From Business Strategy to IT Action.

There are many books on strategic planning. What makes From Business Strategy to IT Action different is that it outlines how to get value from the IT group in an enterprise by linking the plans of the IT group with those of the whole firm. The book takes a hands-on approach to integrating IT actions with those of the rest of the company so that it can achieve its strategic goals.

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The book outlines a strategy-to-bottom-line value chain that traces projects through strategic planning, tactical planning, and IT actions, straight to bottom line results. It does so through the principles of what the authors call New Information Economics (NIE). The NIE principles include (among others): establishing clear strategic intentions that can be acted upon; tying actions to strategy; creating a common understanding of the strategic intentions among management and the IT function; and managing the company culture to reduce barriers between IT and the rest of the business.

The authors also provide a method for assessing an organization's ability to adapt to their recommended value chain, which is called the Business Value Maturity Model. Through the model, the authors explain how a company can establish IT targets for improving corporate processes most effectively.

The book is a helpful guide to defining IT strategy and integrating it in a business.

By Robert J. Benson, Thomas Bugnitz and William Walton. Published by Wiley and Sons. For more information visit www.wiley.com.

Patrick Buckley, CMA, Ph.D., is a program analyst in Ottawa.