Gaining insight in where your organization stands can be of great value in a variety of situations. This document provides a questionnaire that might be of help there. It is designed to build awareness of use, context, fit's, gap's, opportunity and possibility of the (would be) IT control objectives in your company. Starting point your IT process life cycle. The questionnaire can be filled quite rapidly and can be used as reference for current as to be situations. It is advised that the questionnaire is answered by the different stakeholders in your company to get a clear and comparing view of each and everybody's understanding on the matter. The questionnaire is based on the domain and process approach of the CobIT framework and tooling.
Download SMART.ITG.0001 IT State Insight Builder (enable macros to use)
Off the shelf
Like the truth in the epic series of the X-files pretty much anything of what you need to conduct and improve your daily work is already out there. One of the instruments that holds more than meets the eye is the IT Strategic Impact Grid that was introduced by Nolan and McFarlan back in 2005. Enhancing its usability to other levels than originally intended, it provides you with a great and easy way to improve your overall companies IT performance.
Easy money
There is money to be saved. No cuts necessary. As easy done as said. Make sure that what you mean is what is heard. Mind the semantics. Keep it clear. You will be surprised of what that does for the results you can achieve, your efficiency, effectiveness and customer relations. Just by being a little more alert on how things are perceived and understood.
On the bright side
A survey by The Standish Group shows that in the past two years 32% of IT projects where successful (on time, budget and with required functions and features), 24% failed (cancelled, delivered but not used) and 44% challenged (late, over budget, not as required). Opportunity presents itself.
Business Case
The Business Case is generally seen as the instrument for evaluating your IT related investments. Though the potential of that instrument is largely acknowledged results often don’t match its promise. In order to better that situation a basis understanding of how you and others go about justifying IT related investments is elementary first. The following survey is put together to get that initial insight.
Download SMART.BC.0002 Business Case Survey v1.0.xlt
(A Dutch version of the survey is also available if interested)
Download SMART.BC.0002 Business Case Survey v1.0.xlt
(A Dutch version of the survey is also available if interested)
Need or no need
Nowadays IT is mostly seen as strategic. That viewpoint holds some risk. Using IT as a general label clutters the aspect of diversity of the IT asset. Designating IT as strategic also contains the risk of confusing the means and end. That can cost. Keep a clear perspective, reduce complexity to basics. Shape your frame of mind and get to the essentials.
Reminder
Understand and signal the correlation of things. What is it about? How does something work? Why is that? Where do I find what? Put yourself wise of relationships and interdependencies. Check if findings are correct. Notice bottlenecks and make priorities. IT goods and services can create added value the moment they serve a business need and goal. Being able to deliver means to know what your talking about, what is and what not, where it needs to go or what it needs to be. Demonstrate and elaborate. Get the optimal solution in place. Share and use what is there. Keep in mind that it is not about IT. Meet expectations. Have fun.
Money in the bank
Think of what else the money for your license fee and maintenance costs could buy you when contemplating your next software investment. Worth considering the alternatives for.
Atomation
In order to make Information Technology work for you I think it is necessary to (re)establish principles and outlines first. As clarifying and clear as possible. Doing that in a simplified manner enables you to establish a solid foundation for understanding, direction, work and progress. Ask yourself what IT (or any subset thereof) is to you, what it should do, deliver, how it should be done, by whom and when, at what cost? Break it down and build it up in coherent pieces. But most important: keep an integrated view.
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