By: Books
Practical Steps for Aligning Information Technology with Business Strategies: How to Achieve a Competitive AdvantageBy Bernard H. BoarJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994 368 pages, $70Boar is well-known for his works on IT planning. This how-to manual for strategic business planning includes charts, techniques, diagrams and tips for overcoming problems, improving application development and customer service, and maximizing profits.
The Alignment Effect: How to Get Real Business Value Out of TechnologyBy Faisal HoqueFinancial Times/Prentice Hall, July 2002 300 pages, $29In this soon-to-be-released guide to alignment strategy, the experiences of industry experts and Fortune 500 executives provide object lessons on the pitfalls of “technology for the sake of technology,” while the author lays out the benefits of what he calls Business Technology Management (BTM) to help corporate decision-makers reduce risk and increase efficiency.
The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business EnvironmentBy Robert S. Kaplan and David P. NortonHarvard Business School Press, 2000 416 pages; $29.95This follow-up volume to the authors' original Balanced Scorecard provides a hands-on case-study approach to their performance management system.
The Squandered Computer: Evaluating the Business Alignment of Information Technologies By Paul A. StrassmannInformation Economics Press, 1997 426 pages, $49Simply beefing up IT doesn't guarantee profitability. Strassmann, former CIO of Xerox Corp. and former director of defense information at the U.S. Defense Department, takes a hard-nosed look at the economics of computerization and the frequent gap between information systems spending and ROI. He discusses how industries often misuse their IT resources, and provides methods for evaluating IT spending and achieving alignment with business plans.
Leveraging the New Infrastructure: How Market Leaders Capitalize on Information TechnologyBy Peter Weill and Marianne BroadbentHarvard Business School Press, 1998 336 pages, $32.50The authors asked executives at more than 100 businesses, including Citibank Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Honda Motor Co. Ltd., about their IT investments, and then distilled their research. They offer a framework for leveraging IT assets, from software to data, to generate revenues and savings.
Articles
“Gaining Strategic Alignment: Making Scorecards Work”By William Fonvielle and Lawrence P. Carr, Ph.D.Management Accounting Quarterly, Fall 2001 HTML, free www.mamag.com/fall01/fonvielle.htmReviews the use of balanced scorecards for encouraging IT alignment.
“CFO Mind Shift: Technology Creates Value”CFO Research Services, January 2002 (Sponsored by Getronics)14 pages, free www.getronics.com/download/pdf/CFO_FINAL_ge tronics12_12.pdfThis study shows how CFOs view the business value of information technology for its ability to enhance the bottom line.
“Aligning Business and IT: Giga Collaboration” By Giga Information Group, Inc., 200134 pages, $250www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005 RFFN/qid=1019657348/sr=1-37/ref=sr_1_37/ 104-9520934-9433542A Giga Collaboration report available as a downloadable PDF file.
“How to Improve IT-Business Alignment”By Jerry LuftmanCIO Insight; November 2001This whiteboard provides an instrument for assessing your company's readiness to create and sustain alignment.
Conferences
Integrating Business and TechnologySept. 11–12, Palisades, N.Y. Producer: IBM Advanced Business Institutewww-1.ibm.com/ibm/palisades/ abi/courses/ibat.html $1,500, including all materials and mealsUsing an Internet-based “Business-IT Alignment Model,” this course helps IT executives assess the alignment of business strategy with IT in their organizations, identify areas that need attention and develop plans to achieve business goals.
Strategic Alignment Summit 2002: Teaming IT & Business for Breakthrough ResultsSept. 18–19, Chicago Producers: Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Inc. and CIO Insight/Ziff Davis Media Inc.www.bscol.com/itsummit $2,495A two-day conference with a workshop focuses on providing CIOs with the tools to encourage alignment in their own organizations.
Key Process Disciplines for 21st Century IT: Maximizing Business and IT Strategy IntegrationSept. 25–26, Cambridge, Mass. Producer: META Group, Inc.domino.metagroup.com/Mw2evnts.nsf/ wEvent/7E541FD7177697FD85256B9B0003ADBB $1,995 clients; $2,995 non-clientsThis intensive, two-day workshop for CIOs zeros in on the key disciplines necessary to achieve business and IT integration.
To access these links, go to our Web site at www.cioinsight.com.
