IT and business management

Business intelligence (BI) refers to technologies, applications and practices for the collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of business information and sometimes to the information itself. The purpose of business intelligence is to support better business decision making.

Business performance management is a set of processes that help organizations optimize their business performance. It is a framework for organizing, automating and analyzing business methodologies, metrics, processes and systems that drive business performance.

Business process management is a method of efficiently aligning an organization with the wants and needs of clients. It promotes business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility and integration with technology.

Keeping up with IT salaries is an important part of a CIO's job. CIOs need to be able to match job skills to current and competitive pay rates.

CIO career development and career paths are hot topics for IT leaders looking to advance their position with the organization.

A successful contract negotiation between your IT organization and your chosen vendor is key to a successful relationship.

Domestic outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external organization to perform some business functions in a country that is same as the one where the products or services are actually developed or manufactured.

Managers in the financial services and insurance industries deal with distinctive issues, including privacy and security around personal financial information and various corporate compliance regulations.

Managers in the government industry face distinct challenges, such as deploying larger-scale technology and software initiatives and addressing requirements of the Homeland Security Act and various other compliance regulations.

Companies that develop, manufacture, market, and/or distribute health-related products or provide health care services, such as hospitals, nursing homes, HMOs, medical product suppliers, medical equipment and medical device makers, and medical laboratories.

IT Governance is a subset discipline of corporate governance focused on information technology systems and their performance and risk management. The rising interest in IT governance is partly due to compliance initiatives, for instance Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) in the USA and Basel II in Europe, as well as the acknowledgment that IT projects can easily get out of control and profoundly affect the performance of an organization.

IT project management plans are critical to managers and business leaders who need to ensure the success of new programs within the organization.

IT spending decisions are made based on how new IT investments can add value to the organization, while the budgeting process allows managers and CIOs to plan for future investments in staff resources, technology initiatives and business programs.

IT staff development and retention planning is critical for managers trying to successfully compete in a global market.

IT training and certifications can keep IT professionals armed with the knowledge and expertise to handle the changing business and technology needs.

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of concepts and techniques for managing IT infrastructure, development, and operations. The infrastructure library is developed in UK and is a widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world.

Effective leadership and strategic planning skills are keys to success for any manager and CIO.

Offshore outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external organization to perform some business functions in a country other than the one where the products or services are actually developed or manufactured.

Each industry has its own unique challenges for business and IT organizations. Find the latest general industry information for managers, CIOs, including news, tips and other resources.

An IT organization in the retail industry faces unique challenges, including keeping up with e-commerce technologies and protecting consumer data and financial information.

A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. To calculate Return On Investment (ROI), the benefit (return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment; the result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio.

Determining when to use a vendor and how to select and manage a vendor effectively can make or break even the most carefully planned project. Understanding the factors that determine the most appropriate vendor relationship is crucial to your success. Proactive involvement in establishing the vendor relationship, from selecting the vendor, determining the appropriate type of contract, to establishing the contract terms is essential to effective vendor management and to the success of your project.

Vertical industry is a group of similar businesses and customers which engage in trade based on specific and specialized needs. Often, participants in a vertical industry are very limited to a subset of a larger industry (a niche market).