The first step in managing a portfolio of projects, lean or not, is to have a portfolio of projects.

The call for papers for this issue of Cutter IT Journal stated:

Agile adoption initiatives both succeed and fail, and there is no agreement on why they do one or the other. The current focus for scaling agile seems to be on modifying existing agile practices, adding new ones, and getting the right toolset installed.

Over the years, I've had a growing suspicion that has turned into a certainty: the success of agile adoption efforts is not based primarily on the practices or even the team. I've come to believe that the number one reason for the success of any agile adoption effort is the individuals involved in the projects.

The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and its fundamental concern for quality IT service delivery and management provides a completely fresh way of identifying the full range of risks that organizations face in conceiving, funding, executing, and operating IT services that support business objectives. ITIL strategic and tactical objectives are as clear as the desert sky. Because of this clarity, managers should find it easier to document the potential risks in failing to fulfill ITIL's prescriptions.

The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and its fundamental concern for quality IT service delivery and management provides a completely fresh way of identifying the full range of risks that organizations face in conceiving, funding, executing, and operating IT services that support business objectives. ITIL strategic and tactical objectives are as clear as the desert sky. Because of this clarity, managers should find it easier to document the potential risks in failing to fulfill ITIL's prescriptions.

Identifying risks is an old management activity now reinvigorated within the context of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service lifecycle, found in ITIL version 3 (ITIL v3).1 Risk identification is the necessary first step to risk mitigation, and a fresh way of looking at risks through the prism of service creation and delivery can heighten not only an understanding of risks, but an awareness of what management actions are required to avoid them.

Identifying risks is an old management activity now reinvigorated within the context of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service lifecycle, found in ITIL version 3 (ITIL v3).1 Risk identification is the necessary first step to risk mitigation, and a fresh way of looking at risks through the prism of service creation and delivery can heighten not only an understanding of risks, but an awareness of what management actions are required to avoid them.

IT strategy

With more and more companies unwilling or unable to invest in up-front capital costs for projects, lots of noise is being made about cloud computing as a fast and efficient deployment environment. Most companies will be wary but willing. Can you afford not to get involved?

IT strategy

With more and more companies unwilling or unable to invest in up-front capital costs for projects, lots of noise is being made about cloud computing as a fast and efficient deployment environment. Most companies will be wary but willing. Can you afford not to get involved?

IT strategy

With more and more companies unwilling or unable to invest in up-front capital costs for projects, lots of noise is being made about cloud computing as a fast and efficient deployment environment. Most companies will be wary but willing. Can you afford not to get involved?

The thing about a crisis -- and crisis doesn't seem too strong a word for the economic mess right now -- is that it creates a sense of urgency. Actions that once appeared optional suddenly seem essential. Moves that might have been made at a leisurely pace are desired instantly.

-- Gerald F. Seib1

The thing about a crisis -- and crisis doesn't seem too strong a word for the economic mess right now -- is that it creates a sense of urgency. Actions that once appeared optional suddenly seem essential. Moves that might have been made at a leisurely pace are desired instantly.

-- Gerald F. Seib1

The IT organization gets a triple dose of challenges during a company acquisition:

IT must support the existing technology of the acquired company after the acquisition is completed.

IT must manage the technology transition projects to assimilate part or all of the technology of the target company to the acquiring company.

One important concept about modeling is that models are based on a well-defined set of abstractions, relationships, and constraints. This is true whether the model is of a business process, a software component, or a data structure. However, the underlying concepts are all different, and so we use specialized modeling languages (or notations) to express them.

This Executive Update looks at debriefing the bidders after a competitive bidding process has closed. This is often treated as an optional process -- and is usually one to be avoided. However, if done well, with the right intent, it is a valuable exercise for all bidders (unsuccessful and successful) and can also create support for your future bidding opportunities.

This Executive Update looks at debriefing the bidders after a competitive bidding process has closed. This is often treated as an optional process -- and is usually one to be avoided. However, if done well, with the right intent, it is a valuable exercise for all bidders (unsuccessful and successful) and can also create support for your future bidding opportunities.

This Executive Update looks at debriefing the bidders after a competitive bidding process has closed. This is often treated as an optional process -- and is usually one to be avoided. However, if done well, with the right intent, it is a valuable exercise for all bidders (unsuccessful and successful) and can also create support for your future bidding opportunities.

As the IT outsourcing environment continues to evolve, new demands are being placed on management to improve and refine sourcing policies and governance. During the past several years, there has been a steady move from contracts managing large facilities aimed at cost reduction toward smaller contracts that focus on providing expertise and efficiency around noncore processes of the business.

As the IT outsourcing environment continues to evolve, new demands are being placed on management to improve and refine sourcing policies and governance. During the past several years, there has been a steady move from contracts managing large facilities aimed at cost reduction toward smaller contracts that focus on providing expertise and efficiency around noncore processes of the business.

In the light of the hype over Web 2.0 this past year, I want to stress that organizations are making use of the techniques to improve the collaboration capabilities of their BI and business performance management initiatives.

In the light of the hype over Web 2.0 this past year, I want to stress that organizations are making use of the techniques to improve the collaboration capabilities of their BI and business performance management initiatives.

Agility is the ability to act quickly and with economy of effort in accurate response to change and also to initiate change for business advantage.