Both business and IT executives have wondered about the "value of IT" ever since computers and IT utilization in business began. In fact, I can recall many poignant articles in the 1960s lamenting the level of expenditure and the dissatisfaction in achieving hoped-for benefits. This hasn't abated; for example, one can point to writers such as Nicholas Carr and his "IT Doesn't Matter" mantra just a few years ago. Today, CFOs continue to demand evidence of IT's value in spite of the complete dependence on IT in most businesses and industries.

Whenever the topic of strategic IS planning is introduced, very often the reaction is cynical and soporific. IT professionals are doers: we build stuff; we get a kick of seeing the stuff we built actually working, and working elegantly -- at least the ones among us who have a sense of style. In some way, this attitude is understandable, but somewhat shortsighted. If the object of the "making work" effort is the organization, then planning should not feel like a wasted effort, but rather as a critical (and very rewarding) step toward success.

This survey examined the IT planning process and strategy, as well as the value and contribution of IT planning to an organization. Fifty percent of the 48 responding organizations are headquartered in North America, 23% in Asia/Australia/Pacific, 15% in Europe, with the remaining 13% in South America and Africa. The number of IT professionals working in responding organizations vary, with 50% reporting fewer than 100 IT professionals, 29% reporting between 100 and 500, 6% between 500 and 1,000, and 15% reporting more than 1,000.

I have spent the last few days working with a customer on Kanban adoption. One of the organization's teams in particular claimed to be highly productive and therefore didn't think Kanban could be of much use. I worked with the team to create a value stream map (VSM) of their process by walking them through these six steps:

"We allowed two-hour early departure ... without a flake in sight. As late as 4 pm I was worried, with nothing happening, if the exact opposite was going to occur ... a laughingstock story of overreaction."

"We allowed two-hour early departure ... without a flake in sight. As late as 4 pm I was worried, with nothing happening, if the exact opposite was going to occur ... a laughingstock story of overreaction."

This Advisor, the fifth in a six-part series on green IT,1 provides insight into the relevance and importance of software systems in enabling organizations to reduce their carbon footprint.

This Advisor, the fifth in a six-part series on green IT,1 provides insight into the relevance and importance of software systems in enabling organizations to reduce their carbon footprint.

Whether it is the collapse of a particular bank or the global financial crisis, weakness in critical thinking and inadequate strategic analysis in decision making appear to make significant negative contributions. Business analysis (BA) offers an answer by sharpening the capabilities of critical thinking and analytical decision making.

If you ask a "process owner" without prompting what specific information is required to properly execute the activities of the process for which he or she is responsible, then the process owner will rattle off a slew of items. However, any attempt to assume these items are attributes of the data architecture and assign them to entities will prove frustrating.

Many CIOs today feel like they are building bridges as they are walking on them. Organizations are being pressed to innovate to catch up to or to stay ahead of competitors. IT shops feel this as pressure to move at the speed of business often with changing and incomplete business requirements. Leaders inside the organization are quickly building the future imperfectly.

Many CIOs today feel like they are building bridges as they are walking on them. Organizations are being pressed to innovate to catch up to or to stay ahead of competitors. IT shops feel this as pressure to move at the speed of business often with changing and incomplete business requirements. Leaders inside the organization are quickly building the future imperfectly.

I was saddened to hear that computer industry pioneer Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), died on Sunday, a few weeks shy of his 85th birthday.

Despite the attention now given to innovation and innovation processes, and the importance in which they are viewed for the progress and survival of companies, the means by which good ideas are created continue to elude us. While there are numerous methods for gathering and processing ideas -- from crowdsourcing to innovation labs -- the means by which good ideas can be generated by groups remains poorly understood.

Despite the attention now given to innovation and innovation processes, and the importance in which they are viewed for the progress and survival of companies, the means by which good ideas are created continue to elude us. While there are numerous methods for gathering and processing ideas -- from crowdsourcing to innovation labs -- the means by which good ideas can be generated by groups remains poorly understood.

Software estimation is still a gray area despite lots of research material, articles, and books. Some consider estimation an art; some a science. Others consider it both. Agile estimation has been no exception, and there is high level of debate about the ways in which it is done. Questions have been raised about the lack of scientific evidence as well as application in real-life projects and challenging scenarios.

Deciding the priority and funding for major IT initiatives, such as developing a new system or supporting a new technology, are among the most important functions of the IT governance process. Anyone who has been part of an IT governance committee recognizes that business needs and goals are the key basis for these decisions -- IT strategy must be synchronized with business goals.

Deciding the priority and funding for major IT initiatives, such as developing a new system or supporting a new technology, are among the most important functions of the IT governance process. Anyone who has been part of an IT governance committee recognizes that business needs and goals are the key basis for these decisions -- IT strategy must be synchronized with business goals.

According to Rand McNally, Africa, Asia, and South America make up 62% of the world's landmass. These markets have 82% of the world's population, which is 5.3 billion out of 6.5 billion people. China and India alone have more than 2.4 billion people.1 The consumer opportunity is huge. Presuming your company operates outside of the Western world, you must win big in these markets to thrive in this global economy.

According to Rand McNally, Africa, Asia, and South America make up 62% of the world's landmass. These markets have 82% of the world's population, which is 5.3 billion out of 6.5 billion people. China and India alone have more than 2.4 billion people.1 The consumer opportunity is huge. Presuming your company operates outside of the Western world, you must win big in these markets to thrive in this global economy.

This Executive Update provides an abridged section from my upcoming book, Supply Chain Management: The Real WOW Factor, covering insights about ways to thrive in emerging markets. It delves into the harsh realities of working in these markets and offers key solutions in business operations, such as low-cost, high-quality business models and action-planning focus areas across the product supply chain, from the customer and consumer back through raw and packing material suppliers.

This Executive Update provides an abridged section from my upcoming book, Supply Chain Management: The Real WOW Factor, covering insights about ways to thrive in emerging markets. It delves into the harsh realities of working in these markets and offers key solutions in business operations, such as low-cost, high-quality business models and action-planning focus areas across the product supply chain, from the customer and consumer back through raw and packing material suppliers.

Last October, I discussed in an Advisor developing trends pertaining to social media monitoring and analysis (see "Psst ... Listen in as Some Business Tune in to Social Media," 5 October 2010).

In a series of workshops conducted in 12 US and three European cities as well as one in Asia, I asked more than 1,500 CIOs to answer the following question: When you, your CEO, and your CFO hear the word "innovation," what is the first thing that leaps to mind?

In a series of workshops conducted in 12 US and three European cities as well as one in Asia, I asked more than 1,500 CIOs to answer the following question: When you, your CEO, and your CFO hear the word "innovation," what is the first thing that leaps to mind?