break down

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 That includes developing new metrics, rescuing outdated processes and making sure your company's business side knows that IT is pulling its weight.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

Web 2.0 changes the way we connect

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

Meanwhile, Rob Carter, CIO of FedEx, told a roomful of technology executives at the SIMposium 2007 that Web 2.0 technologies are changing the way that people view connectedness and networking. Sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life are defining "the notion of virtual place" and represent how people are beginning to break down the idea "that community is defined by face-to-face interactions," Informationweek reports. He also noted that Internet-based, community-oriented platforms like Wikipedia would impact how people work in the future. Pitfalls in this area include questions over intellectual property. "We have a long way to go before we clarify what IP is all about," he said. In terms of Carter's take on the CIO role: "I actually think I have the best job in business," Carter said.

For all the details:
- read the blog in InformationWeek

Virtualization emerging as key to SOA

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Virtualization is shaping up to be a key element in the successful deployment of SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) strategies, according to an analysis in eWeek. As organizations harness SOA to break down silos of automation and tap into legacy systems, experts like David Greschler, director of integrated virtualization strategy at Microsoft, believe that virtualization provides a way for all the pieces of IT the infrastructure--applications, operating systems, presentation layers, virtual machines, and storage and network devices--to be separated from each other and then put back so that all the elements can work together as a whole. But many organizations are missing the opportunity to leverage virtualization SOA because the architects active in both environments are not talking to each other. Those channels of communication however, are beginning to open, says Jason Bloomberg, an analyst with market research firm ZapThink.

For more on SOA implementation:
- read more in eWeek. Article

The challenges faced by the female CIO

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

There is no question that it takes just a little more of everything--risk-taking and hard work, for example--for women to rise to the pinnacle in any organization. Getting there requires determination and leadership skills. Women have to earn the trust of higher-ups and IT professionals, and they have to deal with egos and politics. It takes courage and tenacity to break down barriers. Risk-taking is also critical; female IT leaders don't fear risk. Sometimes mentors play a role, taking a risk on a female high-flyer by promoting her to the next level. Women who have families have it even rougher, because women are generally still viewed as the primary caregivers. But although great strides have been made, the number of women who make it to the post of CIO are relatively few, and according to Cutter Consortium, the lack of women entering the IT field may mean that even fewer women become CIOs in the coming years.

To read more about women as IT leaders:
- read the CIO Decisions article

Related Articles:
Women defecting from IT. Report
Speaking up to get ahead as a woman in IT. Report

Making the most of Business Intelligence

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

CIOs today are laser-focused on business intelligence, which, according to Gartner, is the top technology priority for CIOs this year. But don't think you can just throw a business intelligence system into the mix; getting real value means that many key corporate processes must be re-engineered. That means putting the money, time and thought into how to redesign processes, redirect internal communication, provide training, review pay and reward systems and implement effective data cleansing and reconciliation. But to make the most effective use of BI, consider the holistic approach, consolidating tactical BI solutions into an enterprise-wide BI service. This approach helps break down the divisions between different parts of the business, making the goal of one common version of the truth more achievable. And by developing an enterprise-wide BI service with the ability to deliver intelligence at every level of the organization powered by a consolidated and consistent source of data, organizations will become more adaptive, more efficient and more competitive.

Learn more about what it takes to implement a successful business intelligence system:
- read the article at vnunet.com

ALSO:
- read this on how collaboration increases business intelligence
- this on intelligent business intelligence
- and this on Business Intelligence 101

Women in IT: Speak up, get ahead

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Women in IT have it a little harder when it comes to advancement, not to mention, being taken seriously. To break down the barriers, don't be afraid to speak up and promote yourself. Be ambitious. Only by doing so will you rise in the ranks and be taken seriously by other C-level officials.

Read more about speaking up to get ahead:
- read the article in CIO Asia

Backup plans for supply-chain processes

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Everyone has supply chains in place--whether it's for moving and distributing products or services or pushing out new business operations. But, it's unlikely everyone has a backup plan of action in place if supply chains break down. As some companies are learning, conducting training exercises for "what if" scenarios can prove valuable to making sure customers are kept satisfied and revenue streams keep flowing.

For more on supply-chain backup plans:
- read this article at BPM Today