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Richard Hunter

George Westerman

Real Business of IT: How CIOs Create and Communicate Value Hardcover – October 20, 2009

by Richard Hunter (Author), George Westerman (Author)

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If you're a general manager or CFO, do you feel you're spending too much on IT or wishing you could get better returns from your IT investments? If so, it's time to examine what's behind this IT-as-cost mind-set.

In The Real Business of IT, Richard Hunter and George Westerman reveal that the cost mind-set stems from IT leaders' inability to communicate about the business value they create-so CIOs get stuck discussing budgets rather than their contributions to the organization.

The authors explain how IT leaders can combat this mind-set by first using information technology to generate three forms of value important to leaders throughout the organization:

-Value for money when your IT department operates efficiently and effectively

-An investment in business performance evidenced when IT helps divisions, units, and departments boost profitability

-Personal value of CIOs as leaders whose contributions to their enterprise go well beyond their area of specialization

The authors show how to communicate about these forms of value with non-IT leaders-so they understand how your firm is benefiting and see IT as the strategic powerhouse it truly is.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Hunter is Group Vice President and Gartner Fellow in Gartner Research, a division of Gartner, Inc., the world's largest technology research firm. George Westerman is a research scientist at MIT Sloan School of Management's Center for Information Systems Research (MIT CISR), which Ziff Davis named the world's "most influential IT academic research center." They are coauthors of the award-winning book IT Risk: Turning Business Threats Into Competitive Advantage.

Product details

Item Weight : 15.8 ounces
Hardcover : 218 pages
ISBN-10 : 1422147614
ISBN-13 : 978-1422147610
Dimensions : 6.5 x 1 x 9.75 inches
Publisher : Harvard Business Press; Gartner edition (October 20, 2009)
Language: : English

Best Sellers Rank: #389,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #232 in Information Management (Books)

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Lizreynolds

Richard Hunter provides great stories to reinforce his message

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2017

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A must read for Executives in IT. IT executives must operate as business leaders with expertise in IT, vs IT leaders supporting the business. Richard Hunter provides great stories to reinforce his message, and recommendations to shift the culture, communication, and brand of IT. The message makes so much sense, yet these types of organizational changes are the most challenging to affect. Applying these principles will totally shift the influence and impact you have with your peers and CEO and the results you deliver.

One person found this helpful

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D. Hurdelbrink

Well-Considered Advice on What CIOs Can Deliver

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2014

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This clear, short work is one of the most insightful books on the role of CIOs, and I.T. organizations in general, I have read.

The I.T. organization often struggles with its identity, disdained by other functional groups in an enterprise and defensive about its contributions. To bridge this gulf, the authors prescribe a model that is simple and precise. The CIO, and the CIO's organization, delivers value in only two ways: positively affecting either business processes or business decision making. That's it. Refining the model a bit, the authors separate I.T.'s customers into two groups: those external to the organization and those inside the organization. This produces a classic 2x2 quadrant, with customer types on one axis and the value types on another. All technology-driven, or technology-enabled, initiatives that produce real value to the business or enterprise will fit naturally into some section of this matrix.

I heartily recommend that all I.T. leaders read this book. It resonates with empathy, understanding and truth about how the I.T. function regards itself, and what it can contribute to build value for an enterprise. It can help lead you to better strategy, better plans, better decisions and better relationships with your peers and superiors.

2 people found this helpful

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Douglas Laney

Invaluable guidebook for the CIO or aspirational CIO

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2012

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This book is a tremendous resource for IT execs who may be caught up in daily slogging through IT operational issues, or those who are looking to take a more strategic approach to IT. It approaches the idea of *value* from a variety of angles. The authors introduce us to the concept of "value traps" and how to change our thinking to avoid them. They also encourage CIOs to evolve from being just the budget-minded "Cheap Information Officer" into an invaluable "Chief Improvement Officer."

One of the most fascinating and unconventional ideas represented was that of dispensing with the notion of business units as "customers" because this thinking drives a wedge between IT and the rest of the business. Instead IT should become part of the business, with a seat at the grownup's table and driving business enablement.

Other key ideas and tools in the book include the essential steps to deliver value for money, and the "virtuous cycle" of IT. Having seen firsthand so many business analytics projects go down the hindsight reporting rat hole, it's great to see the authors light a fire under IT's role in innovation (i.e. "the four new sources of value").

And finally, I was thrilled to see inklings of "infonomics" (information economics) in the chapter on IT's role as the stewards of information assets.

--Doug Laney, VP Research, Business Analytics, Gartner, @doug_laney

One person found this helpful

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unicityd

My favorite book on IT management

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2018

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This book does an excellent job of laying out what IT leaders need to do to make their departments provide a competitive advantage. Delivering technology is table-stakes. To be successful as a CIO, you need to make sure that you have the right messaging, that your organization is focused on selecting the right projects, and you need to put processes in place to ensure that you actually get the benefits you need from those projects.

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A.M.

Applicable to any field where there's a process

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2019

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I bought this as a non-IT professional looking to adopt and prove value for some technological investments. The examples and stories are obviously from the IT field, but I was surprised to realize that the concepts are applicable in other professional fields/departments that have historically been seen as a "cost", or have had a hard time proving credibility within the organization, like marketing. I've skimmed over too many management books lacking in substance, so I'm keeping this one!

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Timothy J. Ogilvie

A Very Smart, Very Practical Read ... I Loved It

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018

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This book is simultaneously very, very smart and very, very practical. I loved it. Whether you're a business person and want to understand the strategic role of IT, or an IT leader and want to learn how to communicate (better yet, how to enhance) your value to the business, this is the book to open. There are at least three or four tools/frameworks where I said to myself, "Oh, that makes so much SENSE." Start with the virtuous cycle of IT capability projects, for example. Very satisfying.

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Mauro Taschner

Fundamental truth about IT and IT Governance

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2010

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This book explains the real world of IT.
It shows the reasons for the generalized discontent with IT that afflicts most companies. More, it shows how to turn around the IT department and create a productive relationship with all other areas. It shows how to turn IT into a valuable asset, a prime mover, a fundamental tool for the evolution and growth of the company.
A very important reading for all IT executives, and also for the Non IT executives.
In a short sentence: it shows the true meaning of a good IT Governance.

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H. Lee

A must read for any anyone IT who creates scopes for business solutions

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2013

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I wish my company CIO, CTO, IT Managers, and Solution Architects would read this book. I knew much of the information and concepts from being a consulting and creating solutions for 20+. Unfortunately, most IT professions never will obtain the depth and width of the experiences I had. However, it did provide me many insights that I did not have. All professionals whether in an IT or business profession should read this book no matter what level or stage they are in their career.

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Top reviews from other countries

MTP

with the Harvard endorsement and authors who represent a good combination of academia and consultancy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2016

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This book has an impressive feel to it, with the Harvard endorsement and authors who represent a good combination of academia and consultancy. Hunter is a VP from Gartner - well known as specialists in IT consulting - and Westerman is a researcher at MIT, another strong brand. The credibility of the book is strengthened by references to their research and to real issues in top companies such as Intel. It would have been good to have had more in-depth interviews but the clear conclusions and practical approach make up for this deficiency.

Overall this is an excellent book for prospective CIOs and for anyone who is keen to make a contribution to success in an IT department of a major company. I shall be recommending the book as pre-reading for a course we are running on business partnering for IT people in a major company because it contains many of the messages that link to the course objectives. It certainly seems to be the best book around in this area.

Volodymyr Korolyov

Guideline for visibility

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2016

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Nice guideline for IT guys to get more visibility and power from top management.
Book is tailored for CIO, but development team leads also can get useful ideas from it.

M. Ahmed

Are you a CIO? Keep this as a reference in your briefcase.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2010

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This book should be on the list of every CIO. A MUST read and a reference book to keep in your briefcase. If you are a CIO and want to add value to your organisation through IT, you have selected the right book. Make notes as you go through the book though as their is so information on how to become a better CIO that you don't want to lose that nugget or nuggets of information.

Tim

Useful and informative

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2013

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Aimed more at enterprise level companies but many of the points are relevant for SMB\SMEs who are growing and need to learn how to use IT effectively. Not all the measures will work for you but they are a good start for you to create your own. Good for all budding or mid level execs who want to build an understanding of what IT can achieve and how

NaomiM

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2016

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Great Book & Speedy Delivery!

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