The Executive's Guide to Information Technology

Praise for the The Executive's Guide to Information Technology "This book is important reading. It offers practical, real-world insight and pragmatic no-nonsense approaches for people who have a stake in corporate IT. " --Lynda Applegate, Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School "Information systems and processes are very important parts of our due diligence assessment of a company--yet the jargon is often more difficult to understand than many foreign languages. Baschab and Piot effectively translate IT into words and concepts that businesspeople can easily understand and act upon. This book is a helpful reference guide for corporate executives and private equity groups of all types." --Neal Aronson, Managing Partner, Roark Capital Group "Business success increasingly depends on effective use of IT. Effective use of IT depends on the kind of in-depth, practical insight in this book. Baschab and Piot provide a pragmatic approach to information systems investment that should be required reading for senior executives and CIOs alike." --Erik Brynjolfsson, Schussel Professor of Management, Director of the Center for Digital Business, MIT "This book should provide valuable guidance for management and technology consultants. The Executive's Guide to Information Technology provides field-proven insight on all important aspects of IT planning and execution, from governance to applications to operations and infrastructure." --Gary J. Fernandes, former vice chairman, EDS, member of the Board of Directors, Computer Associates "Baschab and Piot do a great job of laying out the fundamental issues and challenges that every IT organization faces. More often than not, the issues are not technical in nature, but are a reflection of how the IT and business teams work together to define, execute, and implement new business tools. The threshold issue is leadership. Often it is difficult for business leaders to feel that they have the skills and perspective to provide that leadership on technical projects. The Executive's Guide to Information Technology provides non-technical business leaders a solid framework for engaging with their IT peers." --Tom Nealon, Chief Information Officer, J.C. Penney

Table of Contents:
PART I: THE EFFECTIE IT ORGANIZATION. Chapter 1. The IT Dilemma. Chapter 2. IT Ineffectiveness Sources and Causes. Chapter 3. IT Costs. Chapter 4. IT Scope and Strategy. PART II: MANAGING THE IT DEPARTMENT. Chapter 5. The IT Organization. Chapter 6. The Chief Information Officer. Chapter 7. IT Standards. Chapter 8. IT Operations and Infrastructure. Chapter 9. IT Problem Management. Chapter 10. Application Management. Chapter 11. IT Human Resources. Chapter 12. Vendor Selection. Chapter 13. Vendor Management and Outsourcing. PART III: SENIOR EXECUTIVE IT MANAGEMENT. Chapter 14. Business Communications. Chapter 15. IT Budgeting and Cost Management. Chapter 16. Effective Decision Making and Risk management. Chapter 17. Demand Management and Project Prioritization. Chapter 18. IT Performance Measurement. Chapter 19. IT Governance. Index.

About the Author :
JOHN BASCHAB is President of Technisource Management Services. He was a cofounder of Impact Innovations Group, a $100-million privately held management and technology consulting firm, which was acquired by Technisource in 2005. He formerly worked at management consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton providing technology advice to Fortune 500 companies. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and completed his undergraduate degree in management information systems at the University of Alabama. He is an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Management Information Systems at Southern Methodist University. JON PIOT is President of Technisource Solutions Group. He was cofounder and CEO of Impact Innovations Group. Formerly, he consulted to many Fortune 500 companies on IT strategy and systems development while at Booz Allen Hamilton and, prior to that, at Andersen Consulting. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University, where he is now an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Management Information Systems. He lives with his wife and three children in Dallas, Texas. JOHN BASCHAB is President of Technisource Management Services. He was a cofounder of Impact Innovations Group, a $100-million privately held management and technology consulting firm, which was acquired by Technisource in 2005. He formerly worked at management consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton providing technology advice to Fortune 500 companies. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and completed his undergraduate degree in management information systems at the University of Alabama. He is an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Management Information Systems at Southern Methodist University. JON PIOT is President of Technisource Solutions Group. He was cofounder and CEO of Impact Innovations Group. Formerly, he consulted to many Fortune 500 companies on IT strategy and systems development while at Booz Allen Hamilton and, prior to that, at Andersen Consulting. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University, where he is now an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Management Information Systems. He lives with his wife and three children in Dallas, Texas.