The New Metrics to Measure IT Success

Biz Tech Tips, episode 54. Video Archive.

(If you prefer videos instead of reading and LinkedIn doesn't load the video above, check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_-2weqn6W0)

Old IT metrics vs new IT metrics

IT has traditionally been seen as a cost center and not as a way to be more efficient or to make money, and therefore gets neglected.

Traditional IT metrics focused on systems up-time, on-time delivery, and on-budget projects.

Not that those are bad metrics, but it panders to implementing as little as possible and not expanding into ways to make money, vs minimizing costs.

My recommendation for determining your own new metrics for IT is to not start with company-wide goals, but rather goals per department or per member of leader or manager.

To do this, first determine what each leader's goals are.

Do not ask questions like, "how can IT help you?" Instead ask the leaders questions like:

-"what opportunities are you trying to take advantage of?"

-"what worries you or slows you down?"

Next, find objectives, goals, tactics, and measures for all of your key leaders

Then see where the overlap is or where the easiest ROI is for IT to jump into. Do that thing and measure the efficiency increases, reduced costs, revenue growth, or whatever it is, and realize that as a metric that was owned by IT.

Do that and IT will transform your company and you'll have meaningful metrics.