The Business of IT: How to Improve Service and Lower Costs

1. Introduction: Improving Service and Lowering Costs

Customers are increasingly demanding that their IT service providers, whether internal or external, demonstrate measurable value for the amount invested in IT. IT provides customers with many innovative technologies, but the benefits from IT spending have been difficult to quantify. Indeed, several studies have shown that these investments in new IT infrastructure and technology have not provided benefits commensurate with their costs. To demonstrate the value IT spending, IT customers want spending to target specific business needs at lower costs.¹

For some business, government, and non-profit organizations, the perceived lack of measurable value from IT investments results from the IT service ...