The Business of IT: How to Improve Service and Lower Costs

by Robert Ryan, Tim Raducha-Grace

Overview

Drive More Business Value from IT…

and Bridge the Gap Between IT and Business Leadership

• Apply business practices throughout IT to optimize budgets and improve ROI
• Create higher satisfaction and more realistic expectations for IT throughout the business
• Written by two leading IBM experts on bringing business discipline to IT

IT organizations have achieved outstanding technological maturity, but many have been slower to adopt world-class business practices. This book provides IT and business executives with methods to achieve greater business discipline throughout IT, collaborate more effectively, sharpen focus on the customer, and drive greater value from IT investment. The book focuses on four specific areas of business practices related to improving IT service management, managing services’ cost and value, measuring IT performance with a goal of improving service and lowering cost, and improving customer alignment. Drawing on their experience consulting with leading IT organizations, Robert Ryan and Tim Raducha-Grace help IT leaders make sense of alternative ways to improve IT service and lower cost, including ITIL, IT financial management, balanced scorecards, and business cases. You’ll learn how to choose the best approaches to improve IT business practices for your environment and use these practices to improve service quality, reduce costs, and drive top-line revenue growth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780137041909
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	09/18/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Robert Ryan is a senior practitioner in the IBM Global Business Services, Strategy & Change consulting practice. He has spent the past 25 years consulting to government and commercial organizations supporting change initiatives. He advises clients on strategic planning, culture transformation, balanced scorecard development and implementation, program/project management, process reengineering and process improvement, performance management communications/outreach, and facilitation. He is ITIL certified, and is focused on applying business discipline through practical solutions in IT organizations. Mr. Ryan has provided services to the Department of Defense; the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Defense Logistics Agency; a mix of federal civilian agencies; state governments; electric utilities, oil, nuclear power, coal mining; and financial institutions. He has supported all aspects of large-scale change initiatives, and has managed consulting engagements ranging from large-scale change initiatives, to small, limited-scope engagements. He has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in finance from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Accountancy (B.A.) degree from George Washington University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive license), and has spoken at a number of professional conferences on a range of consulting topics.

 

Tim Raducha-Grace is a managing consultant within IBM Systems and Technology Group’s Lab Services and Training Consulting Practice. He advises government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations on the business value of IT investments and how to leverage these investments to achieve business objectives. He is ITIL certified and helps clients to improve service levels through following ITSM best practices, including ITIL. He also helps clients improve their financial performance through business cases, IT charging processes, and other financial tools to measure the business value of IT. Mr. Raducha-Grace previously served as associate director of New York University’s Center for Catastrophe Preparedness, where he led interdisciplinary research efforts on crisis management and disaster recovery. He also served as a policy advisor to Senator Susan M. Collins, the chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs and Homeland Security Committee, for a range of issues, including science and technology programs, first responders, and government efficiency. He has an MBA degree in finance and marketing from the New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business and a Bachelor degree in Asian studies and political science from Beloit College. He also studied at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.

Table of Contents

Preface     xv

Acknowledgements     xxi

About the Authors     xxiii

Chapter 1: Introduction: Improving Service and Lowering Costs     1

Chapter 2: IT Service Lifecycle: Improving Business Performance     17

Chapter 3: Adopting IT Service Management Using ITIL     55

Chapter 4: IT Financial Management: The Business of IT     89

Chapter 5: IT Business Cases: Realizing IT Value     139

Chapter 6: IT Performance Management: Defining Success     179

Chapter 7: IT Business Skills: Enabling Customer Outcomes     219

Chapter 8: Success Stories: Improving Service and Lowering Costs     235

Chapter 9: Going Forward     253

Appendix: Acronym List     265

Index     271