Developing the IT Scorecard: A Detailed Route Map to IT Evaluation and Performance Measurement Through the Investment Life-cycle

This report reveals the business benefits one can achieve by adopting a life-cycle approach to IT evaluation and performance measurement. It also provides research data against which one can benchmark their own practices, and shows how to align IT goals with business strategy. The report contains sections on lessons in IT benchmarking, to learn how the Benchmarking Organizational Performance approach can be adopted by any organization, and presents information on how to use IT outsourcing to improve evaluation practices. International case studies include: Royal & Sun Alliance; BP Exploration; Hewlett Packard; and Sainsbury plc.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Evaluation - trends, eras and challenges: the "evaluation challenges" model - issues in IT investment and usage; addressing the IT productivity paradox; organizational variations in IS/IT performance; IT eras - a further complication to the measurement problem; implications for IT assessment practices; answering the challenges - life-cycle evaluation; evaluation -additional perspectives and enhancements. Part 2 A survey of current IT evaluation trends and practices: IT evaluation issues -overview; the evaluation of IT investment proposals; evaluation of IT development projects; post-implementation review into ongoing operations; specific issues in IT evaluation. Part 3 Planning, prioritization and the feasibility of IT investments: why do we need feasibility assessment, project planning and benefit management?; planning and prioritization approaches; planning and prioritization - risks and recommendations; feasibility assesment; a summary of considerations for IT investment feasibility; benefit management - feasibility stage; case study. Part 4 Risk assessment and management: why IT-based projects fail; frameworks for risk diagnosis; successful risk mitigation - some examples; risk assessment - emerging enabling factors. Part 5 Project management and post-implementation evaluation - methods and approaches: development and project management; need for design, development and implementation measurement; project management, development and implementation methodologies; post-implementation and ongoing evaluation practices; conclusion - best practice results. Part 6 IT assessment - taking a balance scorecard approach: the need for a scorecard; what is the "balanced business scorecard"?; how to develop a scorecard; the IT scope of the scorecard; scorecard risks. Part 7 IT benchmarking - Van Nievelt's BOP approach: fads, fixes and benchmarking; benchmarking IT in the context of organizational performance; benchmarking organizational and IT performance - Van Nievelt's BOP approach; economic value-added -BOP's measurement of economic performance; measuring competitiveness - relative customer satisfaction (RCS); constructing the multi-factor model; reading the contour maps -more BOP findings; systems as support - the role of IT; conclusions - benchmarking and becoming more competitive. Part 8 IT outsourcing as catalyst for improved evaluation practice: patterns of assessment; economics of the vendor bid; outsourced -setting up a measurement system; outsourced - anticipating evaluation issues; staffing - a vital resource; conclusions and recommendations. Part 9 Assessing the business value of Internet-based electronic commerce: the economics of Internet-based electronic commerce; the forms of electronic commerce; electronic commerce - the evaluation challenges; case studies. Part 10 Key emerging issues in information technology evaluation: the year 2000 - evaluation challenges; European Monetary Union - IT implications; European Foundation for Quali