Taking Control of IT Costs

Taking Control of IT Costs

by SebastianNokes (Author)

Synopsis

Information Technology is one of the major costs for businesses in the 21st Century and yet it is allowed to operate without the usual cost controls imposed on other departments. The last few years have seen huge investment in IT with the lead-up to Y2K, the explosion of e-business and the increased dependence on IT business systems. But is it delivering the goods? It is hard for senior management without specialist IT knowledge to judge the value of IT spend. As we enter a period of economic slowdown, managers need to increase their efforts to manage costs. IT can no longer expect to be exempt. Senior managers will find this briefing an invaluable guide to imposing normal cost discipline on IT spend - within the IT department or elsewhere - without the need for technical knowledge of IT. IT managers will also find it useful in implementing their own cost management programmes. Contents include: * The opportunity and rewards of managing IT costs * Outline of a project to manage IT costs * Guidelines on implementing tasks * Cost allocations and their effect on real costs * IT strategy review * Outsourcing, ASPs and Internet in IT cost management

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 214
Edition: 1
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Published: 06 Jan 2000

ISBN 10: 0273649434
ISBN 13: 9780273649434

Media Reviews

In most businesses in which I have been involved throughout my auditing career there has been a certain mysticism attached to IT. Even in this modern age there are many managers who continue to regard a computer as a magic black box. Where they have learnt how to switch a pc on, there are not many who hand on heart understand the technology. Nor should they be expected to. And yet not many of these same managers would dream of entering into a major capital project without a full cashflow analysis or establishing a project management programme. The IT department in any business is a key part of the undertaking. But it can easily become a bottomless pit. Instead of adding value to the business it can fast become a runaway cost. Taking Control of IT Costs is an excellent model for the layman to get to grips with the pitfalls.

Colin Harris CA (SA), Director of Internal Audit & Business Continuity, St. John Ambulance, London

Author Bio
Sebastian Nokes has been a senior manager and management consultant in the IT and Financial Services industry for the past 15 years. In this time he has worked for IBM and Credit Suisse First Boston. He led major projects in a number of global companies and increased their IT efficiency by 30% while simultaneously reducing costs by 50%. Familiar with the Internet since 1989, he has used it to increase IT and management efficiency across a broad range of organizations. He recently headed a project with heavy Internet involvement, the results of which saved $23m and improved performance.