Organizations pour millions of dollars into information systems. Yet most aren't getting the one piece of data they really need: Is this investment paying off. This practical guide resolves the paradox by providing managers with proven methods for assessing the costs and benefits of implementing new technology.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Chief Executives are finally demanding that IT be as fiscally accountable as all other areas of the business have been traditionally. . This book lays out an approach that can help. -- Max Staines, Director, Compass Analysis Canada Limited
Finally, a realistic view of the relationship between IT spending and business results! The Information Paradox reminds us that technology is a powerful enabler, but transforming technological capability into business results is a management, not a technical, responsibility. -- Dr. George E. Hare, President, George Hare & Associates, Inc.
John Thorp's direct, proactive solutions to those issues facing business executives and his roadmap to achieving successful results were right on target. -- Thomas L. Smith, President, Yellow Services, Inc.
The Benefits Realization approach offers a powerful and comprehensive set of new tools that help you understand the value and potential of technology in Business Transformation. -- Chris Gibbons, General Manager, Enterprise Computing, Microsoft Corporation
The Information Paradox helps IT leaders move beyond traditional task and time-driven project management into business actions required for successful change and value-added applications. -- Lee Meredith, Director of Finance, Clearnet Communications, Inc.
Today's CEO requires proof that investments in information technology drive improvements in business performance. DMR's Benefits Realization Approach helps meet the challenge: "prove the return of these investments." -- Keith Ellis, Vice-president, International Data Corporation Canada, Ltd.
Finally, a realistic view of the relationship between IT spending and business results! The Information Paradox reminds us that technology is a powerful enabler, but transforming technological capability into business results is a management, not a technical, responsibility. -- Dr. George E. Hare, President, George Hare & Associates, Inc.
John Thorp's direct, proactive solutions to those issues facing business executives and his roadmap to achieving successful results were right on target. -- Thomas L. Smith, President, Yellow Services, Inc.
The Benefits Realization approach offers a powerful and comprehensive set of new tools that help you understand the value and potential of technology in Business Transformation. -- Chris Gibbons, General Manager, Enterprise Computing, Microsoft Corporation
The Information Paradox helps IT leaders move beyond traditional task and time-driven project management into business actions required for successful change and value-added applications. -- Lee Meredith, Director of Finance, Clearnet Communications, Inc.
Today's CEO requires proof that investments in information technology drive improvements in business performance. DMR's Benefits Realization Approach helps meet the challenge: "prove the return of these investments." -- Keith Ellis, Vice-president, International Data Corporation Canada, Ltd.
About the Author
John Thorp is a vice-president in the Strategic Consulting Practice at Fujitsu Consulting and heads the Center for Strategic Leadership. He is an internationally sought-after management consultant and a frequent speaker internationally with 40 years of experience in information management. He lives in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Fujitsu Consulting is a leading international provider of information technology (IT) services to businesses and public enterprises with offices in the United States, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended!,
This review is from: The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology (Hardcover)
John Thorp's book recalls Mark Twain's definition of a classic as "a book you want to have read but don't want to read." If you're an executive with control over your company's information technology purse stings, you probably don't want to read a book this detailed in the intricacies of IT, which is exactly the reason that you should. Thorp's initial premise is that many IT investments never pan out in part because the people that are signing off on them have absolutely no idea what to expect. This book will give you a clue, but don't expect to enjoy it. It's dense with IT terminology, change and program management strategies and valuation techniques. We [...] recommend this book to all of you professionals who know that you need a better understanding of information technology, even if you won't admit it. Don't put off reading this book, no matter how much you'd like to.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent synthesis of ideas on getting value back from IT,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology (Hardcover)
Well-structured well-written thought-provoking book. Good mix of theoretical and case-study materials. Clearly introduces useful models and analytical methods. Applies the balanced scorecard approach to IT value measurement, linked with an emphasis on sound programme management/control to constrain IT costs. The bottom line: a darn good read!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, Revised Edition, 2003,
By
This review is from: The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology (Hardcover)
My comments on this excellent book are based on my 35 years working as a public servant within the Government of Canada and on its applicability to a government context. The Government of Canada invests in its employees and programs and is committed to demonstrating and evaluating in a transparent manner the benefits and results, whether expected or not, of its programs. This book focuses on information technology (IT) investments and explains why they often do not realize their promised benefits or results. Although IT leads to more and often better information, the paradox is that having more and better information does not automatically lead to realizing the expected benefits for the business or government program that made the investment. Going from our expectations of information technology to `better information' to better programs that realize the benefits and results is not always a straight line. This book by John Thorp helps us to better understand the complexity involved in linking information, how information is transforming the way employees think and act, and the strategy for realizing the expected and desired benefits. But more importantly, this book provides us with useful models (especially the Results Chain model), tools and techniques to address the complexity and make the linkages work so as to increase the likelihood of realizing the benefits. The Information Paradox should be compulsory reading for government (and business) managers and consultants who are concerned with planning new programs intended to realize expected benefits or with evaluating existing programs to determine if benefits are being realized. The models, tools and techniques described in the book will contribute to best practices in government evaluation and performance measurement.
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