In 2004 Terry White's second book, What business really wants from IT, was published as part of the ComputerWeekly PROFESSIONAL SERIES. His first book, entitled Reinventing the IT department, was published in 2001 under the same banner. In my humble opinion, both of these were ahead of their time. I say this because its only recently (in the last two years), since we've been associated with ButlerGroup that the substantial intellectual property in these books is gaining traction. Maybe the traction is coming from the ButlerGroup brand or maybe its because we've taken the concepts further in the ButlerGroup Master Classes (BGMC) that we've participated in.

Terry first introduced his three role model to the IT Governance BGMC in October 2006. The three role model was so well received that Terry was invited to present at the next IT Governance BGMC in London later that year. Again Terry and his concepts received rave reviews, so much so that ButlerGroup introduced them into their major report update on IT Governance published in April 2007. See http://www.butlergroup.com/research/reportHomepages/governance.asp for more on that but getting back to grass roots, as our leaders like to say, in February of this year MarketWorks ran another BGMC entitled "Measuring IT costs and value". This was originally based on a ButlerGroup report by the same title but again we incorporated new concepts and models that were very well received.

Next week Terry goes back to London to present "The Roles of IT in Business Strategy". See http://www.butlergroup.com/masterClassAgenda.asp?mcr=MITCV&scr=MITCVLON0... for more...
This topic is largely based on the three role model which has developed substantially since the What business really wants book particularly in respect of business modeling of the budget and IT spend. (See image below.)

In october Tim Jennings the Research Director of ButlerGroup will be in South Africa with Terry and MarketWorks to present "Achieving IT Flexibility". See http://www.butlergroup.co.za for more...

Terry will be presenting "Strategies for Achieving Flexibility" and "Achieving Operational Flexibility" and again bringing fresh perspectives and the three role model to bear to outline a framework for common understanding between business and IT. This understanding and collaboration between business and IT is often frustrated by technology rather than enhanced by information. There is still too much emphasis in IT on technology and information and its application/usefulness often takes a back seat (this is a topic for another day) but the point here is that the three role model can be applied universally to improve information flow and communication between business and IT and its great to to see the extent to which this is now happening through our local boy Terry White and the MarketWorks team.

Local really is lekker!

For more lekker local stuff from Terry see:

Webbleyew will do nicely, thank you

"Every IT department needs to review all their communications with their business..."

[1 June 2007, CBR]

Do not do it

"There are four types of knowledge needed in IT: technological knowledge; good bu..."

[1 May 2007, CBR]

There is no benefit in IT

"A little thought and a fair bit of work has to go into defining the benefits (or..."

[1 April 2007, CBR]

Of form and function

"Making the leap between IT's form and IT's function is requires a concerted plan..."

[1 March 2007, CBR]

The truth? Can you handle it?

"It is in everyone's interest to present ideas and proposals in a way that busine..."

[7 February 2007, CBR]

IT's glass ceiling

[1 December 2006, CBR]

The mysterious case of IT and the boiling frog

"IT's role is to work in and with the business to demand the best technology, to..."

[1 November 2006, CBR]

How does IT add value to BI?

"IT's value-added role in BI is to get involved in interpreting the strategy and..."

[1 October 2006, CBR]

Flying bodies and secret passwords

"The most urgent problem facing IT security at the moment is the one of the unwit..."

[1 September 2006, CBR]

Does your vision help you see better?

"Business executives expect rationalisation of infrastructures to take up a mere..."

[1 August 2006, CBR]

Of budgets and blowups

"There is a way of presenting the IT budget on one page, in a language that busin..."

[1 July 2006, CBR]

Driving outsourcing costs down

"The best deals are shown to be those in which there is minor initial cost saving..."

[1 June 2006, CBR]

By the numbers

[1 June 2006, CBR]

Remind me why we outsourced?

"IT managers really have to turn into communications specialists, dealing with is..."

[1 May 2006, Network Times]

It is not so mobile response to mobility

"The Butler Group report exhorts CIOs to respond to mobility pressures by develop..."

[1 April 2006, Network Times]

Is IT informed?

"If you were in charge, would things be different?..."

[1 March 2006, Network Times]

The tug 'o war

[1 February 2006, Network Times]

Leadership in IT

[1 December 2005, Network Times]

What does IT do?

[1 November 2005, Network Times]

IT can never add value

[1 October 2005, Network Times]