Metrics

Forrester: 20 ways to make IT work

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:59:56 -0500

Sometimes the CIO has to convince the boss that he's on the right path. To help him do that, Forester Research put together a list of best practices that can offer some help in making IT work well. That includes developing new metrics, rescuing outdated processes and making sure your company's business side knows that IT is pulling its weight. All this may help CIOs and their IT managers show superiors their value. Sometimes the business side has to become invested in the IT struggle, and it's the CIO's job to make sure business colleagues are up to speed.

The Forrester list includes plenty of easy solutions, along with some complicated ones. Nothing is every easy in this arena, as most CIOs know. It is important to break down legacy habits and get everyone on board to get IT right. Some days, it seems like a snail crawling, and other days, there are plenty of triumphs. A CIO must know how to roll with the punches.

"There's a ton of these things out there," said Forrester research analyst Phil Murphy. "At least take an inventory of what you're doing and what you're not doing and be aware there are this many things and rate yourself on what you're doing and what you're not doing because changing that could help you."

Forrester's ideas include: Using IT systems performance management audits and software to increase application throughput and managing costs and implementing data center automation to reduce operating costs.

For more ideas to make IT work:
- check out this CIOUpdate article

Networking and relationship building is key to success

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

A large part of management is about networking and building better relationships, but networking does not always come easy. CIO Executive Council members discussed relationship best practices at their recent General Assembly in Carlsbad, Calif., and offer these tips up in CIO magazine. First off, identify your targets. For many CIO, it's other C-level executives. For Tom Langston, CIO at $2.1 billion SSM Health Care System, it's new hires. "Whenever I see a new president or VP arrive, I make it a point to introduce myself and emphasize the value of his/her role as an IT customer," Langston told CIO. Once selected, it's time to meet and greet. Many CIOs say they have created formal documents to track relationships. Next, use your personality to your advantage and realize that it's important to make all of this a part of your job, not unlike finding time for exercise and reflection.

For more on networking:
- see the article in CIO

The CIO-CFO relationship grows

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:59:57 -0400

The average tenure of CIOs has become notoriously short, writes Steve O'Connor, an executive with ITM Software, in CIOUpdate. "Often (as insiders will sometimes share), these firms are caught in a vicious cycle--hiring each new CIO with the belief that his or
her strengths will somehow fix the problems caused by their predecessor's weaknesses. Since no CIO is perfect, however, the cycle can run for many years, resulting in thrashing of priorities and untold missed opportunities," he writes. O'Connor says that technical savvy is still indispensable in any IT group, but in addition to the underlying technology, CIOs must understand how the computing services and products depend on each other and fit together. CIOs should also have extensive management experience and financial acumen. "The CIO must truly understand the other business units in the enterprise, each with its own goals, metrics and end-customers. These are, after all, the CIO's direct customers," O'Connor writes.

For more on the skills required for the CIO position:
- read the article in CIOUpdate

CIOs have a credibility gap to overcome

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

In the rarefied world of big time IT, measurement is King. That, at least, is the position of David Caruso, Senior Consultant with the Cutter Consortium. And as technology becomes more critical to the way line-of-business managers do their jobs, a race is underway to determine what the specific metrics will be, who will set the standards of performance and how they will be met. In the latest edition of CIOupdate, Caruso believes that many CIOs are ceding the measurement of its success to LOB managers because "Too many CIOs face a serious and untenable credibility gap. Even if their performance is stellar, they don't know how to prove it to themselves or to their CEOs." It is different for LOB managers. Their credibility can be easily established by hitting fairly easy to understand (if not achieve) top and bottom line figures that are core to the enterprise's existence. Caruso even has a prescription for CIOs who wish to explain their value contribution in more meaningful business terms.

For more on the credibility gap:
- see the article in CIOUpdate

Welcome to the new FierceCIO

Mon, 28 May 2007 20:01:40 -0400

Publisher's Note:

As you might recall, we recently asked you for your thoughts on how we could improve FierceCIO to better suit your needs. Well, you told us what you wanted and we listened. Today, I'm proud to introduce several key changes to FierceCIO. First, I am thrilled to introduce our new editor. Patricia Brown, formerly executive editor of Optimize, brings more than 20 years of experience to the table along with an intimate knowledge of what CIOs need to know. I'm confident that you'll like her.

Second, FierceCIO will now publish twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, delivering all of the week's news in two easy-to-read issues. The "Technology Toolbox" section in the Thursday issue will focus on a particular topic or theme, allowing you to explore various topics in depth, while gaining a broader perspective on trends and technologies in the marketplace. Finally, we will orient more of our content toward the needs of CIOs in small and medium-sized organizations, not just the Fortune 500 folks. I hope you enjoy these changes and find them useful. As always, feel free to contact me with any feedback. --Jeff Giesea - Publisher, FierceCIO

Welcome to the new FierceCIO
Hello, FierceCIO readers. My name is Patricia Brown and I'm happy to be taking over the FierceCIO newsletter. In the twenty years that I have covered the business of technology and the expanding role of CIOs, I have never seen a time of greater opportunity for technologists to have a more robust impact both in their specific organizations and in the general economy. This shift toward greater responsibility is changing the language of IT. As organizations stop simply talking about business alignment and start implementing initiatives that directly advance critical corporate objectives, CIOs are finding that it is no longer good enough to just manage IT metrics. They are focusing instead on business performance and the customer--both internal and external. In FierceCIO, we will provide you with news analysis and links to resources that will help you navigate the latest developments in technology and enable cutting edge business strategies. If you ever have any suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line and let me know how we can do better. -Patricia Brown

Web analytics solutions demystified

Thu, 17 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

There are more than 100 Web analytics vendors on the market today, each different from the next in terms of technological capabilities, price and customer support. To find the one that suits your business best, determine your business's goals and decide what metrics you need to assess to make smart Web optimization moves. Determine what the tech requirements of your site are to make sure the products you're considering offer compatible software. Then decide whether you prefer a client-side, server-side or hosted solution. At this point, your list should be fairly short. Keep in mind that the bells and whistles don't matter as much as the software's ability to solve your individual business problems does. Look for the one that most closely fits your business needs, your corporate culture and your comfort needs. Once you've narrowed the field to just a few, request a customized demo that shows you in detail how their tool answers your specific questions. Also, think ahead to what business problems you might need solved as your site grows. Will the same vendor be able to help you when your business gets to the next level? Make sure the solution you choose will grow with your business.

Read more about choosing the right Web analytics tool:
- read the article at CIO Today

ALSO:
- read this on why Web analytics is the brains behind online marketing
- and this on getting the maximum value from Web site statistics

Engineering positive change

Wed, 02 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Great CIOs anticipate and drive change; they are experts at change management. But change isn't easy, and realistically, not every CIO is good at it. The prevailing notion is that change doesn't happen without significant fallout. Poor management of change virtually guarantees failure, including employee resistance. Past experience with failure can also undermine current change initiatives and can shape stakeholder expectations. That's why smart CIOs prepare for large-scale change and carve projects into deliverable chunks. True transformation is not about technology or economic factors, but about how to get self-interested individuals to work together. Understanding the human dimension of change is the key to success. And often, it's not change that people resist, it's transition. If you can manage the transition, a successful change often follows. To engineer change, never go it alone, and never introduce change suddenly. Don't obsess over metrics, but find ways to measure change.

Learn more about effecting positive change:
- read the article at CIO Decisions

ALSO:
- read this on being a strategic change leader
- this on the CIO's role in bringing about change
- and this for the need for controls in good change management

Making the most of ITIL

Tue, 01 May 2007 20:01:36 -0400

There is no doubt that ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a great way to support and deliver IT services, but it's a framework, not a set of instructions to be followed dogmatically. To get the most from it, set a clear vision for your objectives and where you want to go, get executive sponsorship, communicate with and get buy-in from the business and your IT staff, start with your biggest opportunity for value or immediate benefit to the business, look at current key performance indicators and know how you're trending, establish simple metrics to calculate and communicate improvements in services, switch to business-oriented communication and language for service management and delivery, think long-term and make sure your processes are integrated, and don't lose sight of your vision and constantly check your progress against it.

Learn more about making the most of ITIL:
- read the article at CIO Canada

ALSO:
- read this about the ROI of ITIL
- and this on putting business ahead of technology

Going back to security basics

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

In many environments, basic security recommendations are not applied consistently. Taking a personal and institutionalized interest in applying basic security principles consistently will mitigate more risk and lead to a more secure environment. Improving existing systems also provides better outcomes than simply adopting new technology. Focus more on the basics, like patch management, password policy and malware blocking, and less on the latest and greatest security products. Truly secure environments are consistency secure and have the basics well covered. And don't forget to pick good metrics.

Learn more about the importance of security basics:
- read the article at InfoWorld

ALSO:
- read this on controlling information access
- and this on IT security

Measuring offshore partnerships

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Yesterday's methods of measuring the success of an offshore partnership don't work today. Those traditional measurements--delivery that's on time, on budget, and working as promised--don't cut it anymore, as relationships encompass a broader scope and cost becomes even more important. The new measure of success is how well the partner supports your business goals, and CIOs need to define new metrics to ensure that global outsourcing delivers much more than cost reduction. That requires granular and detailed information on where things stand at a moment's notice to spot and stop a problem before it ever reaches a critical stage. It's also important to track what's going right, which can provide best practices that your entire organization will benefit from. Consider turning to an outsourcing partner with skilled staff to execute on recommendations. Partners help CIOs vet and adopt new technologies and innovations. They also offer huge economies of scale and the benefit of tried-and-true development without the bumps and scrapes along the way.

Read more about measuring offshore partnerships:
- read the article at Optimize