How to drive more business value from limited IT budgets, and finally bridge the gap between IT and business leadership- Helps IT leadership tailor innovation and tools to support the organization's business mission.- Explodes the myths that surround today's key approaches for managing and measuring IT.- Shows how to compare, utilize, and integrate techniques such as ITIL, SLAs, Balanced Scorecards, and benchmarking.- By two leading IBM experts on bringing business discipline to IT In today's economic climate, it's more crucial than ever for companies to maximize the value being delivered by their IT organizations. That means finally overcoming the fundamental cultural conflict between IT and the business: the conflict between IT's traditional focus on technical innovation and the expectations of the business for standardized pricing and services that can be evaluated through conventional business measurements. In this handson book, two of IBM's leading experts bridge the gap -- showing exactly how to bring business discipline to IT, and align innovation with the needs and goals of the enterprise. The authors explode the myths that have evolved around techniques such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Operating Level Agreements (OLAs), Underpinning Contracts (UC), and chargeback models. They offer how-to guidance for comparing, choosing, and combining the right methods for each organization, as well as indispensable advice on metrics and benchmarking. This book's thoughtful solutions and ideas won't just help IT and the business work together: they will help IT leadership find a new path to success in an era where IT is increasingly viewed as a commodity.

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.