{"product_id":"it-success-isbn-9780470724019","title":"IT Success!","description":"\u003ci\u003e“Fifty years after the birth of corporate computing, IT today is still characterized by 50-70% project failure rates. Which is pretty scary when you come to think of it: either a goblin has cast a spell on a whole profession – or that profession is doing something fundamentally wrong”.\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIT Success!\u003c\/b\u003e challenges the widespread assumption that an IT department is like a building contractor whose project managers, architects and engineers (all construction industry terms…) are supposed to deliver systems on schedule, within budget and to spec. Michael Gentle explains why this is not possible, and turns conventional wisdom on its head by showing that: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e \u003cli\u003eyou cannot define an IT project in terms of contractual budgets and schedules\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eanything can change during the life of a project\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ewhat is eventually delivered can never be what is actually needed\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eHe proposes a new model for IT in which the traditional client\/vendor relationship, with its contractual commitments, is replaced by a shared risk\/reward partnership geared towards workable results over time. Using real-world examples and a case study, the author walks you through the end-to-end processes of an IT department, covering subjects like demand management, investment planning, agile development and managing production applications.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction ix\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgements xiii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbbreviations xvii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart I Blinded by Specs 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1 In Search of the Fundamentals 3\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe more things change, the more they stay the same 3\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA worldwide phenomenon 4\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow the traditional IT model started 5\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe construction industry trap 6\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe free lunch trap 7\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHouses of ill repute 8\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA business problem rather than an IT problem 10\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIT and original sin 12\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo sacred cows 12\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2 IT 101 – The Basics for Non-Specialists 15\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe process breakdown for traditional IT activities 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe process breakdown for business (i.e non-IT) activities 16\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fundamental difference between IT and non-IT activities 18\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'That's not my problem!' – process ownership and behaviour 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3 The Flaws of the Traditional Model 21\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe unintended consequences of the waterfall method 21\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn search of a pizza parlour manager 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWho provides process expertise – client or vendor? 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen standard client–vendor relationships are possible 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen standard client–vendor relationships pose problems 25\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs a standard client–vendor relationship possible for IT? 26\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe 'Statement of Requirements' (SoR) trap 26\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA poor to non-existent pricing model 28\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShould IT be run like a business (i.e an ESP)? 30\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe limits of outsourcing 31\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCurrent IT organizational trends 32\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe ultimate litmus test to determine one's business model 33\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat model would be appropriate for IT? 34\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart II Building a New Business Model for It 35\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4 Managing Demand 37\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eManaging demand – traditional model 37\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eManaging demand – new model 39\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCapturing demand and identifying opportunities 41\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrioritizing and approving demand 43\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlanning approved demand 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinking demand to resource capability 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eApproving demand based on portfolios 50\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe missing component in Project Portfolio Management 53\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBusiness cases are in the eye of the beholder 54\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding the IT plan and budget 55\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemand from a customer perspective 56\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShaking off the chains of the construction industry 56\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFunding approved demand 58\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRoles and responsibilities 59\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5 Managing Supply 61\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eManaging supply - traditional model 61\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eManaging supply - new model 63\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIterative development in practice 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy prototyping has never become mainstream 74\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs prototyping the answer to everything? 78\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eProject critical success factors 79\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaintenance - letting go of the M-word 79\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDelivery and implementation 81\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eService and support 81\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e6 Monitoring Costs and Benefits 83\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonitoring costs and benefits for traditional IT activities 83\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonitoring costs and benefits for business (non-IT) activities 84\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonitoring costs and benefits – new model 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOwnership and accountability for costs and benefits 86\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCost–benefit analysis during the life of a project 87\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is normal for costs and benefits to change! 88\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePortfolio performance monitoring 88\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCost–benefit analysis after project delivery 89\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e7 Financials 91\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe main categories of IT costs 91\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOwnership of IT costs for the regulation of supply and demand 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWho has the final say for IT investments? 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAllocations vs cross-charging 93\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCapturing costs for allocations and cross-charging 94\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBenefits as part of the P\u0026amp;L and annual planning 95\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOngoing cost–benefit analysis for applications 96\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReducing application lifetime costs 100\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe limits of financial ROI when applied to IT 102\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart III the New Model in Practice 105\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e8 Players, Roles and Responsibilities 107\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlayers, roles and responsibilities – the business 107\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlayers, roles and responsibilities – IT 111\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe new business–IT relationship 112\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe changing role of the business analyst 113\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe changing role of the developer 113\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTowards the merging of the developer and analyst roles? 114\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe changing role of the project manager 115\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe changing role of the operations department 116\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat role for PMOs? 117\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe role of External Service Providers (ESPs) 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e9 Getting Started 121\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe business challenge 121\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe IT challenge 122\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere to start 123\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow to start – from checklist to action plan 124\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the status quo to first results 128\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom first results to asset management 133\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe role of best-practice methodologies 136\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow consulting companies can help 138\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow tools can help 139\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe costs of moving to the new model 140\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn closing – addressing the three fundamental questions 142\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurther reading 143\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e10 Case Study 145\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe company 145\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe business problem 146\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe project context 146\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding an IT–business partnership 147\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKicking off the project 148\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeasibility study and defining a solution 149\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding the business case 150\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eProject approach 151\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eProduct evaluation – buy or build decision 151\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding a prototype 152\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults 154\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTimescales 155\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThree months later 155\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne year later 156\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo years later 156\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain lessons learnt (on the plus side) 156\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain lessons learnt (on the minus side) 157\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eComments with respect to the new model 157\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReader feedback 158\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 159\u003c\/p\u003e \"...a clever synthesis of enlightened IT project management thinking over the last few years.\"  (\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e, Wednesday 21st November 2007) \u003cp\u003e\t \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Gentle\u003c\/b\u003e has over 25 years of experience in IT departments, consulting companies and software vendors in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. He brings a refreshingly new angle to an old problem - and directly challenges both IT professionals and business executives to think differently about how to achieve IT success. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewww.michaelgentle.com\t   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIT \/Programming \/Software Development\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"FIFTY YEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF CORPORATE COMPUTING, IT TODAY IS STILL CHARACTERIZED BY 50-70% PROJECT FAILURE RATES. WHICH IS PRETTY SCARY WHEN YOU COME TO THINK OF IT: EITHER A GOBLIN HAS CAST A SPELL ON A WHOLE PROFESSION – OR THAT PROFESSION IS DOING SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG\".\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIT Success!\u003c\/b\u003e challenges the widespread assumption that an IT department is like a building contractor whose project managers, architects and engineers (all construction industry terms…) are supposed to deliver systems on schedule, within budget and to spec. Michael Gentle explains why this is not possible, and turns conventional wisdom on its head by showing that: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eyou cannot define an IT project in terms of contractual budgets and schedules\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eanything can change during the life of a project\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ewhat is eventually delivered can never be what is actually needed\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eHe proposes a new model for IT in which the traditional client\/ vendor relationship, with its contractual commitments, is replaced by a shared risk\/reward partnership geared towards workable results over time. Using real-world examples and a case study, the author walks you through the end-to-end processes of an IT department, covering subjects like demand management, investment planning, agile development and managing production applications.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47989484421349,"sku":"NP9780470724019","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470724019.jpg?v=1761784287","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/it-success-isbn-9780470724019","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}