Too many IT initiatives have failed to deliver the bottom-line results companies had hoped for. In this important book, experts Peter Weill and Jeanne W. Ross explain why-and show exactly what

firms must do to finally realize the true value of their IT investments.

Based on their study of 250 enterprises worldwide, Weill and Ross argue that IT business value directly results from effective IT governance-a firm's allocation of IT decision rights and accountability. Their research reveals that firms with superior IT governance have at least 20 percent higher profits than firms with poor governance, given the same strategic objectives. But only 38 percent of senior managers can ,# accurately describe their IT governance so how can the remaining managers make effective IT decisions for the enterprise?

In IT Governance, the authors show how to design and implement a system of deci- sion rights that addresses three critical questions: What decisions must we make to ensure appropriate management and use of IT? Who should make these decisions? How will we make and monitor these deci- sions? With its vivid illustrations of the governance systems used by top performers in public and nonprofit sectors- including DuPont, UPS, UNICEF, State Street Corporation, Motorola, and Panalpina this book provides a framework and tools for customizing an IT governance system :



* The five key decisions that govern the effective use of IT

* A set of proven templates for allocating decision-making rights

* A range of proven mechanisms for implementing IT governance

* A Governance Arrangements Matrix for aligning IT with overall business objectives



Stop thinking about IT as an isolated function and start developing it as an organizational competency. IT Governance insists that executives and IT professionals If; alike unleash the power of their IT assets.



About the authors :



Peter Weill is the Director of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) and a Senior Research Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology`s Sloan School of Management



Jeanne W. Ross is Principal Research Scientist at CISR