Close Cookie Notice

Welcome to the MIT CISR website!

This site uses cookies. Review our Privacy Statement.

Book hero
Book

The Real Business of IT: How CIOs Create and Communicate Value

The authors explain how IT leaders can combat the IT-as-cost mind-set to generate three forms of value important to leaders throughout the organization.
review

This clear, short work is one of the most insightful books on the role of CIOs, and I.T. organizations in general, I have read. [...] I heartily recommend that all I.T. leaders read this book. It resonates with empathy, understanding and truth about how the I.T. function regards itself, and what it can contribute to build value for an enterprise. It can help lead you to better strategy, better plans, better decisions and better relationships with your peers and superiors.

D. Hurdelbrink

Summary

If you're a general manager or CFO, do you feel you're spending too much on IT or wishing you could get better returns from your IT investments? If so, it's time to examine what's behind this IT-as-cost mind-set.

In The Real Business of IT, Richard Hunter and George Westerman reveal that the cost mind-set stems from IT leaders' inability to communicate about the business value they create—so CIOs get stuck discussing budgets rather than their contributions to the organization.

The authors explain how IT leaders can combat this mind-set by first using information technology to generate three forms of value important to leaders throughout the organization:

  1. Value for money when your IT department operates efficiently and effectively,
  2. An investment in business performance evidenced when IT helps divisions, units, and departments boost profitability, and
  3. Personal value of CIOs as leaders whose contributions to their enterprise go well beyond their area of specialization.

The authors show how to communicate about these forms of value with non-IT leaders—so they understand how your firm is benefiting and see IT as the strategic powerhouse it truly is.

The Real Business of IT

Hardcover
$40.00
ISBN-13: 978-1422147610
218 pp.
6.5 x 1 x 9.8 inches
October 2009

About the Authors

MIT CISR Researcher

George Westerman, Research Scientist, MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)

MIT CENTER FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH (CISR)

Founded in 1974 and grounded in MIT's tradition of combining academic knowledge and practical purpose, MIT CISR helps executives meet the challenge of leading increasingly digital and data-driven organizations. We work directly with digital leaders, executives, and boards to develop our insights. Our consortium forms a global community that comprises more than seventy-five organizations.

MIT CISR Patrons
AlixPartners
Avanade
Axway, Inc.
Collibra
IFS
Pegasystems Inc.
The Ogilvy Group
MIT CISR Sponsors
Alcon Vision
Amcor
ANZ Banking Group (Australia)
AustralianSuper
Banco Bradesco S.A. (Brazil)
Banco do Brasil S.A.
Bank of Queensland (Australia)
Barclays (UK)
BlueScope Steel (Australia)
BNP Paribas (France)
Bupa
CarMax
Caterpillar, Inc.
Cemex (Mexico)
Cencora
Cochlear Limited (Australia)
Commonwealth Superannuation Corp. (Australia)
Cuscal Limited (Australia)
CVS Health
Dawn Foods
DBS Bank Ltd. (Singapore)
Doosan Corporation (Korea)
Fidelity Investments
Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B., de C.V.
Fortum (Finland)
Genentech
Gilbane Building Co.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J)
Kaiser Permanente
King & Wood Mallesons (Australia)
Koç Holding (Turkey)
Mercer
Nasdaq, Inc.
NN Insurance Eurasia NV
Nomura Holdings, Inc. (Japan)
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. Systems Consulting Division (Japan)
Novo Nordisk A/S (Denmark)
OCP Group
Pacific Life Insurance Company
Posten Bring AS (Norway)
Principal Life Insurance Company
QBE
Ramsay Health Care (Australia)
Raytheon Technologies
Scentre Group Limited (Australia)
Schneider Electric Industries SAS (France)
Stockland (Australia)
Tabcorp Holdings (Australia)
Telstra Limited (Australia)
Terumo Corporation (Japan)
Tetra Pak (Sweden)
Truist Financial Corporation
UniSuper Management Pty Ltd (Australia)
Uniting (Australia)
USAA
Webster Bank, N.A.
Westpac Banking Corporation (Australia)
WestRock Company
Wolters Kluwer
Xenco Medical
Zoetis Services LLC

MIT CISR Associate Members

MIT CISR wishes to thank all of our associate members for their support and contributions.

Find Us
Center for Information Systems Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sloan School of Management
245 First Street, E94-15th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-253-2348