In the first three parts of this Executive Update series 1 about Cutter's annual survey on innovation practices, we described the enterprise innovation chain (value innovation, management innovation, business model innovation, and invention), identified key findings of the research, and presented additional detailed characteristics of organizations that assess themselves as successful innovators.

In the first three parts of this Executive Update series 1 about Cutter's annual survey on innovation practices, we described the enterprise innovation chain (value innovation, management innovation, business model innovation, and invention), identified key findings of the research, and presented additional detailed characteristics of organizations that assess themselves as successful innovators.

In the first three parts of this Executive Update series 1 about Cutter's annual survey on innovation practices, we described the enterprise innovation chain (value innovation, management innovation, business model innovation, and invention), identified key findings of the research, and presented additional detailed characteristics of organizations that assess themselves as successful innovators.

In the first three parts of this Executive Update series 1 about Cutter's annual survey on innovation practices, we described the enterprise innovation chain (value innovation, management innovation, business model innovation, and invention), identified key findings of the research, and presented additional detailed characteristics of organizations that assess themselves as successful innovators.

In the first three parts of this Executive Update series 1 about Cutter's annual survey on innovation practices, we described the enterprise innovation chain (value innovation, management innovation, business model innovation, and invention), identified key findings of the research, and presented additional detailed characteristics of organizations that assess themselves as successful innovators.

Performing some IT and communications tasks through internal or external means is not a technological decision; in fact, it is one that focuses on business, and it needs to be framed within the company's general organizational strategy. The reasons that a CIO confronts this dilemma can vary, but they usually involve company pressure to reduce costs, concern for fighting hardware obsolescence, and an intention to reduce the organizational structure. However, there is much more.

Performing some IT and communications tasks through internal or external means is not a technological decision; in fact, it is one that focuses on business, and it needs to be framed within the company's general organizational strategy. The reasons that a CIO confronts this dilemma can vary, but they usually involve company pressure to reduce costs, concern for fighting hardware obsolescence, and an intention to reduce the organizational structure. However, there is much more.

The first part of my analysis of this year's IT trends data from a recent Cutter survey1 focuses on the labor within the IT organization, specifically issues associated with outsourcing and with staffing levels. We posed a general question to our respondents asking them to describe their current IT staffing situation.

The first part of my analysis of this year's IT trends data from a recent Cutter survey1 focuses on the labor within the IT organization, specifically issues associated with outsourcing and with staffing levels. We posed a general question to our respondents asking them to describe their current IT staffing situation.

I recently received a large architecture document to review. After poring through a few hundred pages of text and drawings, I was impressed by how much work and thought had gone into it yet how utterly useless it was. Now, don't get me wrong: it's not that architecture is unimportant; quite the opposite. The classic, big architecture document is just the wrong way to deliver it. I had hoped that the industry had gotten past these kinds of deliverables; apparently I was wrong.

Like me, you may already be all too well aware of the Trojan horse as a security threat and use regular virus checks to avoid the problem. Yet, the same idea -- smuggling through content under a label that refers to something else -- can be used with a much more positive effect.

I recently received a large architecture document to review. After poring through a few hundred pages of text and drawings, I was impressed by how much work and thought had gone into it yet how utterly useless it was. Now, don't get me wrong: it's not that architecture is unimportant; quite the opposite. The classic, big architecture document is just the wrong way to deliver it.

Over the past few months, Cutter Senior Consultant Jeff Kaplan has been analyzing the results of our 4th annual survey on charting the growth of the software-as-a-service market. This year, the data has uncovered a new round of important market trends that have implications to IT and business decision makers.

In last week's Advisor, I wrote that the most demanding task confronting organizations in their business performance management initiatives is identifying and implementing the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics needed to measure and manage operational performance in relation to strategies and goals (see, "Six Key Roadblocks En Ro

In last week's Advisor, I wrote that the most demanding task confronting organizations in their business performance management initiatives is identifying and implementing the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics needed to measure and manage operational performance in relation to strategies and goals (see, "Six Key Roadblocks En Ro

I am sitting here, sipping my free cup of coffee at McDonald's, looking across the parking lot at the huge going-out-of-business banners strung across the entrance to my local Circuit City store.

"I wonder," I said, joking with the McDonald's manager, who I know pretty well, "if they had to pay for those banners up front and in cash?"

Value-based governance enables leaders to define the value of the business and inject those values into the governance structure that defines how players in the organization conduct themselves. Institutionalizing business governance at each level of the organization is daunting when considering the complexities of increasingly global and virtual work environments. Standardizing business governance in business operations requires more than documenting and training employees on corporate code-of-conduct requirements.

Consider a house. It has form and function, much like a business. There is an overall structure, and its function is supported by the assembly of various components and the way the interior is implemented within that framework. In most houses, this structure enables it to fulfill its purpose and make sense for its users.

In October 2008, Cutter Consortium conducted a survey that asked 85 end-user organizations about their BI and data warehousing plans. The goal was to determine the degree to which companies are adopting various types of BI, data warehousing, and other analytic technologies and practices.

No other target of investment is likely to generate higher returns than innovation.1 While this isn't news for many companies, the fact that a growing number use performance measures to manage innovation should be of interest to those who don't.

No other target of investment is likely to generate higher returns than innovation.1 While this isn't news for many companies, the fact that a growing number use performance measures to manage innovation should be of interest to those who don't.

My last Advisor, "The 31-Square-Foot Architecture" (15 January 2009), raised some strong reactions, ranging from "Wonderful" to "Dogmatic Nonsense." Therefore, I'd like to keep to this subject and elaborate a little bit more on architectural decisions in agile teams.

Many years ago, I was working for a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) and I found myself making a presentation to a gathering of executives from one of GE's financial divisions. Before I made my pitch, there was a video address from Jack Welch, GE's famous CEO of the time.

Many years ago, I was working for a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) and I found myself making a presentation to a gathering of executives from one of GE's financial divisions. Before I made my pitch, there was a video address from Jack Welch, GE's famous CEO of the time.

Many years ago, I was working for a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) and I found myself making a presentation to a gathering of executives from one of GE's financial divisions. Before I made my pitch, there was a video address from Jack Welch, GE's famous CEO of the time.