Information technology (IT) is a fundamental capability that defines how a company runs, but a question that needs to be asked is "where is the value in all that spend?", according to Doug Busch, CIO of Intel.
Delivering a keynote address at the Oracle AppsWorld event in London, Busch was discussing how an organisation can maximise its return on IT investment.
"The big question that is asked is how can we measure the real value delivered to a business by its IT systems that have been installed over a number of years?
"It`s about building value over time and the accumulated value of the systems put in place over a period of years. A good example is the ongoing benefits of e-mail, which provides for the dissemination of corporate information, and enhances both local and global productivity.
"The true value of something like this is only realised when it is gone. How badly was the corporate world hamstrung when the e-mail system was nearly brought to its knees by the Melissa virus?" asked Busch.
He said this view can be applied to a number of key IT issues, such as wireless network connectivity, strong security, business analytics and widespread mobility. These are all issues that would cost an organisation far more to do without.
An organisation needs to balance its business needs and its search for new technologies. A good company, said Busch, still keeps a focus on its IT capabilities, whatever the state of the business at the time.
"The ideal that any company is searching for is one of improved business value and improved IT efficiency - that is the true sweet spot.
"I suppose my key message is that - if you have seen the way things have changed over the past two decades - you now have the opportunity to change the way you think, the way others think and maybe even the way society thinks, so don`t stop on the threshold of change. Instead, accelerate."
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