Global It Management - A Practical Approach

Global IT Management presents a practical approach for initiating and reinforcing global IT, focusing on the mechanisms that need to be put in place to effectively manage IT architecture, strategy, standards, and control across sites in a multinational firm. Key considerations are explained for each domain together with concrete recommendations for core organisation, processes and deliverables. The approach fits cleanly into established best practices for IT such as the CobiT® framework for IT management, and is a valuable resource for students studying IT management on MBA and Executive MBA courses.

Educated at Cambridge University and INSEAD, Robert Barton is now an independent IT consultant with extensive professional IT experience throughout Europe, including three years as Head of Global IT Strategy, Architecture and Standards at the leading global pharmaceuticals corporation, Novartis Pharma.

Foreword.

Table of Exhibits.

Table of Figures.

Table of Tables.

Acknowledgements.

1. Why globalize IT management?

2. Organization.

Introduction.

Core IT services.

Forces shaping IT organizations.

Basic organizational variants.

Two sides to a coin.

A practical approach.

Key players and institutions.

Moving towards action.

3. Architecture.

Introduction.

Options and expectations.

Managing architecture.

Organization.

Funding.

Map current IT architecture.

Adapt architecture to requirements.

Tool support.

Summary.

4. Strategy.

Introduction.

Options and expectations.

Managing strategy.

Organization.

Funding.

Agree strategy.

Align organization.

Implementation.

Review progress.

Tool support.

Summary.

5. Standards.

Introduction.

Options and expectations.

Choice of standards.

Managing standards.

Organization.

Funding.

Defining new standards.

Maintaining standards.

Handling exceptions.

Tool support.

Summary.

6. Control.

Introduction.

Options and expectations.

Managing control.

Organization.

Funding.

Managing IT costs.

Project control.

Implementing balanced scorecards for IT.

Tool support.

Summary.

7. Value of Global IT Management—Tested.

Appendix: Positioning with established best practices.

COBIT^®.

ITIL^®.

PRINCE2^®.

Glossary and acronyms.

References.

Index.