Great IT: Seven Best Rules for Managing Information Technology

Author: Lin Beike
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: In the book "Excellent IT," experts from McKinsey, Rolf-Dieter Kempis and Jurgen Ringbeck, along with their research team, elaborated on four IT cultures based on the effectiveness of user management of information technology. They are: IT Elite, Generous Investor, Cautious Investor, and Laggard. The IT Elite stand out because they have strong IT capabilities, better manage core processes such as R&D, sales, and order processing, thereby genuinely increasing profits, achieving growth, and improving market share. The author, through the study of the IT Elite, identified seven rules for successfully applying information technology. First, managers must prioritize information technology as the highest management project. Second, they believe that information technology products must be developed first. It is essential to view IT as a strategic tool, thereby aligning IT strategy with business strategy. Clear IT technology application goals must be set, and core business processes must be redesigned. The author notes the saturation of information technology in administrative applications and emphasizes that combining IT with marketing, sales, and customer service can create more substantial profits. Finally, they describe how to integrate these elements into a lean, customer-focused IT network. The authors of this book elaborate on four IT cultures: IT Elite, Generous Investor, Cautious Investor, and Laggard. Through the study of the IT Elite, they identified seven rules for successfully applying information technology and emphasize that combining IT with marketing, sales, and customer service can create more substantial profits.