Skip to content
Product cover

Best Practices in IT Portfolio Management

April 15, 2004 | Mark Jeffery , Ingmar Leliveld | Managing Technology

The reason most organizations struggle to demonstrate business gains from information-technology investments is that their IT portfolio management (ITPM) is inadequate. Research at 130 companies, including Harrah's Entertainment, Waste Management and Blue Cross Blue Shield, shows that only 17% are at the advanced, or synchronized, stage of ITPM. Scrutiny of that 17% reveals best practices for successfully aligning IT with strategic goals.

The key to bridging the business-technology divide and improving results is early communication. Not only must senior business managers understand more about how IT affects both strategy and the bottom line, CIOs need to learn to communicate the vision, strategies and goals of the IT organization in terms non-IT executives can understand. The most effective partnerships studied were those in which the CIO took initiative in discussing ITPM with business leaders and eventually transferred accountability to them.

The most successful practitioners obtained cost savings of up to 40% of pre-ITPM budgets, better alignment between IT spending and business objectives, and greater central coordination of IT investments across the organization. By following certain specific steps to establish or upgrade ITPM and by benchmarking against synchronized companies, large organizations can make IT an integral part of their competitive advantage.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0006
My Controller Construct  0.0011
Build Nav  0.0008
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.0765
Total Execution Time  0.0771
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5737 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/best-practices-in-it-portfolio-management
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0008  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1afe96368f9f62cb67f4798fdc72ac50'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0010  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'best-practices-in-it-portfolio-management'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0125  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'best-practices-in-it-portfolio-management' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'best-practices-in-it-portfolio-management'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0003  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  1621 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '1621' 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '1621'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0004  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1621' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1621' 
0.0002  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1621'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0301  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('243') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3379' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3379' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3379'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3385' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3385' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3385'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3991' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3991' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3991'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4261' 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4261' 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4261'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0003  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1505' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '1505' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '1505'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '33' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '33' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '33'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0005  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1621'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '789' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '789' 
0.0003  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1621'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '1621'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0001  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '1622'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1622'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '1621'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0006  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)