The Executive's Guide to Information Technology (PDF)

The Executive's Guide to Information Technology is a sophisticated
and comprehensive guide to running a cost-effective, efficient, and
business delivery-focused corporate Information Technology (IT)
unit. Eschewing the theoretical for the practical, the book gives
managers the guidance they need to handle any problem effectively.
It provides specific policies, approaches, and tools for each
critical IT management functionó from application management
to vendor management.

IT management experts John Baschab and Jon Piot provide the
techniques IT managers and executives need to accurately assess
their current operations. Further, they offer a step-by-step
improvement plan designed to raise productivity and service levels
while reducing costs significantly. The authors begin by examining
the symptoms and causes of waste, inefficiency and underperformance
in typical IT departments before offering in-depth analysis of each
operational area of IT management. They present current and
emergent best practices for transforming the department into a
world-class service organization.

Packed with prescriptive advice and hard-earned insight, this
comprehensive resource is organized into stand-alone chapters that
provide quick access to important information when managers need
it. In addition, spreadsheets, documents, and checklists are
designed to aid in planning and decision-making and can be easily
accessed on the included CD-ROM.

Designed to help IT managers and top executives get the most out
of their departments, their budget and themselves, the book covers
such topics as: managing the department, establishing leadership
roles, assessing the organization, cost management, project demand
management, operations management, infrastructure planning, vendor
selection and management, technical standards setting, investment
evaluation, and productivity and quality measurement programs.

With The Executive's Guide to Information Technology, IT
managers will understand the main sources of waste in their
departments, identify major management issues, learn and implement
critical steps toward improvement, and manage more effectively. The
book will help managers improve their performance and stature
within their organizations by providing the tips and tools to
overcome typical areas of friction and miscommunication between IT
departments and other business functions. Executives will
understand how to work effectively with the CIO or IT director, as
well as provide constructive management input to the IT function,
achieving the best return on their IT assets.