The Next Leap in Productivity: What Top Managers Really Need to Know about Information Technology

6.1. Unleashing the Power of Productivity Is Your Job

In the preceding five chapters, I explained how new and better IT strategies make possible new and better business strategies. By improving software development practices to automatically prevent defects, and by structuring all enterprise projects around service-oriented architecture (SOA), you position your enterprise for success.

By adopting the proper information technology (IT) governance model, you further enhance your chances of making a quantum leap in enterprise productivity. Making the most of this work is up to you, however. In other words, the IT group must do everything it can to get ready for your leadership, but the chief executive officer (CEO) retains responsibility for transforming the entire enterprise to make the most of this new strategic asset.

Unlocking of productivity happens by changing two things at once. First, IT has to change itself by becoming more nimble, responsive, and productive. It does so by applying the tried-and-true principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) to software development. That is how IT improves its productivity and achieves the first quantum leap.

Equally important, you have to change how you view and use IT. If you continue to think of IT as a utility, a sunk cost, you will never keep up with the leaders in your industry. Industry leaders realize that IT is a strategic asset, a tool for creating change and innovation. They budget it that way, they staff it that way, and they ...