Various frameworks can help change how an organisation perceives — and more importantly, measures — value. Change, however, is the key word.

The ongoing issue with the value debate is its subjectivity; value is a perceptive judgement that must, by necessity of a business case, be quantified, particularly when each project must be signed off by the chief financial officer. And therein lies the problem, says Capability Management partner, Vince Gill.

To some extent, organisations are being held back from realising the value of IT projects by the very way in which they measure success. Too often, it is based solely on the business case.

Value. It’s a powerful word at the best of times. It can mean cheap and simple or large and complex — and everything in between — and all meanings are positive, depending on your point of view. When the word ‘value’ comes up in focus groups, brand managers are wont to smile wryly and consider their job done. Happy days. Add ‘IT’ as its prefix, however, and suddenly, this fabulous term with all its positive connotations becomes fraught with uncertainty, despite enterprise over the years gaining critical business and competitive advantage from information and communications technology.