Maximizing 'IT' Value Through Operational Excellence

About the Book

To enable operational excellence, IT must become a suite of IT Application Service Chains as shown in figure 1 below. An IT Application Service Chain is an information-service orientated derivative of the Value Chain developed by Porter in 1980. Each IT Application Service Chain links to a profit center - viewed as either a Value Chain, or in the case of services, the Corporate Service Chain (shown in figure 2 below). Application developers, in their secondary role, are not a part of the IT Application Service Chain. Instead they are like supply chain managers, expected to use standard, off-the-shelf, low-cost software/hardware components to create and improve the IT Application Service Chain. In other words, application developers will be sophisticated business people able to buy/build links in the IT Application Service Chain to enable a better overall service to the end consumer.

About the Author

Dr. Peter Thompson is President, CEO, and founder of RIS, the Applications Support and Maintenance Company. A technology expert and successful entrepreneur, Dr. Thompson has built RIS from a sole proprietorship in 1979 to a $42-million, 500 person company with offices in the United States, Romania and across Canada today.

In addition Dr. Thompson has also written SMART Methodology: Solution Management and Request Tracking, The Only Authoritative Guide to Creating a Successful Applications Support & Maintenance Environment, and its companion guide SMART Supplement. Maximizing 'IT' Value through Operational Excellence is his 3rd publication.