A Practical Guide to Information Systems Process Improvement

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 286 pages
• Published by: CRC
• Edition: 1st Edition September 26, 2000
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1574442813
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1574442816
• Book Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds

Product Review
"Cassidy and Guggenberger have done an great job of combining process improvement and quality improvement into a straightforward practical guide for information systems professionals to apply to improving the information systems development within an organization. The writing is straightforward and very accessible. This book enables organizations to improve both the quality and performance of information systems."Dr. James C. Wetherbe, FedEx Professor of Excellence and Director of the Center for Cycle Time Research
I was immediately hooked to this book and could not stop reading. I want to make this into my organizations core belief. I want to learn it and teach it, not just to IT, but for other departments as well. I plan to introduce this to the executive team of my corporation as a way to work through issues together. This book, if correctly applied, will allow us to have the time to do the important things, not just the urgent ones. This is a very comprehensive, practical, methodology that all IT organizations need.Adrienne Bodor, CIO, Eaton Corporation
This is an outstanding book for real practioners of Information Technology. Many in the industry have given lip service to being process oriented, but few actually effectively implement processes. This well written book is an great guide  using real life examples  on how to move from being a skills based organization to being process based.Cheryl Stepney, Director, Microsoft
"Anitas second book is as good as her first.  Its a clear, concise, easy-to-read guide for process improvement for any IS department. But dont stop there, you can apply these same techniques to any process. Read it through, then keep the book handy as youll be referencing it frequently throughout your process improvement projects."Mary Rolf, Executive VP, Rosemount Office Systems, Inc.
"I liked the presentation of the material.  Coming from the process world, I agreed with many of your viewpoints. I found the book to be interesting and very good."Mark Brewer, Director of Information Services, Donaldson Company, Inc.
"I thought it a very useful reference book for experienced people facing many of the issues in this and other organizations. I think that it would also be a useful book for someone who is new to the concept of process reengineering as well. I especially like the checklists at the end."Cliff Tamplin, Managing Director, IS, Northwest Airlines, Inc.
This is an outstanding book for real practitioners of Information Technology. Many in the industry have given lip service to being process oriented, but few actually effectively implement processes. This well written book is an great guide  using real life examples - on how to move from being a skills based organization to being process based.Dan A. Christian, Vice President / CIO, Graco Inc.
"IT departments are last to re-invent themselves  this book helps you change this paradigm!  To help lead technology change, IT departments must change, and this book shows you the steps to cause change.  This book explains how to ensure that people, technology and processes are aligned, which is the true key to success in business today.Cliff Tamplin, Managing Director, IS, Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Anita's second book is as good as her first. It's a clear, concise, easy-to-read guide for process improvement for any IS department. But don't stop there, you can apply these same techniques to any process. Read it through, then keep the book handy as you'll be referencing it frequently throughout your process improvement projects.-Mary Rolf, Executive VP, Rosemount Office Systems, Inc.

Anita's second book is as good as her first. It's a clear, concise, easy-to-read guide for process improvement for any IS department. But don't stop there, you can apply these same techniques to any process. Read it through, then keep the book handy as you'll be referencing it frequently throughout your process improvement projects.-Mary Rolf, Executive VP, Rosemount Office Systems, Inc.

Cassidy and Guggenberger have done an great job of combining process improvement and quality improvement into a straightforward practical guide for information systems professionals to apply to improving the information systems development within an organization. The writing is straightforward and very accessible. This book enables organizations to improve both the quality and performance of information systems.-Dr. James C. Wetherbe, FedEx Professor of Excellence and Director of the Center for Cycle Time Research

I liked the presentation of the material. Coming from the process world, I agreed with many of your viewpoints. I found the book to be interesting and very good.-Mark Brewer, Director of Information Services, Donaldson Company, Inc.

I liked the presentation of the material. Coming from the process world, I agreed with many of your viewpoints. I found the book to be interesting and very good.-Mark Brewer, Director of Information Services, Donaldson Company, Inc.

I thought it a very useful reference book for experienced people facing many of the issues in this and other organizations. I think that it would also be a useful book for someone who is new to the concept of process reengineering as well. I especially like the checklists at the end.-Cliff Tamplin, Managing Director, IS, Northwest Airlines, Inc.

I was immediately hooked to this book and could not stop reading. I want to make this into my organizations core belief. I want to learn it and teach it, not just to IT, but for other departments as well. I plan to introduce this to the executive team of my corporation as a way to work through issues together. This book, if correctly applied, will allow us to have the time to do the important things, not just the urgent ones. This is a very comprehensive, practical, methodology that all IT organizations need.-Adrienne Bodor, CIO, Eaton Corporation

IT departments are last to re-invent themselves - this book helps you change this paradigm! To help lead technology change, IT departments must change, and this book shows you the steps to cause change. This book explains how to ensure that people, technology and processes are aligned, which is the true key to success in business today.-Cheryl Stepney, Director
Microsoft,

IT departments are last to re-invent themselves - this book helps you change this paradigm! To help lead technology change, IT departments must change, and this book shows you the steps to cause change. This book explains how to ensure that people, technology and processes are aligned, which is the true key to success in business today.-Cheryl Stepney, Director, Microsoft

The IT Process book is easy to read and easy to understand. This is truly a 'How-To' book for both new and experienced IT leadership.-Joel Wiens, Vice President of IT, Regis Corporation

This is an outstanding book for real practioners of Information Technology. Many in the industry have given lip service to being process oriented, but few actually effectively implement processes. This well written book is an great guide - using real life examples - on how to move from being a skills based organization to being process based.-Dan A. Christian, Vice President / CIO, Graco Inc.

This is an outstanding book for real practitioners of Information Technology. Many in the industry have given lip service to being process oriented, but few actually effectively implement processes. This well written book is an great guide - using real life examples - on how to move from being a skills based organization to being process based.-Dan A. Christian, Vice President / CIO, Graco Inc.

Product Description
When you invest in expensive technology and systems, you want to get the most out of them. Process improvement has been used for years as an effective strategy to reduce costs, shorten cycle times, improve quality, and increase user satisfaction in other areas of business such as Quality, Manufacturing, and Engineering. While there are many books available on process improvement and process re-engineering, few of them address the unique processes within information systems as clearly and succinctly as A Practical Guide to Information Systems Improvement.

Process Improvement for IS

Tailored specifically for IS processes, A Practical Guide to Information Systems Process Improvement provides a step-by-step method for creating a world class Information System organization. The authors introduce process management and highlight its application to information systems. The book outlines a practical, complete, and easy-to-understand method for improving or re-engineering the processes within the Information Systems organization  simplifying process improvement so that you can begin to use it immediately.

Avoid common pitfalls and mistakes

The evolving business environment puts new demands on your Information Systems. E-commerce, changing technology, ERP, and globalization are just a few of the areas that will benefit from process improvement. This easy-to-follow guide includes a corresponding process model for each step that serves as a starting point for process improvement effort. It provides a checklist to ensure your new process meets all the requirements for its particular purpose and identifies pitfalls and mistakes to avoid.

Reader Reviews
This book is important for two reasons: (1) it describes what a process is and the main characteristics shared by processes regardless of the model used, and (2) it provides a clearly defined approach to implementing processes and a framework for improving them. Why these two reasons are important is because most IS/IT professionals have a vague idea about what processes are. They can visualize them on a conceptual level, but not on a detail level as a flow with measurable attributes. The way the authors portray processes allow all stakeholders (producers and consumers) of a process chain to use the same definition and to objectively measure the same characteristics. This cross-functional understanding and agreement is essential to process improvement. However, understanding processes and having a clear definition are only half the equation - implementing and improving them can be a daunting task without a clearly defined roadmap. Therein is the main value of this book: it provides that roadmap. You can either get to your destination by trial and error, false starts and wasted time and resources, or you can follow the identification, selection, "as-is" assessment, "to-be" target and implementation plan sequence that are presented. The authors highlight key points and pitfalls each step of the way, which is based on their extensive experience from which you'll benefit. If you're involved in process design and/or improvement in IS/IT this book will point you in the right direction and get you moving forward. Comment | | (Report this)