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Book Description

Does your IT measure up? How would you know? This pocket guide tells you how...

Regardless of whether you are client or provider, if you want to understand, assess or improve your IT, you first need to measure it.

But what do you measure? How and when do you take those measurements? Who does the measuring? And what do you do with the measurements once you've taken them?

Getting the measure of IT measurement

This pocket guide brings together client and provider perspectives on IT and outlines a set of common measures that both sides can relate to. It seeks to emphasise the importance of meeting the needs of IT users and the role that measurement can play in achieving that goal effectively.

Key areas covered in this book include -

Why IT measurement is necessary and how it relates to other performance assessments and monitors, such as audits, KPIs and health checks.

How IT measurement differs from the perspective of the client business and the IT provider, and the common ground between the two.

If you're a client business, you want to know if the time, effort and money being spent on IT are in line with industry norms. And you'll want to ensure that your IT is meeting the needs of the organisation and its users while contributing to the overall success of the business.

If you're an IT provider, you need to know that your resourcing is as efficient as possible, your client charges are competitive, and that your offerings are well received by the client.

An introduction for people who want the best.

Measuring your IT is aimed at anyone who wants a better understanding of IT measurement.

Through its ""both sides of the fence"" case studies, this pocket guide helps to foster a better understanding between business managers and users (who depend on IT) and IT providers (who make a living from supplying IT services).

If you're on the client side, this book will help you get the best out of your IT. If you're on the IT provider side, it will help you to give your customers the best value for money.

Make sure that your IT measures up!

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Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Preface
  5. About the Author
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Contents
  8. Introduction
    1. What this book is about
    2. What this book isn’t
    3. Who should read the book?
  9. Chapter 1: IT measurement in context
    1. Why measure IT
    2. Contracts and agreements
    3. How often should you measure IT?
    4. Who should measure? For whom?
    5. What do you do with the measurements?
    6. A word about terminology
    7. Inputs, outputs and outcomes
    8. Relation to key performance indicators
    9. Relation to health checks
    10. Relation to auditing
    11. Compliance and conformance
    12. Warning! Measure what is important
    13. Beware blips
    14. Keep it proportionate
    15. Put measurement in safe hands
  10. Chapter 2: The business perspective on your IT
    1. A business manager comments:
    2. A finance director comments:
    3. Programmes and projects
    4. Strategic alignment
    5. Pulling it all together
  11. Chapter 3: The IT provider’s perspective on your IT
    1. An IT provider comments:
    2. Wanted: a quiet life?
    3. Paddling below the water line
  12. Chapter 4: Measurement common ground for client and provider?
    1. Align your goals
    2. Inputs, outputs and outcomes
    3. Overlapping perspectives
    4. What are the measures in common?
    5. The focus of measurement depends on the context
  13. Chapter 5: What the business needs to measure
    1. Measures for the business: checklist
  14. Chapter 6: What IT providers need to measure
    1. Essential measures for providers: checklist
  15. Chapter 7: Process measures
  16. Chapter 8: Onwards and upwards
    1. Not done yet
    2. Conclusion
    3. Postscript
  17. ITG Resources
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