Ads by TechWords

See your link here
Receive the latest technology news and information.
IT Management
ROI (Return on Investment)
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
The Weekly Top 10
Cloud Computing
View all newsletters




Privacy Policy
 

Premier 100: IT shops need to add value

But they can't stop looking for ways to save money

March 7, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld -

Premier 100 Now!
Premier 100 Now!

Premier 100 Weblogs
PHOENIX -- IT organizations that want a bigger role in enabling new business initiatives need to first ensure that they are meeting their traditional efficiency and cost-reduction goals, said users at Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders conference here today.
"It's the price of entry" for being involved in projects where IT has a chance to add value, said John Moon, corporate vice president and CIO at Baxter International Inc., a $9.5 billion maker of medical products based in Deerfield, Ill.
Over the past few years, Baxter has been using IT to innovate and deliver new services and technologies to its customers, Moon said during a presentation at the show. For instance, his IT organization has developed in-house software that enables medical devices such as dialysis equipment to communicate and share information with external clinical information systems and electronic medical records systems.
The integration delivers several benefits. For example, it allows clinicians to monitor patients more closely and it provides more information on supplies and consumables related to the operation of the equipment than was previously available.
"Making our devices smarter and more connected is not traditional IT work," Moon said. But that doesn't mean a traditional focus on trimming expenses and delivering services can be ignored.
For instance, much of the value-add that Baxter's IT organization has delivered over the past two years was achieved even as it reduced its $30 million in operating expenses by 15%, Moon said.
John Moon, corporate vice president and CIO at Baxter International Inc.
John Moon, corporate vice president and CIO at Baxter International Inc.
Image Credit: Asa Mathat
A similar focus on IT cost controls and "people programs" has helped Nordstrom Inc.'s IT organization assume more of a front-end, business-enabler role, said Bill Tucker, divisional vice president of systems delivery with the Seattle-based retailer.
"Three to four years ago, we were back-of-the-house technologists. There were very few invitations to discuss business problems," he said. Since then, almost every aspect of the company's business is enabled by IT, from the way it manages inventory to its so-called Personal Touch services, he said.
A lot of that influence has to do with the IT organization's focus on meeting its cost-containment commitments and on understanding business requirements, he said. As part of the initiative to align with business needs, for instance, Nordstrom's IT organization has embedded staff at several store locations to get a direct understanding of how IT can help add value, he said.
That sort of direct contact also is useful in understanding and heading off user issues before they become major problems,he said.


Jump to comments

IT Management

Additional Resources

WHITE PAPER
Approximately 60 percent of data migration projects overrun time or budget, while some fail completely. Download this white paper, "Enhancing Your Chance for Successful Data Migration," to learn the critical steps you need to take to execute a data migration project with minimum cost and risk to your business.
WHITE PAPER
Read the Gartner research note to learn why the TCO of a server-based computing deployment used to deliver all applications to users is around 50% lower than that of an unmanaged desktop deployment.
WHITE PAPER
Economic downturns have a tendency to accelerate emerging technologies, boost the adoption of effective solutions, and punish solutions that are not cost competitive or that are out of synch with industry trends. This IDC White Paper presents the results of an IDC survey of 330 companies in Western Europe, Asia/Pacific and the Americas that measures the receptiveness to Linux and takes into consideration changing views driven by the disruptive economic environment that businesses face today.

White Papers & Webcasts

Legacy IT Modernization - Practical Reality
Learn to balance budget restrictions and build a foundation to grow on in this new Webinar!

Looking for a fast payback?
Register Now!  

Interactive Guide: Getting Started with Data Governance
Download this Interactive Guide today!

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back
Download this whitepaper showing how Google Enterprise Search boosts your bottom line.  

Maximizing website Return on Information with high-quality search
Download this whitepaper explaining how an investment in site search can boost your earnings while reducing customer service costs.