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Tracking in the Enterprise – Comparing Results for Multiple Systems and Groups

For our back-of-the-napkin experiment in tracking the useful value produced by enterprise systems - our next step will move away from the technical tools for a bit, and take a look at results. Specifically, we want to understand who is "delivering the goods" - and some sense of their success relative to others. At first, the question sounds simple - how do you measure success? Metrics are a common element of any business activity, and people are often paid, and…

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Tracking in the Enterprise – Logging Utilization Simply and Consistently

We're trying use metrics to visualize the correlation between system use and business results - any system, regardless of the platform / technology - and we'd like to draw the same picture of input vs. results for any system. I'm stealing some inspiration from Tufte here - let's keep the story simple, clean, and consistent, so my audience can focus on the question (WIIFM). And it's a meant to be a universal question - doesn't matter what system we are…

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Who is Using the System? Tracking in the Enterprise

For years, web sites have been measured - and valued - by user traffic. Who is looking at this site? When are they coming, and how long are they staying? Driven by the advertising business model that values "impressions", web analytics have evolved in a number of ways; the interest has shifted from Passive to Active. Advertisers want to know who is clicking, selecting, comparing, buying, and abandoning. Games track Daily Average Users, Social Networks quantify contributions and visualize connections,…

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New Way of Working Part 1 – and an Interesting New Direction

Sure, I've been mobile for some time, but it's late spring in Chicago, and after such a hard winter, I am trying to take better advantage of the balmy weather and these newfangled mobile devices to get work done in alternative places, using alternative methods. The work is a bit different as well; I'm taking a hard run at some "digital strategy" topics, and forcibly breaking away from the manic focus on cost and productivity. Well, maybe "manic" is a…

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‘Three Types’ Revisited – Shades of Grey that Matter

There is a flaw in my simplistic story of the Three IT Archetypes - if/when someone points it out, I will openly admit it, but would also insist on a follow-up conversation. Strictly peer-to-peer [regardless of title], one part technique and one part philosophy - and preferably over a suitable beverage. The problem is the oversimplification - although the diagram hints at it, you typically need to point out that there will always be some overlap. eCommerce is a classic…

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When Asked a Simple Question, Give a Simple Answer

How much rigor does any decision really need? One clue might be to look at the number of significant digits you will be presenting. Say you are asked to present the cost impact of IT systems on a major acquisition or merger. Based on the context of the conversation - the macro-financials, the pay-back models, and the YOY growth plan for the next five years, you will probably be delivering a single slide that shows $20M in cost and/or benefits…

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