TOP STORY

Can IT grow up? An interview with Ade McCormack  In which the author and former developer likens IT teams to "well-behaved puppies with low self-esteem," explains his preference for IT-business "entwinement" over IT-business "alignment," and outlines his seven-step path to earning a seat at the executive table.  —July 9, 2008

ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

Got information? Get an information agenda

From vision lock to implementation planning, we look at the five-step process from IBM to help CIOs manage their data, protect their investments, and rethink their approach to delivering trusted information for better decisions.  —July 9, 2008

Five key questions for performance management on SAP 

Even if you're not on SAP, it's still good to know about being data agnostic, how to cut your support and admin costs, what user self-service really means, and why "single and complete" doesn't simply mean "from a single vendor."  —July 9, 2008

Dealing with data silos? Meet your data strategy

Data silos are no one's friend, but now that you have them, what to do with them? From ETL to EII, a look at tools to bring them together and approaches you can take to build a performance management platform. —May 23, 2008

ON FINANCE:

Goodbye GAAP? Getting ready for global accounting standards

Proponents see the promise of consistency and a level playing field. Critics see complexity that leaves us no better off than before. Here's our take on what it means for the Office of Finance, and how to prepare for changes that could be "bigger than anyone expects."  —July 9, 2008

Planning for price swings in the age of "peak oil"

Whether there's any oil left to be found is almost beside the point. With prices at historic highs and talk of "structural change" in the industry it's as good a time as ever for the IBM Cognos Upstream Oil & Gas Performance Blueprint.  —July 9, 2008

Automated processes mean better KPIs: CFO Research Services

Finance departments that automate their processes get better information than those that don't, and they're more likely to expand into reporting and dashboards. A summary of the research and the promise of more findings to come.  —July 9, 2008

The billion-dollar dashboard at the U.S. DoD

In truth it's $400 billion, and it's up to Tina Jonas to manage as CFO of the U.S. DoD. Some say her job is "the toughest in the world," but with help from her team and Cognos solutions, she says it's "terrific."  —May 23, 2008

ON BUSINESS: Focus on Analytics

Ant farms, analytics, and the predictive organization

The future's, alas, still not ours to see, but with Cognos and SPSS a little predictive modeling can go a long way in the mean time: like helping you see what your customers will want, where it's best to invest, and where your competitors will turn up next. —July 9, 2008

Quality or compromise? Using analytics to tailor customer service

No company can be all things to all people. Rather, writes HBR, success lies in being "specific things to specific people." How to find those people? Start by segmenting your customers along the lines we suggest here.  —July 9, 2008

Can customer analytics drive innovation?

Yes, says HBR, but few companies make the effort to discover what their customers want. A look at why to do it, companies that do it well, and why you'll want to share your data widely on your own "innovation journey."   —July 9, 2008

A new mandate to perform for public sector employees

Employees don't mind accountability, says Clay Johnson, Deputy Director for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. They want clear goals and the chance to help shape them. Here, he explains how a performance management culture energizes teams into making it happen  —May 23, 2008