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Title: Revolutionizing IT: The Art of Using Information Technology Effectively by David H. Andrews, Kenneth R. Johnson ISBN: 0-471-25041-4 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 06 September, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.71 (7 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Not revolutionary, but good book ...
Comment: Although there is really nothing revolutionary about "Revolutionizing IT", this is a good book for seasoned and war-torn IT professionals as well as end-users frustrated with their IT departments. It offers some *evolutionary* ideas on how to improve project and support methodologies based on the experience of the Andrews Consulting Group.
Several principles put forth are those many of us already knew but never mentioned out loud.
+Despite how much time, money, and attention given at the outset of the project, it is impossible to create a complete plan and cost estimate for an IT project.
+Any complex design will be imperfect.
+Scope control, although unpopular, is absolutely critical.
+There will never be enough resources available to build the optimum solution.
Some insightful tenets I took away.
+Those most familiar with an existing system/design are in a poor position to lead the recommendation of a new one (because of a bias)
+IT professionals like complexity and by their nature tend to bring more complexity into projects.
+Endusers should be 100% accountable for projects.
+Time is a project's worst enemy - as more time passes between approval and deployment, the number of things that can go wrong and the number of assumption that can change increases.
The authors discuss their "RITE Approach", which again is not revolutionary ... or contradictory to other methodologies, but rather offers some common sense best practices that complement waterfall, Agile, and RUP methodologies. The authors self-admittedly bash the waterfall paradigm but then come back and confess that the waterfall is the foundation of all PM methodologies.
Good book to read to insure you're on the right track...
Rating: 5
Summary: Practical Information for my entire IT department
Comment: This is one of the most practical books on the topic I have read, and I have been following and participating in this field, and following writing on the subject, since Fred Brooks taught us fledgling programming managers in IBM about the mythical man-month and other programming project realities.
This book is being routed throughout my IT department -- managers, developers, infrastructure and support people. I suggest they read the last chapter first as it is an excellent summary and reference checklist of the points Andrews and Johnson bring to the reader.
Key reminders and points made and expanded upon, for me, include:
1) Just do it -- the perfect solution is never available.
2) Know what goes wrong and what goes right and manage accordingly.
3) Control scope creep, probably the greatest weakness of all of us IT managers who want to be loved by our customers.
4) Managing programmers -- "junior programmers run the world" making those detailed, seemingly low level decisions that can compromise a project implementation.
This is not only a great read but an excellent reference manual for experienced and new IT managers alike -- one of those books we should each read every year! Well done, guys.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great for Business Students also
Comment: You have to like any book that is what it claims to be, and Revolutionizing IT is exactly what it claims to be. After reading this book and recently completing a 10 week course based on its contents I can say happily that it will "change the way you think about the management of any complex task, especially if it involves Information Technology."
Written for a non-technical management audience, its best attribute is the multitude of genuinely useful examples that illustrate the principles of the authors' RITE approach in detail for serious understanding. Unlike many books, especially college textbooks, these concrete examples keep the book, which is filled with good project management theory, from becoming merely a set of entertaining but impractical and vague remarks on IT as some books are.
Of course, while these qualities are helpful for the non-IT managers at whom this book is aimed, I found it to be invaluable for college students planning on entering the business world upon graduation with aspirations toward higher management. Not only does this book help future mangers understand IT, an important task in and of itself, but more importantly it's simply good advice for anyone who will be managing people and major projects in the future.
In my personal experience, Revolutionizing IT has made me very aware of the risks, and how to manage them, involved in any change to an organization that will fundamentally alter the way current staff will be doing their jobs. While this is a good reminder for experienced managers (who should be aware of this already), this advice both on how to look out for and how to deal with potential resistance and hostility toward business process changes is invaluable for future business executives. In fact, as I read the book I found myself wishing I had read it before I embarked on a particularly difficult internship which involved my writing an efficiency audit report for a department within the organization. The report ultimately culminated in the firing of the department manager.
This is a great book, easy to read and full of wisdom hard won through the experience of its authors. Put it into the hands of non-IT managers, especially the ones who are uncomfortable with IT. But first put it into the hands of young business people, even the ones who think they understand computers, because they will need the advice on project and people management.
Justin Swift
Principia College
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Title: Manage I.T.: A Step by Step Guide to Help New and Aspiring IT Managers Make the Right Career Choices and Gain the Skills Necessary by Joe Santana, Jim Donovan ISBN: 0965053490 Publisher: Lahaska Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: Achieving Business Value from Technology : A Practical Guide for Today's Executive by Tony Murphy ISBN: 0471232300 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 04 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
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Title: The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership by Mike Freedman, Benjamin B. Tregoe ISBN: 007141066X Publisher: McGraw-Hill Trade Pub. Date: 23 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning by Anita Cassidy ISBN: 1574441337 Publisher: Saint Lucie Press Pub. Date: 29 May, 1998 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
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Title: IT Manager's Handbook: Getting Your New Job Done by Bill Holtsnider, Brian Jaffe ISBN: 1558606467 Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann Pub. Date: 20 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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