreal-
worlddeci-
sions, enabling problem-based learning
• Provenstrategiesandbestpracticesfromleading-
edgeorganizations
•
UsefulandpracticaladviceandguidelinesfordeliveringvaluewithIT
• Extensiveteachingnotesforallminicases
A Different ApproAch to teAching it StrAtegy
The real world of IT is one of issues—critical issues—such as
the following:
• HowdoweknowifwearegettingvaluefromourITinvestment?
• HowcanweinnovatewithIT?
• WhatspecificITfunctionsshouldweseekfromexternalproviders?
•
HowdowebuildanITleadershipteamthatisatrustedpartnerwiththeb
usiness?
• HowdoweenhanceITcapabilities?
• WhatisIT’sroleincreatinganintelligentbusiness?
•
Howcanwebesttakeadvantageofnewtechnologies,suchasbigdataan
dsocial
media, in our business?
• HowcanwemanageITrisk?
However, the majority of management information systems
(MIS) textbooks are orga-
nized by system category (e.g., supply chain, customer

relationship management, enterprise
resource planning), by system component (e.g., hardware,
software, networks), by system
function (e.g., marketing, financial, human resources), by
system type (e.g., transactional,
decisional, strategic), or by a combination of these.
Unfortunately, such an organization
does not promote an understanding of IT management in
practice.
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices tackles the real-world
challenges of IT manage-
ment. First, it explores a set of the most important issues facing
IT managers today, and
second, it provides a series of mini cases that present these
critical IT issues within the
context of real organizations. By focusing the text as well as the
mini cases on today’s
critical issues, the book naturally reinforces problem-based
learning.
Preface xv
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices includes thirteen mini cases—
each based on a real
company presented anonymously.1 Mini cases are not simply
abbreviated versions of
standard, full-length business cases. They differ in two
significant ways:
1. A horizontal perspective. Unlike standard cases that develop
a single issue within
an organizational setting (i.e., a “vertical” slice of
organizational life), mini cases

take a “horizontal” slice through a number of coexistent issues.
Rather than looking
for a solution to a specific problem, as in a standard case,
students analyzing a mini
case must first identify and prioritize the issues embedded
within the case. This mim-
ics real life in organizations where the challenge lies in
“knowing where to start” as
opposed to “solving a predefined problem.”
2. Highly relevant information. Mini cases are densely written.
Unlike standard
cases, which intermix irrelevant information, in a mini case,
each sentence exists for
a reason and reflects relevant information. As a result, students
must analyze each
case very carefully so as not to miss critical aspects of the
situation.
Teaching with mini cases is, thus, very different than teaching
with standard cases.
With mini cases, students must determine what is really going
on within the organiza-
tion. What first appears as a straightforward “technology”
problem may in fact be a
political problem or one of five other “technology” problems.
Detective work is, there-
fore, required. The problem identification and prioritization
skills needed are essential
skills for future managers to learn for the simple reason that it
is not possible for organi-
zations to tackle all of their problems concurrently. Mini cases
help teach these skills to
students and can balance the problem-solving skills learned in
other classes. Best of all,
detective work is fun and promotes lively classroom discussion.

To assist instructors, extensive teaching notes are available for
all mini cases. Developed
by the authors and based on “tried and true” in-class experience,
these notes include case
summaries, identify the key issues within each case, present
ancillary information about the
company/industry represented in the case, and offer guidelines
for organizing the class-
room discussion. Because of the structure of these mini cases
and their embedded issues, it
is common for teaching notes to exceed the length of the actual
mini case!
This book is most appropriate for MIS courses where the goal is
to understand how
IT delivers organizational value. These courses are frequently
labeled “IT Strategy” or
“IT Management” and are offered within undergraduate as well
as MBA programs. For
undergraduate juniors and seniors in business and commerce
programs, this is usually
the “capstone” MIS course. For MBA students, this course may
be the compulsory core
course in MIS, or it may be an elective course.
Each chapter and mini case in this book has been thoroughly
tested in a variety
of undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs at Queen’s
School of Business.2
1 We are unable to identify these leading-edge companies by
agreements established as part of our overall
research program (described later).
2 Queen’s School of Business is one of the world’s premier
business schools, with a faculty team renowned

for its business experience and academic credentials. The
School has earned international recognition for
its innovative approaches to team-based and experiential
learning. In addition to its highly acclaimed MBA
programs, Queen’s School of Business is also home to Canada’s
most prestigious undergraduate business
program and several outstanding graduate programs. As well,
the School is one of the world’s largest and
most respected providers of executive education.
xvi Preface
These materials have proven highly successful within all
programs because we adapt
how the material is presented according to the level of the
students. Whereas under-
graduate students “learn” about critical business issues from the
book and mini cases
for the first time, graduate students are able to “relate” to these
same critical issues
based on their previous business experience. As a result,
graduate students are able to
introduce personal experiences into the discussion of these
critical IT issues.
orgAnizAtion of thiS Book
One of the advantages of an issues-focused structure is that
chapters can be approached
in any order because they do not build on one another. Chapter
order is immaterial; that
is, one does not need to read the first three chapters to
understand the fourth. This pro-
vides an instructor with maximum flexibility to organize a

course as he or she sees fit.
Thus, within different courses/programs, the order of topics can
be changed to focus on
different IT concepts.
Furthermore, because each mini case includes multiple issues,
they, too, can be
used to serve different purposes. For example, the mini case
“Building Shared Services
at RR Communications” can be used to focus on issues of
governance, organizational
structure, and/or change management just as easily as shared
services. The result is a
rich set of instructional materials that lends itself well to a
variety of pedagogical appli-
cations, particularly problem-based learning, and that clearly
illustrates the reality of IT
strategy in action.
The book is organized into four sections, each emphasizing a
key component of
developing and delivering effective IT strategy:
• Section I: Delivering Value with IT is designed to examine the
complex ways that
IT and business value are related. Over the past twenty years,
researchers and prac-
titioners have come to understand that “business value” can
mean many different
things when applied to IT. Chapter 1 (Developing and
Delivering on the IT Value
Proposition) explores these concepts in depth. Unlike the
simplistic value propo-
sitions often used when implementing IT in organizations, this
chapter presents
“value” as a multilayered business construct that must be

effectively managed at
several levels if technology is to achieve the benefits expected.
Chapter 2 (Developing
IT Strategy for Business Value) examines the dynamic
interrelationship between
business and IT strategy and looks at the processes and critical
success factors
used by organizations to ensure that both are well aligned.
Chapter 3 (Linking IT
to Business Metrics) discusses new ways of measuring IT’s
effectiveness that pro-
mote closer business–IT alignment and help drive greater
business value. Chapter
4 (Building a Strong Relationship with the Business) examines
the nature of the
business–IT relationship and the characteristics of an effective
relationship that
delivers real value to the enterprise. Chapter 5 (Communicating
with Business
Managers) explores the business and interpersonal competencies
that IT staff will
need in order to do their jobs effectively over the next five to
seven years and what
companies should be doing to develop them. Finally, Chapter 6
(Building Better IT
Leaders from the Bottom Up) tackles the increasing need for
improved leadership
skills in all IT staff and examines the expectations of the
business for strategic and
innovative guidance from IT.
Preface xvii
In the mini cases associated with this section, the concepts of

delivering
value with IT are explored in a number of different ways. We
see business and
IT executives at Hefty Hardware grappling with conflicting
priorities and per-
spectives and how best to work together to achieve the
company’s strategy. In
“Investing in TUFS,” CIO Martin Drysdale watches as all of the
work his IT depart-
ment has put into a major new system fails to deliver value. And
the “IT Planning
at ModMeters” mini case follows CIO Brian Smith’s efforts to
create a strategic
IT plan that will align with business strategy, keep IT running,
and not increase
IT’s budget.
• Section II: IT Governance explores key concepts in how the IT
organization is
structured and managed to effectively deliver IT products and
services to the orga-
nization. Chapter 7 (IT Shared Services) discusses how IT
shared services should be
selected, organized, managed, and governed to achieve
improved organizational
performance. Chapter 8 (A Management Framework for IT
Sourcing) examines
how organizations are choosing to source and deliver different
types of IT functions
and presents a framework to guide sourcing decisions. Chapter 9
(The IT Budgeting
Process) describes the “evil twin” of IT strategy, discussing
how budgeting mecha-
nisms can significantly undermine effective business strategies
and suggesting
practices for addressing this problem while maintaining

traditional fiscal account-
ability. Chapter 10 (Managing IT-based Risk) describes how
many IT organizations
have been given the responsibility of not only managing risk in
their own activities
(i.e., project development, operations, and delivering business
strategy) but also
of managing IT-based risk in all company activities (e.g.,
mobile computing, file
sharing, and online access to information and software) and the
need for a holistic
framework to understand and deal with risk effectively. Chapter
11 (Information
Management: The Nexus of Business and IT) describes how new
organizational
needs for more useful and integrated information are driving the
development of
business-oriented functions within IT that focus specifically on
information and
knowledge, as opposed to applications and data.
The mini cases in this section examine the difficulties of
managing com-
plex IT issues when they intersect substantially with important
business issues.
In “Building Shared Services at RR Communications,” we see
an IT organiza-
tion in transition from a traditional divisional structure and
governance model
to a more centralized enterprise model, and the long-term
challenges experi-
enced by CIO Vince Patton in changing both business and IT
practices, includ-
ing information management and delivery, to support this new
approach. In
“Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance,” CIO Jane

Denton endeavors
to make IT more flexible and agile, while incorporating new and
emerging tech-
nologies into its strategy. In “IT Investment at North American
Financial,” we
show the opportunities and challenges involved in prioritizing
and resourcing
enterprisewide IT projects and monitoring that anticipated
benefits are being
achieved.
• Section III: IT-Enabled Innovation discusses some of the ways
technology is
being used to transform organizations. Chapter 12 (Innovation
with IT) examines
the nature and importance of innovation with IT and describes a
typical inno-
vation life cycle. Chapter 13 (Big Data and Social Computing)
discusses how IT
leaders are incorporating big data and social media concepts and
technologies
xviii Preface
to successfully deliver business value in new ways. Chapter 14
(Improving the
Customer Experience: An IT Perspective) explores the IT
function’s role in creating
and improving an organization’s customer experiences and the
role of technology
in helping companies to understand and learn from their
customers’ experiences.
Chapter 15 (Building Business Intelligence) looks at the nature
of business intelli-

gence and its relationship to data, information, and knowledge
and how IT can be
used to build a more intelligent organization. Chapter 16
(Enabling Collaboration
with IT) identifies the principal forms of collaboration used in
organizations, the
primary business drivers involved in them, how their business
value is measured,
and the roles of IT and the business in enabling collaboration.
The mini cases in this section focus on the key challenges
companies face in
innovating with IT. “Innovation at International Foods”
contrasts the need for pro-
cess and control in corporate IT with the strong push to
innovate with technology
and the difficulties that ensue from the clash of style and
culture. “Consumerization
of Technology at IFG” looks at issues such as “bring your own
device” (BYOD) to
the workplace. In “CRM at Minitrex,” we see some of the
internal technological and
political conflicts that result from a strategic decision to
become more customercen-
tric. Finally, “Customer Service at Datatronics” explores the
importance of present-
ing unified, customer-facing IT to customers.
• Section IV: IT Portfolio Development and Management looks
at how the IT
function must transform itself to be able to deliver business
value effectively in
the future. Chapter 17 (Application Portfolio Management)
describes the ongoing
management process of categorizing, assessing, and
rationalizing the IT application

portfolio. Chapter 18 (Managing IT Demand) looks at the often
neglected issue of
demand management (as opposed to supply management),
explores the root causes
of the demand for IT services, and identifies a number of tools
and enablers to
facilitate more effective demand management. Chapter 19
(Creating and Evolving
a Technology Roadmap) examines the challenges IT managers
face in implement-
ing new infrastructure, technology standards, and types of
technology in their real-
world business and technical environments, which is composed
of a huge variety of
hardware, software, applications, and other technologies, some
of which date back
more than thirty years. Chapter 20 (Enhancing Development
Productivity) explores
how system development practices are changing and how
managers can create
an environment to promote improved development productivity.
And Chapter 21
(Information Delivery: IT’s Evolving Role) examines the fresh
challenges IT faces in
managing the exponential growth of data and digital assets;
privacy and account-
ability concerns; and new demands for access to information on
an anywhere, any-
time basis.
The mini cases associated with this section describe many of
these themes
embedded within real organizational contexts. “Project
Management at MM” mini
case shows how a top-priority, strategic project can take a
wrong turn when proj-

ect management skills are ineffective. “Working Smarter at
Continental Furniture”
mini case follows an initiative to improve the company’s
analytics so it can reduce
its environmental impact. And in the mini case “Managing
Technology at Genex
Fuels,” we see CIO Nick Devlin trying to implement
enterprisewide technology for
competitive advantage in an organization that has been limping
along with obscure
and outdated systems.
Preface xix
SupplementAry mAteriAlS
online instructor resource center
The following supplements are available online to adopting
instructors:
• PowerPointLectureNotes
• ImageLibrary(textart)
• ExtensiveTeachingNotesforallMinicases
•
AdditionalchaptersincludingDevelopingITProfessionalism;ITSo
urcing;Master
Data Management; Developing IT Capabilities; The Identity
Management Challenge;
Social Computing; Managing Perceptions of IT; IT in the New
World of Corporate
Governance Reforms; Enhancing Customer Experiences with
Technology; Creating
Digital Dashboards; and Managing Electronic Communications.

•
Additionalminicases,includingITLeadershipatMaxTrade;Creatin
gaProcess-Driven
Organization at Ag-Credit; Information Management at
Homestyle Hotels; Knowledge
Management at Acme Consulting; Desktop Provisioning at
CanCredit; and Leveraging
IT Vendors at SleepSmart.
For detailed descriptions of all of the supplements just listed,
please visit http://
www.pearsonhighered.com/mckeen.
courseSmart etextbooks online
CourseSmart is an exciting new choice for students looking to
save money. As an alter-
native to purchasing the print textbook, students can purchase
an electronic version of
the same content and save up to 50 percent off the suggested list
price of the print text.
With a CourseSmart etextbook, students can search the text,
make notes online, print
out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and
bookmark important pas-
sages for later review. www.coursesmart.com.
the geneSiS of thiS Book
Since 1990 we have been meeting quarterly with a group of
senior IT managers from
a number of leading-edge organizations (e.g., Eli Lilly, BMO,
Honda, HP, CIBC, IBM,
Sears, Bell Canada, MacDonalds, and Sun Life) to identify and
discuss critical IT manage-
ment issues. This focus group represents a wide variety of

industry sectors (e.g., retail,
manufacturing, pharmaceutical, banking, telecommunications,
insurance, media, food
processing, government, and automotive). Originally, it was
established to meet the com-
panies’ needs for well-balanced, thoughtful, yet practical
information on emerging IT
management topics, about which little or no research was
available. However, we soon
recognized the value of this premise for our own research in the
rapidly evolving field
of IT management. As a result, it quickly became a full-scale
research program in which
we were able to use the focus group as an “early warning
system” to document new IT
management issues, develop case studies around them, and
explore more collaborative
approaches to identifying trends, challenges, and effective
practices in each topic area.3
3 This now includes best practice case studies, field research in
organizations, multidisciplinary qualitative
and quantitative research projects, and participation in
numerous CIO research consortia.
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/mckeen
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/mckeen
http://www.coursesmart.com
xx Preface
As we shared our materials with our business students, we
realized that this issues-
based approach resonated strongly with them, and we began to
incorporate more of our

research into the classroom. This book is the result of our many
years’ work with senior
IT managers, in organizations, and with students in the
classroom.
Each issue in this book has been selected collaboratively by the
focus group after
debate and discussion. As facilitators, our job has been to keep
the group’s focus on IT
management issues, not technology per se. In preparation for
each meeting, focus group
members researched the topic within their own organization,
often involving a number
of members of their senior IT management team as well as
subject matter experts in
the process. To guide them, we provided a series of questions
about the issue, although
members are always free to explore it as they see fit. This
approach provided both struc-
ture for the ensuing discussion and flexibility for those
members whose organizations
are approaching the issue in a different fashion.
The focus group then met in a full-day session, where the
members discussed all
aspects of the issue. Many also shared corporate documents with
the group. We facilitated
the discussion, in particular pushing the group to achieve a
common understanding of
the dimensions of the issue and seeking examples, best
practices, and guidelines for deal-
ing with the challenges involved. Following each session, we
wrote a report based on the
discussion, incorporating relevant academic and practitioner
materials where these were
available. (Because some topics are “bleeding edge,” there is

often little traditional IT
research available on them.)
Each report has three parts:
1. A description of the issue and the challenges it presents for
both business and IT
managers
2. Models and concepts derived from the literature to position
the issue within a con-
textual framework
3. Near-term strategies (i.e., those that can be implemented
immediately) that have
proven successful within organizations for dealing with the
specific issue
Each chapter in this book focuses on one of these critical IT
issues. We have learned
over the years that the issues themselves vary little across
industries and organizations,
even in enterprises with unique IT strategies. However, each
organization tackles the
same issue somewhat differently. It is this diversity that
provides the richness of insight
in these chapters. Our collaborative research approach is based
on our belief that when
dealing with complex and leading-edge issues, “everyone has
part of the solution.”
Every focus group, therefore, provides us an opportunity to
explore a topic from a
variety of perspectives and to integrate different experiences
(both successful and oth-
erwise) so that collectively, a thorough understanding of each
issue can be developed

and strategies for how it can be managed most successfully can
be identified.
ABoUT THE AUTHoRS
James D. McKeen is Professor Emeritus at the Queen’s School
of Business. He has been
working in the IT field for many years as a practitioner,
researcher, and consultant. In
2011, he was named the “IT Educator of the Year” by
ComputerWorld Canada. Jim has
taught at universities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
and the United States.
His research is widely published in a number of leading journals
and he is the coau-
thor (with Heather Smith) of five books on IT management.
Their most recent book—IT
Strategy: Issues and Practices (2nd ed.)—was the best-selling
business book in Canada
(Globe and Mail, April 2012).
Heather A. Smith has been named the most-published researcher
on IT management
issues in two successive studies (2006, 2009). A senior research
associate with Queen’s
University School of Business, she is the author of five books,
the most recent being IT
Strategy: Issues and Practices (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012).
She is also a senior research
associate with the American Society for Information
Management’s Advanced Practices
Council. A former senior IT manager, she is codirector of the IT
Management Forum and
the CIO Brief, which facilitate interorganizational learning

among senior IT executives.
In addition, she consults and collaborates with organizations
worldwide.
xxi
ACKNowLEDGMENTS
The work contained in this book is based on numerous meetings
with many senior IT
managers. We would like to acknowledge our indebtedness to
the following individuals
who willingly shared their insights based on their experiences
“earned the hard way”:
Michael Balenzano, Sergei Beliaev, Matthias Benfey, Nastaran
Bisheban, Peter
Borden, Eduardo Cadena, Dale Castle, Marc Collins, Diane
Cope, Dan Di Salvo,
Ken Dschankilic, Michael East, Nada Farah, Mark Gillard, Gary
Goldsmith, Ian
Graham, Keiko Gutierrez, Maureen Hall, Bruce Harding,
Theresa Harrington,
Tom Hopson, Heather Hutchison, Jim Irich, Zeeshan Khan,
Joanne Lafreniere,
Konstantine Liris, Lisa MacKay, Mark O’Gorman, Amin
Panjwani, Troy Pariag,
Brian Patton, Marius Podaru, Helen Restivo, Pat Sadler, A. F.
Salam, Ashish
Saxena, Joanne Scher, Stewart Scott, Andy Secord, Marie Shafi,
Helen Shih, Trudy
Sykes, Bruce Thompson, Raju Uppalapati, Len Van Greuning,
Laurie Schatzberg,
Ted Vincent, and Bond Wetherbe.

We would also like to recognize the contribution of Queen’s
School of Business
to this work. The school has facilitated and supported our vision
of better integrat-
ing academic research and practice and has helped make our
collaborative approach
to the study of IT management and strategy an effective model
for interorganizational
learning.
James D. McKeen
Kingston, Ontario
Heather A. Smith
School of Business
June 2014
xxii
S e c t i o n i
Delivering Value with IT
Chapter 1 Developing and Delivering on the IT Value
Proposition
Chapter 2 Developing IT Strategy for Business Value
Chapter 3 Linking IT to Business Metrics
Chapter 4 Building a Strong Relationship with the Business
Chapter 5 Communicating with Business Managers
Chapter 6 Building Better IT Leaders from the Bottom Up
Mini Cases

■ Delivering Business Value with IT at Hefty Hardware
■ Investing in TUFS
■ IT Planning at ModMeters
2
C h a p t e r
1 Developing and Delivering on the it Value Proposition1
1 This chapter is based on the authors’ previously published
article, Smith, H. A., and J. D. McKeen.
“Developing and Delivering on the IT Value Proposition.”
Communications of the Association for Information
Systems 11 (April 2003): 438–50. Reproduced by permission of
the Association for Information Systems.
It’s déjà vu all over again. For at least twenty years, business
leaders have been trying to figure out exactly how and where
IT can be of value in their organizations. And IT managers have
been trying to learn how to deliver this value. When IT was
used mainly as a productivity improvement tool in small areas
of a business, this was
a relatively straightforward process. Value was measured by
reduced head counts—
usually in clerical areas—and/or the ability to process more
transactions per person.
However, as systems grew in scope and complexity,
unfortunately so did the risks. Very
few companies escaped this period without making at least a
few disastrous invest-
ments in systems that didn’t work or didn’t deliver the bottom-
line benefits executives
thought they would. Naturally, fingers were pointed at IT.

With the advent of the strategic use of IT in business, it became
even more difficult
to isolate and deliver on the IT value proposition. It was often
hard to tell if an invest-
ment had paid off. Who could say how many competitors had
been deterred or how
many customers had been attracted by a particular IT initiative?
Many companies can
tell horror stories of how they have been left with a substantial
investment in new forms
of technology with little to show for it. Although over the years
there have been many
improvements in where and how IT investments are made and
good controls have been
established to limit time and cost overruns, we are still not able
to accurately articulate
and deliver on a value proposition for IT when it comes to
anything other than simple
productivity improvements or cost savings.
Problems in delivering IT value can lie with how a value
proposition is conceived
or in what is done to actually implement an idea—that is,
selecting the right project and
doing the project right (Cooper et al. 2000; McKeen and Smith
2003; Peslak 2012). In
addition, although most firms attempt to calculate the expected
payback of an IT invest-
ment before making it, few actually follow up to ensure that
value has been achieved or
to question what needs to be done to make sure that value will
be delivered.

Chapter1 • DevelopingandDeliveringontheITValueProposition 3
This chapter first looks at the nature of IT value and “peels the
onion” into its
different layers. Then it examines the three components of
delivering IT value: value
identification, conversion, and value realization. Finally, it
identifies five general
principles for ensuring IT value will be achieved.
Peeling the OniOn: Understanding it ValUe
Thirty years ago the IT value proposition was seen as a simple
equation: Deliver the
right technology to the organization, and financial benefits will
follow (Cronk and
Fitzgerald 1999; Marchand et al. 2000). In the early days of IT,
when computers were
most often used as direct substitutes for people, this equation
was understandable,
even if it rarely worked this simply. It was easy to compute a
bottom-line benefit where
“technology” dollars replaced “salary” dollars.
Problems with this simplistic view quickly arose when
technology came to be
used as a productivity support tool and as a strategic tool.
Under these conditions,
managers had to decide if an IT investment was worth making if
it saved people time,
helped them make better decisions, or improved service. Thus,
other factors, such as
how well technology was used by people or how IT and
business processes worked
together, became important considerations in how much value
was realized from an IT

investment. These issues have long confounded our
understanding of the IT value prop-
osition, leading to a plethora of opinions (many negative) about
how and where technol-
ogy has actually contributed to business value. Stephen Roach
(1989) made headlines
with his macroeconomic analysis showing that IT had had
absolutely no impact on pro-
ductivity in the services sector. More recently, research shows
that companies still have a
mixed record in linking IT to organizational performance, user
satisfaction, productivity,
customer experience, and agility (Peslak 2012).
These perceptions, plus ever-increasing IT expenditures, have
meant business
managers are taking a closer look at how and where IT delivers
value to an organization
(Ginzberg 2001; Luftman and Zadeh 2011). As they do this,
they are beginning to change
their understanding of the IT value proposition. Although,
unfortunately, “silver bullet
thinking” (i.e., plug in technology and deliver bottom-line
impact) still predomi-
nates, IT value is increasingly seen as a multilayered concept,
far more complex than
it first appeared. This suggests that before an IT value
proposition can be identified
and delivered, it is essential that managers first “peel the
onion” and understand more
about the nature of IT value itself (see Figure 1.1).
What is it Value?
Value is defined as the worth or desirability of a thing (Cronk
and Fitzgerald 1999). It is

a subjective assessment. Although many believe this is not so,
the value of IT depends
very much on how a business and its individual managers
choose to view it. Different
companies and even different executives will define it quite
differently. Strategic posi-
tioning, increased productivity, improved decision making, cost
savings, or improved
service are all ways value could be defined. Today most
businesses define value broadly
and loosely, not simply as a financial concept (Chakravarty et
al. 2013). Ideally, it is tied
to the organization’s business model because adding value with
IT should enable a firm
to do its business better. In the focus group (see the Preface),
one company sees value
4 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
resulting from all parts of the organization having the same
processes; another defines
value by return on investment (ROI); still another measures it
by a composite of key
performance indicators. In short, there is no single agreed-on
measure of IT value. As a
result, misunderstandings about the definition of value either
between IT and the busi-
ness or among business managers themselves can lead to
feelings that value has not
been delivered. Therefore, a prerequisite of any IT value
proposition is that everyone
involved in an IT initiative agree on what value they are trying
to deliver and how they
will recognize it.

Where is it Value?
Value may also vary according to where one looks for it
(Davern and Kauffman 2000;
Oliveira and Martins 2011). For example, value to an enterprise
may not be perceived as
value in a work group or by an individual. In fact, delivering
value at one level in an orga-
nization may actually conflict with optimizing value at another
level. Decisions about
IT value are often made to optimize firm or business process
value, even if they cause
difficulties for business units or individuals. As one manager
explained, “At the senior
levels, our bottom-line drivers of value are cost savings, cash
flow, customer satisfaction,
and revenue. These are not always visible at the lower levels of
the organization.” Failure
to consider value implications at all levels can lead to a value
proposition that is coun-
terproductive and may not deliver the value that is anticipated.
Many executives take a
hard line with these value conflicts. However, it is far more
desirable to aim for a value
What Value will be
Delivered?
Where will Value be
Delivered?
Who will
Deliver Value?
When will Value

be Delivered?
How will Value
be Delivered?
FigUre 1.1 IT Value Is a Many-Layered Concept
that is not a win–lose proposition but is a win–win at all levels.
This can leverage overall
value many times over (Chan 2000; Grant and Royle 2011).
Who delivers it Value?
Increasingly, managers are realizing that it is the interaction of
people, information, and
technology that delivers value, not IT alone.2 Studies have
confirmed that strong IT
practices alone do not deliver superior performance. It is only
the combination of these
IT practices with an organization’s skills at managing
information and people’s behav-
iors and beliefs that leads to real value (Birdsall 2011; Ginzberg
2001; Marchand et al.
2000). In the past, IT has borne most of the responsibility for
delivering IT value. Today,
however, business managers exhibit a growing willingness to
share responsibility with
IT to ensure value is realized from the organization’s
investments in technology. Most
companies now expect to have an executive sponsor for any IT
initiative and some busi-
ness participation in the development team. However, many IT

projects still do not
have the degree of support or commitment from the business
that IT managers feel is
necessary to deliver fully on a value proposition (Peslak 2012).
When is it Value realized?
Value also has a time dimension. It has long been known that
the benefits of technol-
ogy take time to be realized (Chan 2000; Segars and Chatterjee
2010). People must be
trained, organizations and processes must adapt to new ways of
working, information
must be compiled, and customers must realize what new
products and services are
being offered. Companies are often unprepared for the time it
takes an investment to
pay off. Typically, full payback can take between three and five
years and can have at
least two spikes as a business adapts to the deployment of
technology. Figure 1.2 shows
this “W” effect, named for the way the chart looks, for a single
IT project.
Initially, companies spend a considerable amount in deploying a
new technology.
During this twelve-to-sixteen-month period, no benefits occur.
Following implementa-
tion, some value is realized as companies achieve initial
efficiencies. This period lasts
for about six months. However, as use increases, complexities
also grow. Information
overload can occur and costs increase. At this stage, many can
lose faith in the initia-
tive. This is a dangerous period. The final set of benefits can
occur only by making the

business simpler and applying technology, information, and
people more effectively. If
a business can manage to do this, it can achieve sustainable,
long-term value from its IT
investment (Segars and Chatterjee 2010). If it can’t, value from
technology can be offset
by increased complexity.
Time also changes perceptions of value. Many IT managers can
tell stories of
how an initiative is vilified as having little or no value when
first implemented, only
to have people say they couldn’t imagine running the business
without it a few years
later. Similarly, most managers can identify projects where time
has led to a clearer
2 These interactions in a structured form are known as
processes. Processes are often the focus of much orga-
nizational effort in the belief that streamlining and
reengineering them will deliver value. In fact, research
shows that without attention to information and people, very
little value is delivered (Segars and Chatterjee
2010). In addition, attention to processes in organizations often
ignores the informal processes that contribute
to value.
understanding of the potential value of a project. Unfortunately,
in cases where antici-
pated value declines or disappears, projects don’t always get
killed (Cooper et al. 2000).

Clarifying and agreeing on these different layers of IT value is
the first step involved
in developing and delivering on the IT value proposition. All
too often, this work is for-
gotten or given short shrift in the organization’s haste to answer
this question: How will
IT value be delivered? (See next section.) As a result,
misunderstandings arise and tech-
nology projects do not fulfill their expected promises. It will be
next to impossible to do a
good job developing and delivering IT value unless and until
the concepts involved in IT
value are clearly understood and agreed on by both business and
IT managers.
the three COmPOnents OF the it ValUe PrOPOsitiOn
Developing and delivering an IT value proposition involves
addressing three compo-
nents. First, potential opportunities for adding value must be
identified. Second, these
opportunities must be converted into effective applications of
technology. Finally, value
12–16 Months
EVA
Time
Get the House
in Order
Harvest Low-
Hanging Fruit

Make the
Business
Complex
Make Business
Simpler
16–22 Months 22–38 Months 3–5 Years
FigUre 1.2 The ‘W’ Effect in Delivering IT Value (Segars &
Chatterjee, 2010)
Best Practices in Understanding IT Value
• LinkITvaluedirectlytoyourbusinessmodel.
•
Recognizevalueissubjective,andmanageperceptionsaccordingly.
• Aimforavalue“win–
win”acrossprocesses,workunits,andindividuals.
• SeekbusinesscommitmenttoallITprojects.
• Managevalueovertime.
must be realized by the organization. Together, these
components comprise the funda-
mentals of any value proposition (see Figure 1.3).
identification of Potential Value
Identifying opportunities for making IT investments has
typically been a fairly
informal activity in most organizations. Very few companies
have a well-organized

means of doing research into new technologies or strategizing
about where these tech-
nologies can be used (McKeen and Smith 2010). More
companies have mechanisms
for identifying opportunities within business units. Sometimes a
senior IT manager
will be designated as a “relationship manager” for a particular
unit with responsi-
bility for working with business management to identify
opportunities where IT
could add value (Agarwal and Sambamurthy 2002; Peslak
2012). Many other com-
panies, however, still leave it up to business managers to
identify where they want
to use IT. There is growing evidence that relegating the IT
organization to a passive
role in developing systems according to business instructions is
unlikely to lead to
high IT value. Research shows that involving IT in business
planning can have a direct
and positive influence on the development of successful
business strategies using IT
(Ginzberg 2001; Marchand et al. 2000). This suggests that
organizations should estab-
lish joint business–IT mechanisms to identify and evaluate both
business and technical
opportunities where IT can add value.
Once opportunities have been identified, companies must then
make decisions
about where they want to focus their dollars to achieve optimal
value. Selecting the
right projects for an organization always involves balancing
three fundamental factors:
cash, timing, and risk (Luehrman 1997). In principle, every
company wants to under-

take only high-return projects. In reality, project selection is
based on many different
factors. For example, pet or political projects or those mandated
by the government or
competitors are often part of a company’s IT portfolio (Carte et
al. 2001). Disagreement
at senior levels about which projects to undertake can arise
because of a lack of a coher-
ent and consistent mechanism for assessing project value. All
organizations need some
formal mechanism for prioritizing projects. Without one, it is
very likely that project
selection will become highly politicized and, hence, ineffective
at delivering value.
There are a variety of means to do this, ranging from using
strictly bottom-line metrics,
to comparing balanced scorecards, to adopting a formal value-
assessment methodology.
However, although these methods help to weed out higher cost–
lower return projects,
they do not constitute a foolproof means of selecting the right
projects for an organiza-
tion. Using strict financial selection criteria, for example, can
exclude potentially high-
value strategic projects that have less well-defined returns,
longer payback periods,
and more risk (Cooper et al. 2000; DeSouza 2011). Similarly, it
can be difficult getting
Identification Conversion Realization
IT
Value
FigUre 1.3 The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition

important infrastructure initiatives funded even though these
may be fundamental to
improving organizational capabilities (Byrd 2001).
Therefore, organizations are increasingly taking a portfolio
approach to project
selection. This approach allocates resources and funding to
different types of projects,
enabling each type of opportunity to be evaluated according to
different criteria (McKeen
and Smith 2003; Smith and McKeen 2010). One company has
identified three different
classes of IT—infrastructure, common systems, and business
unit applications—and
funds them in different proportions. In other companies,
funding for strategic initia-
tives is allocated in stages so their potential value can be
reassessed as more information
about them becomes known. Almost all companies have found it
necessary to justify
infrastructure initiatives differently than more business-oriented
projects. In fact, some
remove these types of projects from the selection process
altogether and fund them with
a “tax” on all other development (McKeen and Smith 2003).
Other companies allocate a
fixed percentage of their IT budgets to a technology renewal
fund.
Organizations have come a long way in formalizing where and
how they choose to
invest their IT dollars. Nevertheless, there is still considerable

room for judgment based
on solid business and technical knowledge. It is, therefore,
essential that all executives
involved have the ability to think strategically and
systematically as well as financially
about project identification and selection.
effective Conversion
“Conversion” from idea/opportunity to reality has been what IT
organizations have
been all about since their inception. A huge amount of effort
has gone into this central
component of the IT value proposition. As a result, many IT
organizations have become
very good at developing and delivering projects on time and on
budget. Excellent
project management, effective execution, and reliable
operations are a critical part of
IT value. However, they are not, in and of themselves,
sufficient to convert a good idea
into value or to deliver value to an organization.
Today managers and researchers are both recognizing that more
is involved in
effective conversion than good IT practices. Organizations can
set themselves up for
failure by not providing adequate and qualified resources. Many
companies start more
projects than they can effectively deliver with the resources
they have available. Not
having enough time or resources to do the job means that people
are spread too thin
and end up taking shortcuts that are potentially damaging to
value (Cooper et al. 2000).
Resource limitations on the business side of a project team can

be as damaging to con-
version as a lack of technical resources. “[Value is about] far
more than just sophisticated
managerial visions. . . . Training and other efforts . . . to obtain
value from IT investments
Best Practices in Identifying Potential Value
• Jointbusiness–
ITstructurestorecognizeandevaluateopportunities
• Ameansofcomparingvalueacrossprojects
• Aportfolioapproachtoprojectselection
• Afundingmechanismforinfrastructure
are often hamstrung by insufficient resources” (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000). Inadequate
business resources can lead to poor communication and
ineffective problem solving on
a project (Ginzberg 2001). Companies are beginning to
recognize that the number and
quality of the staff assigned to an IT project can make a
difference to its eventual out-
come. They are insisting that the organization’s best IT and
businesspeople be assigned
to critical projects.
Other significant barriers to conversion that are becoming more
apparent now
that IT has improved its own internal practices include the
following:
• Organizational barriers. The effective implementation of IT

frequently requires
the extensive redesign of current business processes (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000).
However, organizations are often reluctant to make the difficult
complementary
business changes and investments that are required (Carte et al.
2001). “When
new IT is implemented, everyone expects to see costs come
down,” explained one
manager. “However, most projects involve both business and IT
deliverables. We,
therefore, need to take a multifunctional approach to driving
business value.” In
recognition of this fact, some companies are beginning to put
formal change man-
agement programs in place to help businesses prepare for the
changes involved
with IT projects and to adapt and simplify as they learn how to
take advantage of
new technology.
• Knowledge barriers. Most often new technology and processes
require employ-
ees to work differently, learn new skills, and have new
understanding of how and
where information, people, and technologies fit together (Chircu
and Kauffman
2000; Perez-Lopez and Alegre 2012). Although training has
long been part of new
IT implementations, more recently businesses are recognizing
that delivering value
from technology requires a broader and more coordinated
learning effort (Smith
and McKeen 2002). Lasting value comes from people and
technology working
together as a system rather than as discrete entities. Research

confirms that high-
performing organizations not only have strong IT practices but
also have people
who have good information management practices and who are
able to effectively
use the information they receive (Beath et al. 2012; Marchand et
al. 2000).
realizing Value
The final component of the IT value proposition has been the
most frequently ignored.
This is the work involved in actually realizing value after
technology has been imple-
mented. Value realization is a proactive and long-term process
for any major initiative.
All too often, after an intense implementation period, a
development team is disbanded
to work on other projects, and the business areas affected by
new technology are left to
Best Practices in Conversion
• AvailabilityofadequateandqualifiedITandbusinessresources
• Traininginbusinessgoalsandprocesses
• Multifunctionalchangemanagement
• Emphasisonhigher-levellearningandknowledgemanagement
sink or swim. As a result, a project’s benefits can be
imperfectly realized. Technology
must be used extensively if it is to deliver value. Poorly
designed technology can lead

to high levels of frustration, resistance to change, and low
levels of use (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000; Sun et al., 2012).
Resistance to change can have its root cause in an assumption or
an action that
doesn’t make sense in the everyday work people do. Sometimes
this means challeng-
ing workers’ understanding of work expectations or information
flows. At other times
it means doing better analysis of where and how a new process
is causing bottlenecks,
overwork, or overload. As one manager put it, “If value is not
being delivered, we
need to understand the root causes and do something about it.”
His company takes
the unusual position that it is important to keep a team working
on a project until the
expected benefits have been realized. This approach is ideal but
can also be very costly
and, therefore, must be carefully managed. Some companies try
to short-circuit the
value management process by simply taking anticipated cost
savings out of a business
unit’s budget once technology has been implemented, thereby
forcing it to do more
with less whether or not the technology has been as beneficial
as anticipated. However,
most often organizations do little or no follow-up to determine
whether or not benefits
have been achieved.
Measurement is a key component of value realization (Thorp
1999). After imple-
mentation, it is essential that all stakeholders systematically
compare outcomes against

expected value and take appropriate actions to achieve benefits.
In addition to monitor-
ing metrics, a thorough and ongoing assessment of value and
information flows must
also be undertaken at all levels of analysis: individual, team,
work unit, and enterprise.
Efforts must be taken to understand and improve aspects of
process, information, and
technology that are acting as barriers to achieving value.
A significant problem with not paying attention to value
recognition is that areas
of unexpected value or opportunity are also ignored. This is
unfortunate because it is
only after technology has been installed that many
businesspeople can see how it could
be leveraged in other parts of their work. Realizing value
should, therefore, also include
provisions to evaluate new opportunities arising through
serendipity.
FiVe PrinCiPles FOr deliVering ValUe
In addition to clearly understanding what value means in a
particular organization and
ensuring that the three components of the IT value proposition
are addressed by every
project, five principles have been identified that are central to
developing and deliver-
ing value in every organization.
Best Practices in Realizing Value
• Planavalue-realizationphaseforallITprojects.
• Measureoutcomesagainstexpectedresults.
• Lookforandeliminaterootcausesofproblems.

• Assessvaluerealizationatalllevelsintheorganization.
• Haveprovisionsforactingonnewopportunitiestoleveragevalue.
Chapter1 • DevelopingandDeliveringontheITValueProposition
11
Principle 1. have a Clearly defined Portfolio
Value management Process
Every organization should have a common process for managing
the overall value
being delivered to the organization from its IT portfolio. This
would begin as a means of
identifying and prioritizing IT opportunities by potential value
relative to each other. It
would also include mechanisms to optimize enterprise value
(e.g., through tactical, stra-
tegic, and infrastructure projects) according to a rubric of how
the organization wants
to allocate its resources.
A portfolio value management process should continue to track
projects as they
are being developed. It should ensure not only that projects are
meeting schedule and
budget milestones but also that other elements of conversion
effectiveness are being
addressed (e.g., business process redesign, training, change
management, informa-
tion management, and usability). A key barrier to achieving
value can be an organiza-
tion’s unwillingness to revisit the decisions made about its
portfolio (Carte et al. 2001).
Yet this is critically important for strategic and infrastructure

initiatives in particular.
Companies may have to approve investments in these types of
projects based on imper-
fect information in an uncertain environment. As they develop,
improved information
can lead to better decision making about an investment. In some
cases this might lead to
a decision to kill a project; in others, to speed it up or to
reshape it as a value proposition
becomes clearer.
Finally, a portfolio value management process should include an
ongoing means
of ensuring that value is realized from an investment.
Management must monitor
expected outcomes at appropriate times following
implementation and hold someone
in the organization accountable for delivering benefits (Smith
and McKeen 2010).
Principle 2. aim for Chunks of Value
Much value can be frittered away by dissipating IT investments
on too many projects
(Cho et al. 2013; Marchand et al. 2000). Focusing on a few key
areas and designing a set
of complementary projects that will really make a difference is
one way companies are
trying to address this concern. Many companies are undertaking
larger and larger tech-
nology initiatives that will have a significant transformational
and/or strategic impact
on the organization. However, unlike earlier efforts, which
often took years to complete
and ended up having questionable value, these initiatives are
aiming to deliver major

value through a series of small, focused projects that, linked
together, will result in both
immediate short-term impact and long-term strategic value. For
example, one company
has about three hundred to four hundred projects underway
linked to one of a dozen
major initiatives.
Principle 3. adopt a holistic Orientation to technology Value
Because value comes from the effective interaction of people,
information, and tech-
nology, it is critical that organizations aim to optimize their
ability to manage and use
them together (Marchand et al. 2000). Adopting a systemic
approach to value, where
technology is not viewed in isolation and interactions and
impacts are anticipated and
planned, has been demonstrated to contribute to perceived
business value (Ginzberg
2001). Managers should aim to incorporate technology as an
integral part of an overall
program of business change rather than dealing with people and
information manage-
ment as afterthoughts to technology (Beath et al. 2012). One
company has done this by
taking a single business objective (e.g., “increase market
penetration by 15 percent over
five years”) and designing a program around it that includes a
number of bundled tech-
nology projects.

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