Cutter Benchmark Review

Open Innovation 2011 Survey Data

12 Dec 2011 19:45:13 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals |

In an effort to benchmark progress (or lack thereof) in the areas of open innovation (and crowdsourcing) beyond some early anecdotes and cases, we have brought back the team that first discussed this phenomenon back in a 2007 issue of CBR (Vol. 7, No. 12). While the topic of open innovation first burst onto the scene in the earlier part of the 2000s, it only began to gather momentum toward the end of the decade with the addition of the crowdsourcing concept. Given the staying power of the open innovation trend, we thought it would be useful to revisit this topic with a new survey for CBR.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/07/cbr1107d.html

Open Innovation: An Established Trend, with Some More Room to Grow

12 Dec 2011 19:35:07 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals |

In an effort to benchmark progress (or lack thereof) in the areas of open innovation (and crowdsourcing) beyond some early anecdotes and cases, we have brought back the team that first discussed this phenomenon back in a 2007 issue of CBR (Vol. 7, No. 12). While the topic of open innovation first burst onto the scene in the earlier part of the 2000s, it only began to gather momentum toward the end of the decade with the addition of the crowdsourcing concept. Given the staying power of the open innovation trend, we thought it would be useful to revisit this topic with a new survey for CBR.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/07/cbr1107c.html

Open Innovation: The Power of Many

14 Dec 2011 19:27:06 GMT

Valente Pereira, Ana Paula | Journals |

In an effort to benchmark progress (or lack thereof) in the areas of open innovation (and crowdsourcing) beyond some early anecdotes and cases, we have brought back the team that first discussed this phenomenon back in a 2007 issue of CBR (Vol. 7, No. 12). While the topic of open innovation first burst onto the scene in the earlier part of the 2000s, it only began to gather momentum toward the end of the decade with the addition of the crowdsourcing concept. Given the staying power of the open innovation trend, we thought it would be useful to revisit this topic with a new survey for CBR.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/07/cbr1107b.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- What steps has your organization taken to cope with the current economic climate regarding initiated projects?

1 Nov 2011 17:58:50 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 01 November 2011 |

In our sixth annual CBR IT Budgeting issue, Dennis Adams looked at the changes in the initiation of money saving projects. Adams saw the fact that over half of this year's respondents companies had initiated short-term money-saving projects as "the clearest indicator we have seen that the economic climate is still influencing organizational budgets. When compared to last year's survey, 44% of responding companies made this claim. We can expect these projects to keep coming until the economy is healthier. Thus, it would be a good idea for managers to take longer-term projects and break them up into smaller deliverables. Focusing on limited, controlled rollouts of small projects is a risk management strategy for the current economy."

http://www.cutter.com/press/111101.html

The More Things Change (Again)

10 Oct 2011 18:15:05 GMT

Benson, Bob | Journals |

We're in the midst of another tough economic year. That's clear across the board for anyone who doesn't have his or her head in the sand, or in the clouds. Pick your metaphor here, but in either case it's a reality that almost all IT professionals and business managers are battling a continued tough slog through rough fiscal terrain. This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is thus an especially important one in its relevance to the very real challenges that we all face these days. It is the sixth installment in our annual series on IT budgeting, and we are now beginning to amass enough critical year-over-year data to truly evaluate some longer-term trends. The insight that our expert contributors were able to glean from this data and present to you in this issue will undoubtedly prove both interesting and instructive as you compare these trends with the decisions made within your own organizations.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/06/cbr1106b.html

IT Budget Challenge 2011: Keep Your Seatbelts Fastened, It's Going to Be Another Bumpy Ride

10 Oct 2011 18:12:38 GMT

IT Budgeting 2011 Survey Data

10 Oct 2011 18:05:58 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals |

We're in the midst of another tough economic year. That's clear across the board for anyone who doesn't have his or her head in the sand, or in the clouds. Pick your metaphor here, but in either case it's a reality that almost all IT professionals and business managers are battling a continued tough slog through rough fiscal terrain. This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is thus an especially important one in its relevance to the very real challenges that we all face these days. It is the sixth installment in our annual series on IT budgeting, and we are now beginning to amass enough critical year-over-year data to truly evaluate some longer-term trends. The insight that our expert contributors were able to glean from this data and present to you in this issue will undoubtedly prove both interesting and instructive as you compare these trends with the decisions made within your own organizations.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/06/cbr1106d.html

The 2011 IT Budget Overview: Looking Back, Moving Forward

10 Oct 2011 18:03:45 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals |

We're in the midst of another tough economic year. That's clear across the board for anyone who doesn't have his or her head in the sand, or in the clouds. Pick your metaphor here, but in either case it's a reality that almost all IT professionals and business managers are battling a continued tough slog through rough fiscal terrain. This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is thus an especially important one in its relevance to the very real challenges that we all face these days. It is the sixth installment in our annual series on IT budgeting, and we are now beginning to amass enough critical year-over-year data to truly evaluate some longer-term trends. The insight that our expert contributors were able to glean from this data and present to you in this issue will undoubtedly prove both interesting and instructive as you compare these trends with the decisions made within your own organizations.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/06/cbr1106c.html

People, Processes, and Products: New Challenges Heading Toward IT

10 Oct 2011 16:47:08 GMT

Adams, Dennis A. | Journals |

We're in the midst of another tough economic year. That's clear across the board for anyone who doesn't have his or her head in the sand, or in the clouds. Pick your metaphor here, but in either case it's a reality that almost all IT professionals and business managers are battling a continued tough slog through rough fiscal terrain. This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is thus an especially important one in its relevance to the very real challenges that we all face these days. It is the sixth installment in our annual series on IT budgeting, and we are now beginning to amass enough critical year-over-year data to truly evaluate some longer-term trends. The insight that our expert contributors were able to glean from this data and present to you in this issue will undoubtedly prove both interesting and instructive as you compare these trends with the decisions made within your own organizations.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/06/cbr1106a.html

Tablets in the Enterprise: Entering the Post-PC Era? Possibly ...

9 Aug 2011 17:23:13 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Cutter Benchmark Review :: Our goal with this issue is to provide some benchmarking data on the state of the adoption and use of post-PC devices in an attempt to understand whether they have become pervasive and how organizations are approaching their integration in the firm's overall infrastructure. If you need ammunition to spur your action into better action when it comes to a tablet strategy, you can find it here -- we have done our job!

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/05/index.html

The Tablet: A Solution in Search of a Problem

9 Aug 2011 17:22:00 GMT

Feller, Joseph | Cutter Benchmark Review :: Our goal with this issue is to provide some benchmarking data on the state of the adoption and use of post-PC devices in an attempt to understand whether they have become pervasive and how organizations are approaching their integration in the firm's overall infrastructure. If you need ammunition to spur your action into better action when it comes to a tablet strategy, you can find it here -- we have done our job!

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/05/cbr1105a.html

A Storm Is Coming In

9 Aug 2011 17:21:10 GMT

Nickolaisen, Niel | Cutter Benchmark Review :: Our goal with this issue is to provide some benchmarking data on the state of the adoption and use of post-PC devices in an attempt to understand whether they have become pervasive and how organizations are approaching their integration in the firm's overall infrastructure. If you need ammunition to spur your action into better action when it comes to a tablet strategy, you can find it here -- we have done our job!

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/05/cbr1105b.html

Tablet Excitement Is Here, Uses Still Emerging

9 Aug 2011 17:19:53 GMT

Tablets in the Enterprise Survey Data

9 Aug 2011 17:18:17 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Cutter Benchmark Review :: Our goal with this issue is to provide some benchmarking data on the state of the adoption and use of post-PC devices in an attempt to understand whether they have become pervasive and how organizations are approaching their integration in the firm's overall infrastructure. If you need ammunition to spur your action into better action when it comes to a tablet strategy, you can find it here -- we have done our job!

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/05/cbr1105d.html

New Strategy, Same Goal: Deriving Greater Value from Customer Interactions

27 Jun 2011 14:42:17 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 27 June 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we consider the future of customer relationships, the management of those relationships, and the role that IT and the IT shop can play in the evolution of effective customer relationship management (CRM). Right off the bat it's important to ponder some questions that are fundamental to how we understand, on the most basic level, the dynamic and structure of the relationships we have with our customers. Think about the following for a moment: In today's world, is it really possible (or even desirable) to "own" a customer anymore? How is our present use of IT aiding our relationships with our customers? And in the current environment of data overload and incredible accessibility of information and services, is it possible (or even wise) to expect consumers to continue to relinquish control of what is truly theirs, namely, their own personal information?

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/04/cbr1104c.html

The Key to Getting to Your Customers Is to Get Beyond Yourself

27 Jun 2011 14:40:15 GMT

Brohman, Kathryn | Journals | 27 June 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we consider the future of customer relationships, the management of those relationships, and the role that IT and the IT shop can play in the evolution of effective customer relationship management (CRM). Right off the bat it's important to ponder some questions that are fundamental to how we understand, on the most basic level, the dynamic and structure of the relationships we have with our customers. Think about the following for a moment: In today's world, is it really possible (or even desirable) to "own" a customer anymore? How is our present use of IT aiding our relationships with our customers? And in the current environment of data overload and incredible accessibility of information and services, is it possible (or even wise) to expect consumers to continue to relinquish control of what is truly theirs, namely, their own personal information?

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/04/cbr1104a.html

Managing Customer Relationships: Challenging Some Old Assumptions May Usher in the Future

27 Jun 2011 14:37:14 GMT

Customer-Managed Information and Relationships Survey Data

27 Jun 2011 14:34:08 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals | 27 June 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we consider the future of customer relationships, the management of those relationships, and the role that IT and the IT shop can play in the evolution of effective customer relationship management (CRM). Right off the bat it's important to ponder some questions that are fundamental to how we understand, on the most basic level, the dynamic and structure of the relationships we have with our customers. Think about the following for a moment: In today's world, is it really possible (or even desirable) to "own" a customer anymore? How is our present use of IT aiding our relationships with our customers? And in the current environment of data overload and incredible accessibility of information and services, is it possible (or even wise) to expect consumers to continue to relinquish control of what is truly theirs, namely, their own personal information?

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/04/cbr1104d.html

The Changing Face of Marketing: Understanding How Customer-Managed Interactions Fit Alongside CRM and Change Consumer Engagement

27 May 2011 14:31:07 GMT

Becker, Michael J. | Journals | 27 June 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we consider the future of customer relationships, the management of those relationships, and the role that IT and the IT shop can play in the evolution of effective customer relationship management (CRM). Right off the bat it's important to ponder some questions that are fundamental to how we understand, on the most basic level, the dynamic and structure of the relationships we have with our customers. Think about the following for a moment: In today's world, is it really possible (or even desirable) to "own" a customer anymore? How is our present use of IT aiding our relationships with our customers? And in the current environment of data overload and incredible accessibility of information and services, is it possible (or even wise) to expect consumers to continue to relinquish control of what is truly theirs, namely, their own personal information?

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/04/cbr1104b.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- To what extent do your organization's green initiatives affect systems purchases or design?

31 May 2011 15:10:51 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 31 May 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

Cutter research found that the influence of green initiatives on companies' purchasing decisions was relatively stable with last year. According to Senior Consultant Mike Sisco, "Many CIOs and other executives are beginning to take a hard look at the energy consumption in their companies because of cost. IT can be one of the biggest users of energy. Some may argue that we don't need to call it a 'green strategy' any longer, but the need to focus on energy in our companies should certainly continue to be an important issue if for no other reason than the sheer cost-savings opportunity. In fact, it's one of the reasons to look at outsourcing and cloud computing."

http://www.cutter.com/press/110531.html

A Bird in the Hand: Are You Making Use of the Wealth of Data at Your Disposal?

10 May 2011 18:33:41 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 10 May 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

There's a lot to think about when contemplating the value and use of the mass of data that is undoubtedly accumulating every day within your firm. In this issue of CBR, we provide you with a solid footing for understanding and moving forward with your own deliberations. In a manner of speaking, your data is the "bird in your hand" that you may not even know you hold -- or have not yet developed the skills to hold. Reading what our experts have to say on the subject will provide a mental framework for approaching the decisions necessary to take advantage of the wealth of information at your fingertips.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/03/index.html

Success in Managing "Big Data"

10 May 2011 18:24:09 GMT

Reeve, April | Journals | 10 May 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

There's a lot to think about when contemplating the value and use of the mass of data that is undoubtedly accumulating every day within your firm. In this issue of CBR, we provide you with a solid footing for understanding and moving forward with your own deliberations. In a manner of speaking, your data is the "bird in your hand" that you may not even know you hold -- or have not yet developed the skills to hold. Reading what our experts have to say on the subject will provide a mental framework for approaching the decisions necessary to take advantage of the wealth of information at your fingertips.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/03/cbr1103b.html

Knowledge Is Power: Grab the Data and Run with It

10 May 2011 18:21:29 GMT

Getting Value from the Data Deluge

10 May 2011 18:18:03 GMT

Watson, Richard T.; Williamson, Tyler | Journals | 10 May 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

There's a lot to think about when contemplating the value and use of the mass of data that is undoubtedly accumulating every day within your firm. In this issue of CBR, we provide you with a solid footing for understanding and moving forward with your own deliberations. In a manner of speaking, your data is the "bird in your hand" that you may not even know you hold -- or have not yet developed the skills to hold. Reading what our experts have to say on the subject will provide a mental framework for approaching the decisions necessary to take advantage of the wealth of information at your fingertips.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/03/cbr1103a.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- What tools do you use to monitor social media?

3 May 2011 19:20:23 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 03 May 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

Examining what tools companies use to monitor social media gives us clues about company maturity in this area, asserts Senior Consultant Vince Kellen. In a recent Cutter Benchmark Review, he reported that "more than 50% of our respondents indicate some modest to significant usage (responding with 3, 4, or 5 on the five-point scale) of search tools such as Google Search and Google Insight. Just over 40% use blog search tools, while 33% use Twitter-monitoring tools. A smaller cluster of respondents use analysis tools (24%) or aggregator tools (20%). Again, this data is consistent with the view that SMM is moving beyond light experimentation into the early phases of adoption."

http://www.cutter.com/press/110503.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- Do IT planning practices improve the value that IT delivers?

19 Apr 2011 15:03:20 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 19 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

How can firms obtain more value from IS strategic planning? According to Cutter Benchmark Review contributor Dorothy Leidner, " ... they might need to follow the lead of the IS innovators by revisiting their strategies more often and more regularly engaging in strategic planning techniques. Just planning regularly helps but to be an innovator, one must both regularly and frequently revisit plans. Even the best made plans must be revisited to adjust for changes in the environment."

http://www.cutter.com/press/110419.html

The Benefits of IS Strategy and IS Strategizing

12 Apr 2011 13:52:58 GMT

Leidner, Dorothy E. | Journals | 12 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of CBR, we set out to examine the ways in which strategic IT planning influences the value that IT delivers to the organization, as well as the degree to which the planning process is perceived to affect organizational outcomes and results. With this focus, we can both benchmark the planning process itself and, at the same time, tackle the question of its relationship to IT value. Given the current and ongoing economic struggles facing businesses both large and small around the world, this seemed like an excellent time to discuss the value of strategic IT planning.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/02/cbr1102a.html

There's No Time Like Today to Plan for Tomorrow

12 Apr 2011 13:50:06 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 12 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of CBR, we set out to examine the ways in which strategic IT planning influences the value that IT delivers to the organization, as well as the degree to which the planning process is perceived to affect organizational outcomes and results. With this focus, we can both benchmark the planning process itself and, at the same time, tackle the question of its relationship to IT value. Given the current and ongoing economic struggles facing businesses both large and small around the world, this seemed like an excellent time to discuss the value of strategic IT planning.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/02/cbr1102c.html

Strategic IT Planning: Making the Most of Limited (and Valuable!) Resources

12 Apr 2011 13:46:55 GMT

Strategic IT Planning Does Matter

12 Apr 2011 13:44:39 GMT

Benson, Robert J. | Journals | 12 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of CBR, we set out to examine the ways in which strategic IT planning influences the value that IT delivers to the organization, as well as the degree to which the planning process is perceived to affect organizational outcomes and results. With this focus, we can both benchmark the planning process itself and, at the same time, tackle the question of its relationship to IT value. Given the current and ongoing economic struggles facing businesses both large and small around the world, this seemed like an excellent time to discuss the value of strategic IT planning.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/02/cbr1102b.html

Strategic IT Planning Survey Data

12 Apr 2011 13:41:14 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals | 12 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of CBR, we set out to examine the ways in which strategic IT planning influences the value that IT delivers to the organization, as well as the degree to which the planning process is perceived to affect organizational outcomes and results. With this focus, we can both benchmark the planning process itself and, at the same time, tackle the question of its relationship to IT value. Given the current and ongoing economic struggles facing businesses both large and small around the world, this seemed like an excellent time to discuss the value of strategic IT planning.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/02/cbr1102d.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- Who is responsible for managing social media monitoring?

5 Apr 2011 14:41:45 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 05 April 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- Who is responsible for managing social media monitoring?

http://www.cutter.com/press/110405.html

Press Release: Stat of the Week -- How would you describe your current IT staffing situation?

22 Mar 2011 18:21:41 GMT

Cutter Consortium | 22 March 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

According to Cutter Consortium Senior Consultant Mike Sisco, "Companies have been running 'lean and mean' for a few years now, and productivity of the workforce is very high because of it. CEOs may be eager to invest in IT to get to some of the efficiencies available to them through technology innovation, while they continue to try and hold the general workforce levels down until more certain times are 'more certain.'"

http://www.cutter.com/press/110322.html

IT Trends for 2011: Moving Forward After a Tough Year

25 Feb 2011 16:16:15 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 25 February 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is the sixth installment in our annual series forecasting technology trends. As faithful readers know, in this issue we examine the range of IT developments that have either surfaced or endured in the past year and look back across previous years to see how the technology landscape is evolving. We also reflect on the multitude of contributing factors that will influence your decision-making processes as you consider your options for change (or staying the course) in the near future. We believe the two sometimes-opposing viewpoints of our contributors will give you much to think about as you come to your own conclusions. We hope that you find this annual IT trends issue of CBR interesting and useful and that it gives you plenty of food for thought as you evaluate your technology use and priorities for this year.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/01/index.html

Year 2011: Time for a Comeback

25 Feb 2011 16:13:43 GMT

IT Trends 2011 Survey Data

25 Feb 2011 16:11:30 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals | 25 February 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is the sixth installment in our annual series forecasting technology trends. As faithful readers know, in this issue we examine the range of IT developments that have either surfaced or endured in the past year and look back across previous years to see how the technology landscape is evolving. We also reflect on the multitude of contributing factors that will influence your decision-making processes as you consider your options for change (or staying the course) in the near future. We believe the two sometimes-opposing viewpoints of our contributors will give you much to think about as you come to your own conclusions. We hope that you find this annual IT trends issue of CBR interesting and useful and that it gives you plenty of food for thought as you evaluate your technology use and priorities for this year.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/01/cbr1101d.html

IT Trends: The Time to Innovate Is Now

25 Mar 2011 16:09:18 GMT

Adams, Dennis A. | Journals | 25 February 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is the sixth installment in our annual series forecasting technology trends. As faithful readers know, in this issue we examine the range of IT developments that have either surfaced or endured in the past year and look back across previous years to see how the technology landscape is evolving. We also reflect on the multitude of contributing factors that will influence your decision-making processes as you consider your options for change (or staying the course) in the near future. We believe the two sometimes-opposing viewpoints of our contributors will give you much to think about as you come to your own conclusions. We hope that you find this annual IT trends issue of CBR interesting and useful and that it gives you plenty of food for thought as you evaluate your technology use and priorities for this year.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/01/cbr1101a.html

IT Is Positioned for New Growth: Expect More Turbulence Before We Have Smooth Sailing

25 Feb 2011 16:06:43 GMT

Sisco, Mike | Journals | 25 February 2011 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review is the sixth installment in our annual series forecasting technology trends. As faithful readers know, in this issue we examine the range of IT developments that have either surfaced or endured in the past year and look back across previous years to see how the technology landscape is evolving. We also reflect on the multitude of contributing factors that will influence your decision-making processes as you consider your options for change (or staying the course) in the near future. We believe the two sometimes-opposing viewpoints of our contributors will give you much to think about as you come to your own conclusions. We hope that you find this annual IT trends issue of CBR interesting and useful and that it gives you plenty of food for thought as you evaluate your technology use and priorities for this year.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2011/01/cbr1101b.html

The Social Media Challenge: How Do We Meet It?

3 Jan 2011 19:34:04 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 October 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we turn our attention to a topic that has been increasingly in the public eye: social media. What was originally only an interesting diversion for a small population of techies and college students has quickly and rather explosively become a major social phenomenon -- one with cultural, practical, and business implications that become more far-reaching in scope every day. So what does this all mean for us in the IT shop? How do we manage in this environment where so many of the contributing factors are not within our control? And how do we use the information we can gather from social media monitoring (SMM) to set ourselves up for success? Whether or not you have already jumped onto the social media bandwagon, you will find this installment of CBR helpful as you attempt to get a broad overall view of the potential benefits and pitfalls social media represents for your organization. http://www.cutter.com/benchmark/fulltext/2010/10/index.html

Kanban for Process Improvement

3 Feb 2011 19:15:07 GMT

Maeda, Masa K. | Consulting | Agile Project Management

A recent Cutter Benchmark Review study on worldwide Kanban adoption found that among organizations currently doing or adopting Kanban, around 70% report productivity improvement, 65% report quality improvement, and 60% report customer satisfaction improvement over projects where other methodologies were used. http://www.cutter.com/workshops/kanban-creating-teams.html

Kanban for Project Management: Should We Buy In?

2 Sep 2010 03:13:14 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 September 2010 | Agile Project Management; Cutter Benchmark Review

The adoption of a new project management methodology as part of our business practices is always somewhat of a gamble. Will it work? Will it be an improvement over the processes we currently have in place? Will the time, energy, and resources that we invest now in implementing it prove worthwhile in the long run? These are all questions each of us as IT and business professionals must consider as we make decisions to move our organizations forward. Keeping operations humming along in the face of change and (sometimes) major budget crunches and keeping business practices current and in line with industry practices and technology progress are perhaps the greatest ongoing challenges we face. In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we discuss one of the most recent methodologies to enter the spectrum of possible choices for systems development: Kanban.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/09/index.html

Changing Workforce Demographics: Making the Most of the New Generation

1 Aug 2010 21:52:34 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 August 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we do our part in unlocking the mystery of Gen-Yers/Net-Geners. We examine the powerful trend toward further integration of technology into everyday productivity and the creative processes of this highly innovative generation. Plus, we discuss ways in which we can successfully integrate these individuals into our organizations to the benefit of all involved.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/08/index.html

IT Budgets on a Roller-Coaster Ride

1 Jul 2010 20:21:44 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 July 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In these five years of charting IT budgets and the budgeting process, we have documented the roller-coaster ride that IT shops around the globe have been on as things went from good times to perhaps the greatest economic crisis ever to strike the global economy to now slowly and gingerly climbing back out of the recession. Because we have been able to keep our team of experts intact and to maintain the core set of survey questions we ask of the respondents, we have learned quite a bit about the manner in which modern organizations react (and should react) to these kinds of events. We have learned, for example that the knee-jerk reaction typical of past crises whereby the firm would slash IT budgets seeking to "trim the fat" and "reduce overhead" wasn't exactly the case. In last year's survey, we found that "while organizations are indeed cutting projects and limiting their exposure by reducing investments in IT, they are also limiting reductions in the IT shop as much as possible knowing that IT assets and knowledge lost during a downturn cannot be readily rebuilt and scaled once the economy turns. As a consequence, the shape that this downturn has been taking for IT and IT professionals is likely different than the historical pattern of deep cost-cutting measures."

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/07/index.html

Mobile Privacy and Security: The Next Frontier of IT Risk Management

1 Jun 2010 19:50:30 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 June 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we focus at the intersection of three topics discussed previously: mobile technology (Vol. 9, No. 3) on the one hand and privacy (Vol. 6, No. 1) and security (Vol. 5, No. 12) on the other. We do so because we feel that these topics, interesting each on its own, take on renewed relevance when combined. It is undeniable that mobile form factors, from the laptop to the smartphone to the iPad and who knows what next, will continue to gain prominence in the personal and organizational technology arsenal. As they do so, the importance of securing the mobile platform while ensuring the privacy of its users will continue to increase commensurably. In short, given the unabated trends toward continued miniaturization, connectivity, and battery longevity, it is undeniable that mobile security and privacy are only going to grow in importance.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/06/index.html

E-Learning Platforms: Using the Past to Proceed to the Future

1 May 2010 19:59:05 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 May 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This month, we have tapped into the expertise and knowledge of two contributors with significant backgrounds in e-learning. On the academic side is Aurelio Ravarini, Senior Assistant Professor of IS at Università Carlo Cattaneo (LIUC, Italy) and Director with LIUC's CETIC, Research Center on Information Systems. Many of you will recall Aurelio as a past contributor to CBR; he was our academic expert on the issues on content management systems (Vol. 6, No. 4) and software as a service (Vol. 9, No. 4 ). Our practitioner author is Gianni Maria Strada, a former HR executive of several US corporations and current Managing Partner of PeoplePoint, a boutique HR consulting firm focused on major organizational change processes. Both contributors have considerable experience with the organizational implementation of software applications and their consequential organizational change processes.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/05/index.html

Project Management: Facing and Engaging in Reality

1 Apr 2010 20:00:14 GMT

Cutter Consortium | Journals | 01 April 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

In this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we turn to a topic discussed previously in November 2008 (Vol. 8, No. 11) and July 2007 (Vol. 7, No. 7): project management. As readers of CBR know, we get our inspiration and ideas for topics from two sources. First, we get inspiration from current events, new trends, new technologies, and generally from being aware and plugged into what is going on in the world of IT. At the same time, we maintain a constant ear to the ground and stick with a reality check by being attentive and responsive to the Cutter Consortium client base. We pay close attention to the kinds of jobs that Cutter Consortium Senior Consultants are bidding for and working on. We also monitor the types of requests that Cutter clients make and we apply firsthand research at Cutter Summits held across the globe.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/04/index.html

Web 2.0 Revisted: Mapping the Evolution of the Phenomenon

1 Mar 2010 13:44:32 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 March 2010 | Cutter Benchmark Review

With this month's CBR we crafted one such issue on a topic that is losing some of the buzz surrounding it -- and for that very reason may be moving into its most productive phase! Let me take a tangent here. Have you ever noticed how there are largely two broad sets of people: those who talk and those who do? OK, that may be an oversimplification (how uncharacteristic for an academic you may say), as there are plenty of variations between these two extremes, but go with me here for a minute. I'm sure you remember the many people you have met in your life who have told you how good they are, how much they have achieved, how close they were to getting that new position, and so on. Very often this façade of certainty and bravado hides a relatively thin record of real accomplishments; conversely, there is a broad group of extremely accomplished people who let the facts speak for themselves.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2010/03/index.html

Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts

15 Apr 2010 20:27:52 GMT

Rosania, Mark | Events | 15 April 2010 | Agile Project Management

Please join Cutter Senior Client Research Manager Mark Rosania for tips, tricks, and shortcuts to navigating Cutter’s Resource Centers. Whether you’re a new client or a veteran, you’re sure to gain a better notion of what you’ll find at the Cutter website and discover something new during this interactive demonstration!

http://www.cutter.com/events/multimedia/cutterdemo.html

IT Trends 2010: IT Shop Holds Own in Turbulent Economy

1 Mar 2010 23:26:36 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 January 2010 | Cutter Benchmark

This month's installment of Cutter Benchmark Review is the fifth effort in our yearly series on IT trends and technologies for the coming year. As you know if you have been following CBR, at the beginning of every year we ask our practicing and academic contributors to take stock of current trends. Based on our benchmarking survey of investment priorities, we ask them to explain the results and extrapolate some guidelines for our readers on how to tackle the new year in the IT shop.

http://www.cutter.com/benchmark/fulltext/2010/01/index.html

Reverse Logistics: Time to Bring It Front and Center

1 Dec 2009 22:00:42 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 December 2009 | Cutter Benchmark

This installment of CBR focuses on an often-neglected issue: reverse logistics. To help us better understand the potential of the reverse logistics process, and keeping with our standard process, we recruited both an academic and a practicing professional. Our academic on this issue is a returning contributor, Kathryn Brohman, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the School of Business at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (Canada). Kathryn and I share an interest in customer service systems and IT-enabled service. But Kathryn is also becoming increasingly interested in the reverse logistics process. Our practitioner on this issue is Eileen Brown, an Associate Partner in IBM Global Business Services. Eileen has a wealth of experience in supply chain and operations issues having spent more than two decades in this space. Eileen's broad base of knowledge spans other areas such as M&As, IT, and manufacturing operations within the electronics services and manufacturing industries.

http://www.cutter.com/benchmark/fulltext/2009/12/index.html

Client-Vendor Relationships: Toward the Relationship Paradigm

1 Nov 2009 14:36:30 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 November 2009 | Cutter Benchmark Review

IT outsourcing is one of those topics that has become a staple of conversation in both the IT shop and the academic community since the late 1980s, when the era of the full outsourcing megadeals was ushered in with Eastman Kodak contracting with IBM to restructure and manage its data center operations.

Since the Kodak deal, our understanding of outsourcing, and the structuring of outsourcing deals, has progressed significantly. However, the permanence of outsourcing at the top of many lists of critical IT management topics is a testament to both its complexity and continued potential value to businesses relentlessly seeking efficiency of operations. Outsourcing can be an important asset in the firm's arsenal, but it is no panacea, and it must be proactively managed. This very realization is what motivated our interest in an issue entirely dedicated to the client-vendor relationship in the IT outsourcing context.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2009/11/index.html

Green IT Metrics and Measurement: The Complex Side of Environmental Responsibility

1 Oct 2009 16:57:47 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 October 2009 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This month's issue, following our standard production process, focuses on green IT and its measurement. This is our second issue focused on green topics, following our first CBR survey on green IS in May 2008 (Vol. 8, No. 5). Our objective is to benchmark current practice and offer tangible guidelines on the measurement of green IT and green IS efforts. Our academic contributor is Brian Donnellan, Professor of IS Innovation at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and Co-Director of the Innovation Value Institute. Our practicing contributor, whom you already know from our March 2009 issue (Vol. 9, No. 3) on the mobile platform and mobile technology, is Bhuvan Unhelkar, a Cutter Consortium Senior Consultant.

http://www.cutter.com/benchmark/fulltext/2009/10/index.html

IT Governance in 2009: A Thorn in IT's Side

2 Sep 2009 01:01:12 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 September 2009 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This month's installment of Cutter Benchmark Review takes an in-depth look at one of the critical issues that typically emerges in our yearly series on IT budgets and the budgeting process: IT governance, which we define as the process of identifying responsibilities and implementing decision-making tools and structures for appropriate oversight of the management and use of IT resources. Stating that governance is of paramount importance is guaranteed to bring nods of approval from any audience; if the subject is IT governance, then the "approval meter" is likely to register even higher. This is not surprising given the significant financial impact of IT expenditures for most organizations, the role that IT alignment plays and has historically played, both in rhetorical exercises and in practice, as well as the intuitive necessity of control for informed decision making. Yet, in the very same presentations where the audience agrees on the importance of governance and governance mechanisms, the immediate follow-on is typically a statement about the intricacies and difficulties of implementing "effective" governance systems for something as far-reaching, complex, and ever-changing as IT.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2009/09/index.html

IT Budgeting in 2009: Weathering the Storm by Taking a Long-Term View

1 Aug 2009 16:05:03 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 August 2009 | Cutter Benchmark Review

This month's installment of Cutter Benchmark Review is the fourth in our yearly series on IT budgets and the budgeting process. The budgeting process is of critical importance to the IT and business professionals in our readership. That last statement may have never ringed as true as it does today in the midst of the greatest economic upheaval we have witnessed, perhaps in our lifetime. As you get ready to read and evaluate the results of the survey to make sense of what we've uncovered, you need to bear in mind that the data gathered in this survey was collected during the worst economic climate in the modern computer era. Contextual and environmental events of this magnitude have an impact that is felt throughout a benchmarking survey of this kind, beginning with a very low response rate as the belt tightens and IT professionals around the world find themselves working harder, and on more responsibilities, than ever before.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2009/08/index.html

IT Services and Service Functionality: The New Frontier of Opportunity

1 Dec 2008 19:30:19 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | Journals | 01 December 2008 | Cutter Benchmark ReviewIf you've been succeeding with agile in your organization for a while, you've experienced projects that make more visible progress, are done earlier, and provide a high level of satisfaction for everyone involved.

But some people who try to move to agile in their organizations are not entirely successful. The teams are not dedicated to just one project at a time, or the support from a previous release is overwhelming their ability to move a project forward, or they have too many emergency projects. While these problems don't prevent agile adoption, they certainly don't help. All these problems are symptoms of management's having insufficient tools to manage its project portfolio. But management doesn't need fancy-dancy tools to manage the portfolio. All a management team needs to do is answer one question and select one answer from three options.

http://www.cutter.com/content/benchmark/fulltext/2008/12/index.html