In order to achieve a world class or first quartile performance, it is critical to take a ‘scientific’ approach to IT. This is particularly true for IT metrics. I have created a reference section for IT metrics based on posts done in February and March 2012. This should be an area of focus for any IT shop looking to achieve high performance. IT metrics best practices are covered in the following reference pages:
- Taking a Scientific Approach to IT Metrics
- IT Metrics Roundup: Key Techniques and References
- Evolving IT Metrics to Match your Team’s Maturity
- Benchmarking
- Unit Costing and Allocations
- Transparency
- Service Desk Metrics
This provides a strong base of knowledge including templates and examples for any organization on a journey of improvement. It is important to view the IT shop not as a set of craftsmen but a collection of several small factories, which, if their activities and processes are defined and measured, the information can then be used to identify defect causes and optimize the factory quality and capability, often with outstanding results.
Please do not hesitate to send me a comment if you have questions or seek clarification on any of these areas.
Best, Jim Ditmore