Rating: 
Summary: An interesting monograph on the state of IT
Review: Smith and Fingar present an interesting monograph on the current state, and future possibilities, of IT. Their premise is that IT, as we know it is over, Business Process Management (BPM) represents the next wave of corporate computing. They do a good job of defining IT but never do they adequately define BPM. We are told what it isn't; it's not data, it's not hardware or software, and it's not Web services. But what is it? It is loosely defined, first, as a value-chain that encompasses suppliers and then as the white space between the boxes on an organization chart (referencing Rummler's terrific book on managing process). Regardless, I believe they make a valid argument. It's not how many servers you have, it's about how you're using the data and applications to make money and trounce the competition. But Carr also makes valid arguments, after all, who screws things up like IT? Who would think that in this day and age we still have runaway IT projects and projects that lack business value? There is a dearth of business sense among IT managers and there are too many business managers who find computers a mystery and abdicate business decisions to IT managers. At times the book becomes strident and takes on the spirit of a manifesto. The section on IT investments, and how they're going to soar again, references a science fiction writer and talk show host as sources. Later on, Smith and Fingar lament that Carr's article will destroy economic growth by giving CEOs justification for withholding IT investment. Perhaps the silver lining here is that vendors will offer products and services that add business value and IT and business managers will have to make solid business arguments to justify purchases. What is implicit but not explicitly stated in this book or Carr's article is the importance of governance: businesses must articulate strategy and align IT with that strategy. Organizations must select and manage IT projects as business projects managed by capable and IT savvy business leaders and business savvy IT managers. This will distinguish those firms that can effectively utilize IT resources from those that cannot.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting monograph on the state of IT
Review: Smith and Fingar present an interesting monograph on the current state, and future possibilities, of IT. Their premise is that IT, as we know it is over, Business Process Management (BPM) represents the next wave of corporate computing. They do a good job of defining IT but never do they adequately define BPM. We are told what it isn't; it's not data, it's not hardware or software, and it's not Web services. But what is it? It is loosely defined, first, as a value-chain that encompasses suppliers and then as the white space between the boxes on an organization chart (referencing Rummler's terrific book on managing process). Regardless, I believe they make a valid argument. It's not how many servers you have, it's about how you're using the data and applications to make money and trounce the competition. But Carr also makes valid arguments, after all, who screws things up like IT? Who would think that in this day and age we still have runaway IT projects and projects that lack business value? There is a dearth of business sense among IT managers and there are too many business managers who find computers a mystery and abdicate business decisions to IT managers. At times the book becomes strident and takes on the spirit of a manifesto. The section on IT investments, and how they're going to soar again, references a science fiction writer and talk show host as sources. Later on, Smith and Fingar lament that Carr's article will destroy economic growth by giving CEOs justification for withholding IT investment. Perhaps the silver lining here is that vendors will offer products and services that add business value and IT and business managers will have to make solid business arguments to justify purchases. What is implicit but not explicitly stated in this book or Carr's article is the importance of governance: businesses must articulate strategy and align IT with that strategy. Organizations must select and manage IT projects as business projects managed by capable and IT savvy business leaders and business savvy IT managers. This will distinguish those firms that can effectively utilize IT resources from those that cannot.
Rating: 
Summary: Marking A Transition In Eras
Review: Smith and Fingar take Carr's assertions to task, and tear them to shreds. With clever observation after clever observation, they show how and why Carr is extremely misguided -- and how and why the corporate landscape is and should be changing from IT-heavy to business process management-focused. Smith and Fingar are truly onto something: a means being adopted by many companies to help them become agile, customer-centric, real-time enterprises, with business users, not IT staffers, leading the way. Read this and catch the BPM wave (make that Third Wave, as Smith and Fingar discuss in another work).
Rating:
Summary: Plan Ahead
Review: The examples and solutions within Fingar and Smith's book clearly illustrate that the future of business process exists within a framework that reaches beyond the box that now defines IT. For any one that wants a glimpse into the bright future of e-commerce and the marriage of IT & Business, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: IT matters more than ever
Review: This book offers a balanced counterpoint to Nicholas Carr's HBR article, not only citing different people's points, but also its own. IT Matters/Does Not Matter is an big issue. This book not only asserts IT still matters and explaines why it matters, but also indicates how it matters by summarizing major themes in the authors' other book "Business Process Management: The Third Wave." More and more business people are using computers not only much more broaderly, but also much more deeply. As a result IT people are knowing/learning business. Business people and IT people are getting closer as a result of the focus on business processes as the center of today's IT practice. The process-orinted view is one of the most promising ways to eliminate the gap between business people and IT people. This is the book that explains, in a quick and easy to read format, why IT matters more than ever.
Rating:
Summary: Concise, powerful account of the "state of IT"
Review: This book signals a change in the fundametal use of IT in business. While the Harvard Business Review article agrues that IT doesn't matter, this book dissects those arguments and offers a completely different view and conclusion. Although many companies still think of business automation as record keeping and transaction processing, the authors describe a "business process" revolution that has already been embraced by leading companies in almost every industry. Expect to see negative reactions to this book from those clinging to older forms of business automation ("Old IT"), which have indeed been commoditized and no longer matter. The section on commoditization in IT has been especially useful in helping my company think about how "New IT" can enable new ways to gain efficiencies instead of the same-ole, same-ole annual IT budget cycle. This book is a quick read and should be in the hands of every member of the executive team as they make vital decisions about managing their IT investment, for it explains what aspects of IT really matter and why.
Rating:
Summary: IT does matter ! But only if business is in control.
Review: When Carr published his ill founded thesis in HBR a few months back it shook the corporate world. It was like telling the CEOs that they were stupid to spend millions on IT to achieve competetive advantage. Relating IT to commodity was not only erroneous but showed a lack of pragmatic involvement by the author in issues dealing with IT. In my 35 years as senior executive I have never encountered such an irresponsible behavior (HBR+ Carr= ATTENTION). The response by Peter F and Howard S is timely in that it attempts to explain rationally the present short comings of IT in delivering its true potential and organizational culture that has focussed on cost management via IT. The authors, I believe lay out the very foundation of the future and next generation of IT solutions that will be driven by businesses where the user will orchestrate services that will be delivered using the under pinnings of IT infrastructure. Yes we got rid of the Glass house only to have built a plexiglass replacement. IT geeks are notorious in delivering the perfect mouse trap and take inordinate time. Yes user's need to take charge. I have read the book and fully recommend that any one who has any responsibility in IT should do so before the ill founded thesis in Carr's article hits the corporate board room and you will have to hurriedly prepare your response. There is a lot of ammunition here that help us in delivering the right message- that IT does matter not in its components form like the PCs, network, or routers-yes they are commodities; but the software (services) are the value that will create competetive advantage for our companies for a long time to come. The changing customer environment mandates a responsive process driven business where IT remains supreme and evolving.
Rating: 
Summary: Someone has been working way too long on the vendor side
Review: Wow. The fact that the author is from CSC clearly shows. Although there are many points the author makes that I'm sure everyone agrees on. I can see why so many of his peers say this is just another way for CSC to make more money by getting IT out of the way. Indeed I truly think the author(s) need to get a closer look at how diverse IT is used from industries everywhere. And especially take a look from a business manager's perspective. Not from a vendor's
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