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  • IT risk: More rhetoric than action

    Several recent spectacular IT system failures causing millions of dollars impact on pre-tax profit indicate the framework to identify and treat risks in organisations is more rhetoric than action, according to industry specialists Dean Slight, Chief Audit Executive and Devan Naidoo, Head of Audit for Technology at Tabcorp.

    Written by CIO Staff • 28 Sept. 11 16:41
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    The project management conundrum

    When I was in short pants, there was a great TV show called The Magic Boomerang. The sizzle for this show was that there was a boomerang from the Dreamtime which, when thrown, would stop time except for the person throwing it. The premise was then blatantly stolen for the film Clockstoppers, where once again teens could stop time via ‘hypertime’ watches and get up to all sorts of cheeky hi-jinks.

    Written by Chris Yates • 10 Sept. 11 11:16

  • Think Tank: Tips for IT strategic planning success

    We all know that we need to get more value from information technology investments. That means IT projects, portfolios and priorities must be aligned to those of the business. IT strategic planning is often used as a tool to achieve this alignment and turn the business needs into results. But it is often not that easy! Many organisations develop a strategic plan but successful implementation is still difficult. Like in golf or chess, rules are well known but consistent performance is still hard.

    Written by Hemant Kogekar • 23 April 11 08:00
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    The true cost of IT

    Thanks to its increasing intertwining with business processes, IT is becoming more complex and costly to manage. The complexity is due in part to the natural evolution of the business’s dependence on IT, and to the piecemeal and sometimes divergent nature of demands on IT. Whatever the cause, complexity begets ambiguity and is therefore undesirable

    Written by Sukalp Sharma • 30 March 11 17:46

  • Cloud computing: A sustaining or disruptive innovation?

    If you've read this blog over the past couple of years, it should be no surprise that I am a huge advocate of the theories of Clayton Christensen, author of "The Innovator's Dilemma." Christensen and his book were brought to mind this week by the cover story in Forbes about his severe health problems, his experience with the U..S healthcare system, and his prescriptions for how to fix it.

    Written by Bernard Golden • 17 March 11 05:28

  • Is Google suffering from Microsoft syndrome?

    Why was Eric Schmidt suddenly demoted as Google's CEO? There are as many opinions as there are analysts, but I think the reason is clear: Google is worried that it's suffering from Microsoft syndrome, and thinks having Schmidt step aside may be the cure.

    Written by Preston Gralla • 26 Jan. 11 01:32

  • Privacy changes could affect Cloud projects

    It is important to plan ahead when hopping into the Cloud. Cloud-hopping companies and their suppliers need to know where their data is going, and should plan for the possibility that they may later wish to hop out, or switch Cloud providers.

    Written by Sophie Dawson and Andrew Hilton • 20 Dec. 10 09:00

  • Public sector still challenged by ICT 'silver bullets'

    Recent experience is showing us that investing in an ICT initiative is one of the highest risk activities the public sector could be involved with. It is surely the case when headlines like ‘millions wasted’, ‘years late’, and ‘minister resigns’ becomes the public’s corporate memory of a complex ICT project. So why does the public sector keep looking for ‘silver bullet’ ICT solutions when the available evidence shows continued under-performance, under-scoping and under-estimation of complexity and risk?

    Written by Paul O'Connor • 15 Dec. 10 09:00
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    How to create a successful mobile project

    Mobile and wireless technology is one of the most frequently talked about areas of activity within Australia’s technology sector. The dramatic rise in smartphone use has meant that people are looking to access the same content and services, both inside and outside working hours.

    Written by John Petrovich • 20 Sept. 10 10:36
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    Think Tank: Beyond service management

    Most IT service organisations have adopted ITIL or similar service management disciplines. Service management requires new processes for users. Service is provided only after a service request is raised, new initiatives need a business justification, service level agreements need to be in place, and the list goes on. Any experienced IT manager knows that certain disciples are necessary to be able to deliver reliable and cost effective IT service.

    Written by Hemant Kogekar • 22 June 10 10:48

  • How to Gain Stakeholder Engagement

    While one might hope that business leaders, who have everything to gain from process improvement, would recognize the importance of their own leadership role in driving change, we all know that is not always the case.

    Written by Martha Heller • 25 May 10 05:55

  • Who Should Own Your Company's CRM Effort?

    The overall user population of CRM systems is dominated by sales and pre-sales people. And a CRM purchase is almost never done without at least the tacit approval of the sales manager. But driving the purchase decision is not the same thing as the long-term operational ownership of the system. I have yet to meet the sales manager who is interested in the governance, data quality, and deployment issues of a CRM system. But somebody has to own doing this work.

    Written by David Taber • 25 May 10 03:34
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    5 Goals Every Project Manager Should Aspire to Achieve

    Project Managers need to manage every aspect of the projects they oversee, from resources and suppliers to project costs and equipment. The trick to staying on top of everything is to focus on the five most important goals associated with project management. If you can meet the following five goals for each project, you will achieve project and professional success.

    Written by Jason Westland • 27 April 10 05:01
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    Cloud exposes the true cost of IT

    If they haven't already done so, it won't be long before most CIOs will be undertaking analysis of the potential financial benefits to their organizations of adopting a cloud computing strategy. You might think the discussion on cloud will focus on security and performance, but from first-hand experience the discussion will very quickly focus on the financials and the total cost of ownership.

    Written by Scott Stewart • 06 April 10 09:44

  • Ten golden rules of business intelligence

    In the past, companies have spent a lot of money on business intelligence (BI) software, but have not always achieved the expected results.

    Written by Rob Mills • 24 March 10 13:57

  • The number cruncher's guide to delivering IT value

    I'm a qualified accountant. I even sometimes read the Accountants Journal - there, I've said it!

    Written by Owen McCall • 11 March 10 08:14

  • Project Governance Part 2: Project Governance as Leadership

    In the case of an 'egg and bacon breakfast' the chicken has contributed, but the pig has been committed. In this context (only) you want your project sponsor to be a 'pig' - i.e. totally committed to your project. If they are only 'interested' or involved because of their position they are unlikely to demonstrate the necessary level of leadership.

    Written by Jed Simms • 24 Nov. 09 10:16
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    THE BUSINESS CASE 5 – Is The Value Achievable?

    Having a value proposition is only of value if it is deliverable. In this section you need to show that the approach you’re proposing (including any technical solutions you are adopting) are feasible and the best approach, and that the associated risks are manageable.

    Written by Jed Simms • 08 Sept. 09 12:07
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    Think Tank: Becoming a performance driven organisation with balanced scorecards

    A balanced scorecard turns a strategic plan from a passive document into marching orders for the troops.

    Written by Hemant Kogekar • 03 Aug. 09 12:23

  • Think Tank: Unlocking value from the applications portfolio

    Within the IT Assets portfolio, managing application assets has the greatest potential benefit. Here’s how to reap maximum rewards from Applications Portfolio Management.

    Written by Hemant Kogekar • 03 Aug. 09 08:50
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