Making the Invisible Visible

Companies in the e-economy are under increasing pressure to show strong business performance and to maximize information resources to produce results. Information is a company's most important currency in building and maintaining a competitive edge today. Technology has enhanced our ability to gather and process information. Companies worldwide spend more than $1.4 trillion on information technology, but until now, there has been no way to measure the effectiveness of IT within the organization, or its real impact on the bottom line.

Following a major two-year global research project involving 1,009 senior managers from over 100 companies representing 22 countries and 25 industries, the authors have proven that when a company is high on Information Orientation (IO)^™ it will be high on business performance.

Not only can IO be applied as a diagnostic tool or a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of an organization's information-use, it can also be used to predict business performance.

Information Orientation^™ measures a company's Information Capabilities^™ in the areas:

• Information behaviour and values of people
• Information management practices
• Information technology practices

The authors have validated that it is the total interaction of these three capabilities and their effective management that results in superior business performance.

• Introduction
  • Stories of two companies
  • Management lessons from these stories
  • Who should read this book
  • How to get the most from this book
  • How the book is organized
  • How to read this book
• Part I: Improving Business Performance through Effective Information Use
  1. Information Capabilities Improve Business Performance
     • Interpreting a business situation
     • The new lens: linking information capabilities to business performance
     • Seeing information orientation (IO) clearly: a prelude to managing
     • Conclusion
• Part II: Measuring Information Capabilities
  2. How to Measure Information Capabilities
     • Why have information capabilities not previously been linked to performance?
     • Measuring information capabilities
     • Interpreting and acting on the IO dashboard results
     • How managers can benefit from the IO dashboard
     • Conclusion
• Part III: Managing Information Capabilities
  3. Achieving High Information Orientation (IO): Making It All Happen
     • Winners tie it all together: learning from companies with high IO
     • How does your company shape up?
     • Conclusion
  4. Changing People's Information Behaviours
     • Making information behaviours and values (IBV) visible
     • Creating proactive information use: the IBV maturity model
     • Managing information behaviours and values (IBV)
     • Conclusion
  5. Understanding the Power of Information Management
     • Making information management practices (IMP) visible
     • Knowing how to use information to create value: the IMP maturity model
     • Managing information practices
     • Conclusion
  6. Boosting the IT Pay-off
     • Implementing effective IT practices (ITP)
     • Knowing how to use IT to boost value creation: the ITP maturity model
     • Managing IT practices (ITP)
     • Conclusion
• Part IV: Strategy and Competing with Information Capabilities
  7. Business Strategy, Information Capabilities and Business Performance
     • The evolution of company strategy
     • Which combination of strategic priorities leads to superior business performance?
     • Assessing your company's strategy
     • Conclusion
  8. Future Business Strategy, the IC Maximization Effect and Competing with Information
     • A strategic look to the future
     • Defining the IC maximization effect
     • Closing the information capabilities gap
     • Leveraging the IC maximization effect
     • Conclusion
  9. Implementing Information Capabilities Globally: A Portfolio Approach
     • Information orientation (IO), business performance and industry leadership of a global company
     • Creating the right mix of strategic priorities and business capabilities to achieve superior performance in a global company
     • Managing information capabilities in a global company
     • Conclusion
• Part V: Putting Information Capabilities into Practice Starts with You
  10. The Personal Challenge to Lead with Information Capabilities
      • Seven key principles to improve information capabilities
      • Conclusion

An extremely interesting book, that summarises a lot of research and experience, and manages to create a coherent model from the conclusions.

This is one of the rare game-changing books out there, especially as it comes to IT. This book is not intended to be read by any manager, but the top management in the organization that needs to contemplate the effects of IT and how to utilse it and measure it.

A very recommended book.