Executive Summary

With annual revenues of $1 billion-plus, Station Casinos is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment in Las Vegas, Nevada. Station’s properties are regional entertainment destinations that offer various amenities, including numerous restaurants, entertainment venues, movie theaters, bowling and convention/banquet spaces, as well as traditional casino gaming offerings such as video poker, slot machines, table games, bingo, and race and sports wagering.

Employing over 10,000 people, the company currently operates 19 large and small casinos throughout the Las Vegas Valley. It also manages two Indian casinos, one in Northern California and another in Michigan. In recent years, the company has taken on several multi-million dollar investments, aimed at improvements to the flagship Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch Resort, specifically to upgrade various nongaming aspects of the properties such as additional restaurants and hotel rooms. The new $750 million Durango Casino and Hotel is scheduled to be opened on November 20 this year.

Ten years ago, Stations Casinos opted for Oracle Cloud as its preferred new computing solution. But for several years now, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation process had been beset by several starts and stops. The project had gone over budget and way past the target completion date. The basics of ERP implementation are planning, configuring and deploying an ERP. However, for Station Casinos, from the very beginning things started going wrong mainly due to a lack of total organizational commitment which compromised all other aspects of the implementation project.

The first lesson is that if a successful ERP implementation is to be achieved, an organization must fully commit to it. This means finding the trusted staff or individual group of resources to coach and guide people through the process. When necessary, also bring in external counsel to advise the in-house teams through planning, implementer identification, statement of work (SOW), and project management because it will save the organization a significant amount of time, stress and most likely, money. At one point, you could describe the situation at Station Casinos as organizational defiance or noncompliance. On other hand, in respect to the company’s most recent challenges concerning ERP implementation, no one could have foreseen the Covid-19 pandemic.

  Implementation of Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM)

Executive Summary

This particular Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) Program was launched in 2017 to specifically establish Governance of IT Hardware, Software and their relationships within an Ecosystem. This decision arose because of the problem of ‘an incomplete and out-of-date asset inventory which impaired the ability to protect the systems, manage Information Technology Operations and control costs. This was the company’s second attempt at SACM.

IT services are made up of many individual components including servers, software and middleware. SACM is like a warehouse supervisor and much more. The program automatically caters for the managing, reporting and auditing of the relationships and attributes of all of these components across every service in a given IT infrastructure.

In the context of SACM, an asset is something that has financial value with a depreciation rate attached to it. It has a cost and an organization uses it for its asset value calculations. However, it doesn’t have a direct impact on delivering services. Assets can be buildings, switches, routers and so on.

On the other hand, a Configuration item (CI) is a subset of service assets. These have a direct impact on delivering services. All servers, networks and applications that have an impact in day-to-day operations are known as configuration items. A building is an asset, but not a CI while a document is a CI, but not an asset. A SACM system basically oversees an up-to-date and verified database of all assets and CIs which are made available to other service management processes.

SACM uses a Configuration Management System (CMS) which contains one or more Configuration Management Databases (CMDB). The CMDB is a database that contains information associated with a CI such as supplier, cost, purchase date, renewal dates for licenses and maintenance contracts and other related documentation.

At the start of the SACM program, it wasn’t known exactly how many assets there were. However, today they are monitoring 163,000 physical and virtual devices within the enterprise.  We have 15,000 software components and 7.6 million asset relationships.  This information was not available at the onset of this program.

With SACM in place, there has been a huge improvement in life cycle management.  The hardware asset management and software asset management and the configuration management teams are now tightly integrated. For instance, in the past, they really didn’t do a very good job for the retirement of an asset whenever it would come to its natural end of life.  But today that is not the case. They are really focused on monitoring the assets that are within the system. These are assets that are either actively used or are sitting on a shelf or in a lab or somewhere else. But the difference now is they know exactly what these assets are, where to find them and why they exist. 

Before IBM decided to change our continuous planning approach to target setting, in the past, we used something referred to as demand-based planning. This involved analyzing, evaluating and projecting the future requirements of users within an IT environment. It is basically an IT supply-chain management model to help IT administrators and managers to predict what IT resources will be needed to meet the demand. It meant going out and talking to the teams and in the process, they request all the funding that they think they are going to need or not. This includes not only their base spending, but anything else that is part of their transform spending, perhaps in the middle of a business case, or new work that they are starting to kick off. However, due to the cast-in-stone nature of this approach, the demand-based planning model is not supported by changed spending trends or exit rates and carries with it significantly higher amounts of planning workload. It also drives additional work in developing roadmaps to close gaps. Another notable disadvantage was demand-based planning or the bottoms up approach model encouraged teams to come forward and ask for materially more money than they actually can spend or need to spend. More importantly, there is little or no flexibility for teams running on tight budgets to purchase new technology, scale up and expand operations as a direct result of the changing circumstances of the business. However, Continuous Domain targeting helps us to be a little bit more flexible with the changing business needs. What we did this fall, was to switch to this model which is based on the exit rate. So, based on our fourth quarter (4Q) target and what we already knew was part of each team’s baseline spending, we took the targets from there and then projected them forward. This changed approach provides a more realistic updated view of what the teams really think they are going to spend and gives managers greater financial control of projects throughout the year, regardless of how these are executed. The target model approach also gives the Chief Information Officer (CIO) better headlights into spending and facilitates improved prioritization and optimization.Before IBM decided to change our continuous planning approach to target setting, in the past, we used something referred to as demand-based planning. This involved analyzing, evaluating and projecting the future requirements of users within an IT environment. It is basically an IT supply-chain management model to help IT administrators and managers to predict what IT resources will be needed to meet the demand. It meant going out and talking to the teams and in the process, they request all the funding that they think they are going to need or not. This includes not only their base spending, but anything else that is part of their transform spending, perhaps in the middle of a business case, or new work that they are starting to kick off. However, due to the cast-in-stone nature of this approach, the demand-based planning model is not supported by changed spending trends or exit rates and carries with it significantly higher amounts of planning workload. It also drives additional work in developing roadmaps to close gaps. Another notable disadvantage was demand-based planning or the bottoms up approach model encouraged teams to come forward and ask for materially more money than they actually can spend or need to spend. More importantly, there is little or no flexibility for teams running on tight budgets to purchase new technology, scale up and expand operations as a direct result of the changing circumstances of the business. However, Continuous Domain targeting helps us to be a little bit more flexible with the changing business needs. What we did this fall, was to switch to this model which is based on the exit rate. So, based on our fourth quarter (4Q) target and what we already knew was part of each team’s baseline spending, we took the targets from there and then projected them forward. This changed approach provides a more realistic updated view of what the teams really think they are going to spend and gives managers greater financial control of projects throughout the year, regardless of how these are executed. The target model approach also gives the Chief Information Officer (CIO) better headlights into spending and facilitates improved prioritization and optimization.

Executive Summary

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak and the subsequent restrictions on movement and physical contact, there has been a rising interest in how virtual reality (VR) can help enterprises re-imagine the workforce. As a trendsetter, VMware created the Virtual Reality Work Service Initiative. This is a merging of advanced 3D technologies with programs that meet the demands of a modern global enterprise workforce. The goals are many and include delivering immersive learning opportunities and improved visual storytelling. In a nutshell: the ability for colleagues to experience different office environments without needing a physical office and unparalleled flexibility for team collaboration.

The company has been researching this space for a while now.  This joint presentation with Jai Chen, our Product Manager for Augmented Virtuality (AV) Innovation, sums up some of the research we have been doing for about two years. But more importantly, it shares some of the things that we have learned together in the partnerships that we have made across the business, to make headway in this space. AV and VR are the two principal types of immersive technologies and share many of the same qualities. VR is an interactive, computer-generated depiction of a real or artificial world or activity while AR is a real-world view with additional, computer-generated enhancements.

Jai (who is wearing her headsets) is a gamer, so she loves the VR space. Together, we want to show you how we are leveraging VR to connect distributed teams.  We feel that it is going to be a space that really has a pivotal role in the future work environment.  We will talk about on-boarding and training and finally about how we are going to insert this technology into some workflows and cite some examples of leveraging VR across enterprise.

Today, much of the onboarding done by businesses requires new employees to go through the physical process of acquiring the knowledge, skills and behavior that would make them fit into the team. Obviously there is plenty of moving up and down as well as time and money spent in getting it done right. VR can change all that. We can create the appropriate experience, which provides the necessary information that can be communicated in an immersive 360-degree environment through video content, images and multiple types of interactions.

When applied to training, VR can create the circumstances in which employees can train and make mistakes safely without feeling unduly pressured. Instead of building expensive real-life scale models, you can design virtual environments and conduct various simulations to test your employees more frequently. Using an immersive simulation means the training becomes more practical and more cost-effective.

The VR experience opens up vast opportunities for business re-organization;  a chance to rethink how work is done as well as how businesses relate to and engage with their customers. When used as both a marketing and customer service tool, VR opens new possibilities for showcasing products and services. In the manufacturing industry, VR can also help with a wide range of factors notably increasing productivity, reducing training costs and increased availability of new products to market.

The research and development in VR lies squarely within VMware’s scope of business. The company is a leading dynamic global workforce of the future; one where people can work from any location that accelerates their productivity to deliver the most innovative solutions for their customers. The goal of enterprise VR is to offer participants a nonintrusive experience—one that comes as close to an in-person meeting as possible—from anywhere, such as a home office. However, there is a greater benefit beyond limitless locations—community. VR enables enterprise teams to socialize and interact as if they were together in a physical space, even more so than video conferencing. Remote members don’t feel like outsiders, and every participant has an equally satisfying experience that deepens relationships and accelerates productivity.

Next Generation Compute Platform

(United Parcel Service IT Vision 2023)

Executive Summary

United Parcel Service, better known simply as UPS, is the world's largest package delivery company based out of Atlanta, Georgia with operations in 220 countries. Founded in 1907, the company prides itself as a premier provider of global supply chain solutions with the tagline: Customer First. People Led. Innovation Driven.

During 2020 and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, UPS delivered 6.3 billion packages, on the back of a rise in global B2C volumes as a result of a surge in consumer e-commerce. Amazon is a major client.  UPS logistics services include transportation, distribution, contract logistics, ground freight, ocean freight, air freight, customs brokerage, insurance, and financing. The company manages a fleet of more than 500 planes and 100,000 vehicles, along with many hundreds of sorting facilities, to deliver an average of about 22 million packages daily to residences and businesses across the globe.

Due to the nature of the business and emphasis on speed and reliability, UPS has several automated processes along with other applications that for instance integrate tracking, rating and address validation and all done in a real time.  Investment in Information Technology has been a major contributing factor for greater efficiencies.

Carla Maier, the Director of Cloud Platforms and Technology at UPS oversees the public cloud strategy, the PCDM (Public Cloud Design Management) group and the private cloud remote operating environment with the extension of the private cloud, Linux systems, managing file transfer and the UPS container platform.

The company is now in the process of gearing up its IT operations to the Next Generation Compute Platform and implementation is already underway. The UPS IT 2023 Vision envisages an organization that is agile, customer-focused, curiously innovative, technical and diverse to become an inclusive group that enables the Smart Logistics Network. It will solve complex business problems, deliver business value and support the growth of the enterprise in a secure, compliant and ethical way.

Executive Summary

The concept of an operating model can be defined as a new way of running an organization that combines digital technologies and operations capabilities in an integrated, well-sequenced way to achieve improvements in revenues, customer experience and costs. This requires that an organization undergoes a transformation and that means changes have to be made.  

Mention the word ‘change’ and for most people, it triggers off alarm bells, creating an uneasy sense of fuzziness about the future. In this presentation, Human Considerations during Operating Model Changes, we are going to Un-fuzzy the future. It relates to my experience with trying to get change through an organization. Change is hard-- we all know that.  People get sort of set in their ways. They have a comfortableness with the status quo and getting a team, a large team, to address change and to jump on board, is hard.

For the purposes of this presentation, we will begin by appreciating the importance of learning from history then tackle the psychology of change and the need for switching mindsets. In the second part, we discuss organizational culture; the values and beliefs that define an organization and why it is not easy to rid people of the common disclaimer, ‘we’ve always done it this way’. Finally, we end with what is involved in the Framework for Organizational Change Management (OCM) Strategy.

Executive Summary

Organizations use the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solution to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, human resources, procurement, project management, risk management, compliance and supply-chain operations. The Cloud ERP system runs on a vendor's cloud platform as opposed to an on-premises network, allowing organizations to access these packages over the internet.

Charly Paelinck, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Station Casinos, has gone through the implementation of six ERPs and freely admits each one of them has been a ‘horrible’ experience. In his own words: “By the time I am done, it feels like I’m worn out, the organization is worn out, everybody hates each other, we can’t remember why we did it and then like six months afterwards, we are kind of glad we did it and we slowly start forgiving each other. And that is what they have all gone like. And I swore these would go differently and it hasn’t. I thought I would walk you through the mistakes I have made and the very few things I still believe in.”

‘The 6^th Dance’ is a case study of those mistakes, largely brought on by a lack of full participation from those who should be the most invested in the successful outcome of the projects. Without first establishing clear project direction, scope and structures, the chances of later encountering significant problems can only increase exponentially which is what happened here. It also highlights the fact that every implementation comes with its own distinct problems; another reminder that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-for-all. Each implementation is like dancing to a new tune.

Executive Summary

When a company chooses transformation into cloud computing to enjoy a more exhilarating operating experience, keeping costs down at every step of the way is an overarching consideration.

That exhilaration is something like taking an elixir, defined as a magical potion that prolongs life indefinitely, adding some zip in computing that was perhaps absent before. Farhan Shah founded Elixr.ai to offer this experience to Digital Workforces that adopt Progressive Cloud and Financial Controllership.

Moving company applications and data to cloud platforms presents a huge challenge, the bigger the company the more complicated the task. You don’t want to lose anything in the process or find yourself hamstrung by vital applications being suddenly inaccessible. A progressive cloud framework is the best way to structure a cloud security evolution program and ensure data in cloud is properly secured. By progressively moving into cloud rather than making one big jump has proven to be a more effective way for companies to reduce their transformation budgets.

However, money is best spent when you know exactly what you want. Although the company CFO has to come up with the financing, the final decision to adopt cloud has to arise from a consensus about the cost benefits envisioned across the board. Everybody has to be in sync. Granted, you can bring in cloud, but then find all you are doing is moving the cost from a depreciated capital expense account to pure expense and at that point you are actually paying more.

Supported by input from the CTO and the CIO, the CFO has to embrace the cost benefit analysis (CBA) so that everybody gets it and avoid a situation of moving money from the right pocket to the left pocket, with nothing tangible being gained or accomplished from the transformation.

The bottom line is that in order for private cloud, public cloud or legacy to work one has to step back and come back with an altogether new series of architecture for the company. Top management has to ask itself: where exactly is the business going, then work backwards to develop a target state architecture, engineering architecture, security architecture and data architecture and then below that the hybrid cloud. The hybrid cloud would be a mixture of computing, storage and services made up of on-premises infrastructure, private cloud services and a public cloud.

A Progressive Cloud and Financial Controllership approach needs a clear-cut plan so that you can implement a transformation that fits the purpose rather than merely going into cloud just for the sake of it.

Executive Summary

Loews Corporation is one of the largest diversified companies in the United States, with businesses in the insurance, energy, hospitality and packaging industries. Loews is focused on long-term value creation for its shareholders underlined by conservative financial management.

After an extensive process of due diligence around the future state of IT at Loews, in early 2018, the Loews executive committee accepted a proposal to adopt Cloud First as a basis for a full IT transformation of company operations. Server consolidation to a cloud system was seen as key in achieving this objective. However, in order to guarantee maximum positive impact and gain greater efficiencies, the transformation had to be simultaneous, taking in changes to people, process, software applications and infrastructure. Herb Hofmann, Vice President of Information Technology, was given the lead on the project. He was assisted by Shanth Subbiah, Senior Manager Business Solutions, the rest of the IT Leadership team and - other outside consultants. The executive committee had only one question: can it be done? Hofmann said yes.

Top on the agenda was to collaborate, conceive delivery support and reliable technology solutions to maximize Loews’ investments through operational excellence. Change is frequently disruptive. The IT department were consistently open and honest throughout the transformation process. Credit also goes to the Loews HR department and the close working relationship it had with the IT team at every step of the way. This helped ease tensions during the subsequent months of the conversion.

Today, all company applications needs are sourced from Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud providers. Overhead costs have also been reduced by introduction of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept which has improved both worker mobility and productivity. The functions of the company’s data center were also moved to the cloud.

Loews is a fundamentally different company from that of 2018. The impact of adopting Cloud First has been that Loews is a leaner, more agile and responsive business, more able to optimize emerging investment opportunities and enhance the bottom line of those subsidiaries already on board.

Executive Summary

VMware is a US-based service provider for cloud computing and virtualization. The company focuses on streamlining the journey for organizations to become digital businesses that deliver better experiences to their customers and empower employees to do their best work. The software product range spans App Modernization, Cloud, Networking and Security in addition to Digital Workspace.

The CEO sets out the top priorities for the company and the company aligns itself with those priorities. From time to time, there are some Research and Development (R&D) priorities that the IT department gets involved in; either setting up product or developing new platforms as a result of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A’s).  For a fast-paced business-like VMware, tracking your spending and seeing where the money is actually going is critical, because it allows you to judge whether it is being spent wisely or not.

The main goal of IT financial management (ITFM) is providing an organization with an accurate and complete view of spending for all IT resources. ITFM is based on traditional enterprise financial and accounting best practices to ensure compliance, such as mandating documentation of expenses and requiring regular audits and reports. However, ITFM methods and practices are adapted to address the particular requirements of managing IT assets and resources. At VMware, IT plays a pivotal role. During any planning phase for new investments or priorities, the IT department is closely involved because it is crucial to know how the stated objectives affect the capacity of IT to deliver the desired outcomes.

Understanding all underlying IT costs and effectively applying cost recovery methods tends to be daunting from both organizational and practical standpoints. Spend Management in IT is another area, which most running companies eventually run across. Organizations that come across a scaling problem struggle to keep a dual management system that focuses equally on running the current tasks and launching new projects.

For instance, if a business is spending 80% of its resources on the day-to-day tasks of generating products, serving customers, etc; may not have enough resources to start new projects. Or they might focus on bringing a change by introducing new components of the business or improving older modules; in such a case, the existing business may suffer as it gets side-tracked. It is quite a vicious cycle.

The concept of Run and Change is not essentially a new approach to managing the two verticals as a business. However, its popularity and efficiency remain fresh for many companies. The concept of run and change is so highly desirable because it is simple, universally applicable, and still highly effective. Very briefly, the concept suggests that all activities in a company should be divided into two principal components of Run and Change. Run, which refers to the day-to-day, planned business activities, and daily operations underlying transparent processes. On the other hand, change refers to new projects and working with uncertainties or the lack of information.

By studying the run and change model and the best practices of cost recovery as well as spend management used by global and leading company Chubb IT, organizations can get a better idea of the real-world applications and the nuances associated with financial management and fostering the dual-track management system of Run and change. Aligning relevant practices of spend management with different allocation methodologies, the right structure of governance, and stakeholder relationships, spend management software tools can offer a foundation for any organization to forge its own spend management strategies. It often comes down to the executive table to drive the decisions of the IT company and not the business driving the decisions of the stakeholders. It is often more about searching for the right amount of complexity and simplicity, reinforcing control at the level of the organization and the business with clear underlying principles. Additionally, maintaining basic concepts of negotiating for resources, structuring solid business cases, withholding the right structure of stakeholders, worker productivity, upgrading spend management, and allocation tools must be respected in a viable IT finance management strategy that an organization may embrace.

Executive Summary

This report is focused on a healthcare organization in operation today.  As the teams manage and plan their capital projects, they are working to create the next generation of medical office buildings.  Rather than mere buildings, however, this is being planned with overall company strategy and vision in mind: to redefine and evolve the healthcare delivery system to a patient-centric, efficient, integrated experience.  Technology is at the core of many of these efforts, and building in the technology infrastructure as a central part of these facilities is only the beginning.  By analyzing what this company is doing, other organizations can learn valuable lessons about the factors and considerations that go into successful planning for their own capital projects, especially from an IT and IT finance standpoint.

Executive Summary

IT budgeting has always been something of a challenge.  Setting up a standardized structure and method of cost reporting and accounting is one of the core functions of a modern IT finance organization.  Making a budget useful and valuable, instead of a chore, is an entirely different level of challenge.  Done correctly, however, it can provide valuable insights, savings opportunities, efficiencies – and ultimately lead to better business success – for your organization.  Following some core principles for streamlining the IT budget process, based on the experience of some of the largest IT-driven companies around today, provides an excellent model that you can adapt and deploy for your business. 

Respecting that every company is different, and their structure, existing processes, and related details can vary considerably, it’s not useful to prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach.  Rather, stressing key principles that lead to better budgets is seen as the best approach.  These principles include setting a budgeting timeline; developing processes that respect and build on existing architecture and organization; projecting and managing both run and growth or transformation initiative portions of an IT budget; an understanding of different major categories and approaches to budgeting that can come into play, such as project-based portions, operating expense portions, and so on; the need for training, tools, and documentation to make things run smoothly; and an ingrained concept in the organization that budgeting is an ongoing management process, and not a “once-and-done” each year exercise. 

By successfully adapting these principles to your IT and IT finance organization, to the extent practicable for your business, you can arrive at more accurate, better budgets, in a more standardized way, with good quality data and stakeholders invested in the outcome of the process.  Ultimately, that leads to realizing all of the financial, planning, governance, managerial, efficiency, opportunity, competitive, and personnel-related benefits that derive from a streamlined IT budgeting process. 

Executive Summary

Many organizations are receiving a push, or multiple pushes, whether from senior management or line employees, to move as much of their IT portfolio as possible into the cloud or ‘as a service’ model.  While there are definite benefits that can be realized by doing so, any decision to migrate any portion of your portfolio should be based on sound business and financial rationales.  Proper analysis of the cost and benefits that can be provided to your organization, and whether or not such a move would be appropriate, is the only way to justify such a move, and, consequently, to realize the maximum potential benefits for your organization and stakeholders.  Looking at the cost, flexibility, and performance implications, as well as the short- and long-term financial implications of such a move, will enable IT and IT finance professionals to avoid jumping on the bandwagon for its own sake, and best position them to reap the cost savings, efficiencies, and increased capabilities associated with a move to the ‘anything as a service’ paradigm. 

Software as a service (SaaS) has rapidly overtaken traditional software licensing and purchasing to dominate the software costs of most companies today.  Yet, like traditional software purchasing, it can be a challenge to bill out and allocate costs to the relevant business units within your organization.  SaaS has made this a bit easier in some respect, with a greater level of granular detail available on usage for most products and platforms.  Still, a coherent SaaS billing strategy is needed within the IT finance organization or CIO’s office, in order to align spending and billing with overall corporate objectives and principles.

By studying the SaaS billing methodology and associated principles used by world-leading tech company IBM, organizations can get a better sense of the real-world applications and considerations associated with SaaS billing.  This is often more helpful to studying purely theoretical or hypothetical frameworks.  Aligning the relevant types of SaaS agreements with the appropriate billing methodology, along with understanding the pros and cons and role of each of three primary methodologies themselves, can provide the foundation for any organization to craft their own SaaS billing strategy.  It often comes down to searching for a balance between simplicity and complexity, organization-level and business-unit-level control, and aligning responsibility and transparency with core organizational principles.  Additionally, basic concepts like negotiating power/economies of scale, worker productivity, and managing overall budgets and spending must be respected in any viable SaaS billing strategy that an organization may adopt

The industry-wide transformation to a Software as a Service ( SaaS) model means it is more important than ever to break down the traditional silos and barriers between development and operations (service/delivery) personnel in IT organizations.  By adopting a Production Readiness Program, VMware has created a means by which teams can gauge the maturity and production readiness of their service, working together to achieve better results.  Bridging the gap between development and operations can be achieved with this or similar processes, built upon a harmonized “build and operate” model.  Self-assessment, the development of KPIs and metrics, increased transparency and visibility, honest self-reflection, and greater cross-functional communication are the results of the process, and ultimately feed into ensuring the best-case outcomes for development and operations teams, with tangible quality, time, and cost savings in the long-term as a result.  

 Application Modernization  

TJ Shembekar, Director, IBM Global Financing IT

Executive Summary

The thought of modernizing a portfolio of dozens of legacy applications can be quite daunting.  Many major IT organizations are faced with just such a challenge.  With proper business buy-in, some planning, and a good theoretical framework, however, the process of application modernization does not need to be onerous.  In fact, it can provide significant benefits to the business, both from an IT perspective and end user perspective.  Relying on hybrid cloud, containerized application models is key.  Decomposing existing mainframes into APIs and microservices, and removing user interaction from the mainframes directly, are equally important.  Developing a strategic plan and priority list, with input from your IT teams, is often the best approach.  If properly executed, these efforts can yield substantially increased system resiliency, improved uptime, zero downtime maintenance windows, greater development and deployment cycle speed, and increased flexibility in capabilities and feature enhancements, all leading to improved business performance and results.

This effort was recently started at IBM Global Financing, which we will examine as a case study in the principles of application modernization, and how they can be applied with today’s existing technology and systems architecture.  

Executive Summary

Security and risk management play a disproportionately large role in the IT expenses of many organizations today.  They present meaningful and real challenges for IT professionals and businesses as a whole.  The current model that exists in many organizations is one of an ever-increasing security expense – as new challenges and threats emerge, more money and more personnel to combat them are required.  This model is unsustainable in the long term.

Rather, the best approach is to strike a meaningful balance between security and risk management on the one side, and expenses and budgets on the other.  This means a comprehensive dialogue needs to take place, with good communication among all the relevant stakeholder groups.  Senior management, boards of directors, and shareholders need to be able to understand the risks, and provide guidance as to what level of risk is acceptable, and what risks must absolutely be mitigated.  IT professionals need to work with business units or sectors to understand their challenges, and ways in which the risks associated with doing business can be reduced or eliminated.  At the same time, the people element cannot be neglected, and sufficient, well-trained personnel need to be developed to understand, identify, and combat emerging threats and security risks.

Ultimately, security needs to be a part of overall investment strategy and decision-making.  Many of the trends that exist in the IT industry today present security challenges – the move to cloud storage, infrastructure-as-a-service, software-as-a-service, and so on.  But these challenges can also be excellent opportunities to build in additional security and mitigate risk for your company or organization.  Security and risk management needs to be a comprehensive part of all aspects of IT and business decision-making, and encompasses everything from architecture to regulatory/compliance policies to software and application purchase decisions.  This, too, is how risk can be managed, without exploding security expenses and budgets. 

Finding efficiency and value stems from defining and understanding risks, communication with all stakeholders, and determining actions, policies, purchases, and investments that can help reduce or eliminate risks, while providing and improving stakeholder experiences, system functionality, and capabilities.  This holds true with new and emerging technologies as well, which hold great promise for improved security and risk management, but also introduce new and unforeseen risks at the same time.  Balance is about weighing risk against reward, or expense against likelihood and effect, to find an optimal harmony.  You will never mitigate all risk, and there will always be risk that is unforeseen.  As an IT professional, the goal is to mitigate as much risk as possible, manage the risk that cannot be mitigated, and do so for the least amount of security-specific expense possible, without creating unnecessary burdens, policies, or hurdles for business units to succeed. 

 One of the classic challenges for IT finance is to manage the investment portfolio, particularly with regard to making the best choices and decisions, accurately forecasting and projecting benefits and costs over the long term, and adjusting or course-correcting based on results.  There are many different ways to approach this task, from a highly distributed business unit-level led and owned responsibility, up to a centralized, enterprise-wide management process and responsibility.  The latter has been extremely beneficial as the end state of a decade-long transition at IBM, allowing the company to realize significant cost savings and efficiencies.  The processes that have been utilized, and the principles underlying them, can easily be extended to apply to other organizations, including those of varying size and operational structures.  Implementing business case evaluation processes with associated tool support, securing consistently provided inputs and metrics from both the CIO and business organization stakeholders, and complementing that with a robust, ongoing process to manage, monitor, and adjust those investments will optimize decision making and enterprise wide financial returns.

 Public vs. Private Cloud Hosting Analysis

Jennifer Bishop, UPS

Executive Summary

The current trends in the IT world are for companies to shift their mainframe or cloud hosting operations from in-house or private data centers to public hosting options.  The primary benefit of this trend of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is supposedly financial, with a lower overall cost to the organization than when handled in-house/privately.  But is this true?  Companies should periodically refresh their run rates regardless, and through that process, can develop metrics and data to validate or inform their public vs. private cloud hosting decisions. 

While every organization is different, accurate accounting of costs, and allocation of those costs to appropriate applications or user groups, is essential.  Refreshing rates and re-examining cost models can help ensure the accuracy of this data.  From that, changes in system utilization and lifecycle amortization can be developed, alongside a shift to more accurate means of measuring infrastructure usage.  This data is essential for providing the basis and incentive for applications and user groups to right-size their usage.  It also forms the basis of developing cost packages that can be aligned with the offerings of outside, public hosting services, in order to complete meaningful comparisons.  This will ultimately provide the verdict on the public vs. private cloud hosting decision for your unique organization.  

 Executive Summary

Kaiser Permanente, like many large organizations, is incredibly complex.  The structural, financial, and regulatory complexities translate into higher costs and greater challenge for IT expense management, and squaring the IT and business viewpoints.  The mission-critical nature of health care and related industries is also a challenge for associated IT organizations, both due to the heavy influence of legacy systems and the can’t-fail, always-on nature of much of the IT infrastructure.  This can ultimately lead to a great deal of pressure between the IT side and business side in these types of companies.

However, efficient and effective collaboration can be achieved.  First, IT needs to develop a strong partnership with finance.  This is especially important in complex organizations, due to many layers of structure and somewhat obscured financial controls, leaving the IT department both responsible, and at the same time not entirely responsible, for their spending.  Then, finance can serve as an intermediary, acting as an educator of both the business side with regards to costs, and the IT side with regards to business benefits.  Ultimately, this can create the kind of IT, finance, and business collaboration necessary to control IT spending and make decisions that are in the best interest of the company as a whole.  By engaging the business side in some responsibility for IT cost management, it creates a vested interest in seeing IT spend being effectively deployed. 

Once everyone is on the same page, projects and purchases can be evaluated as a group, with an open dialogue between IT, finance, and the business units.  This dialogue extends upward through senior management as well, incorporating the overall plans, strategies, and objectives of the company as a whole.  Through manipulating levers on the overall curve governing cost – complexity, investment, rates, and volume – the group can collectively find the solutions that optimize results at the lowest possible costs.  But it all starts with a solid relationship between IT and finance, and an understanding of the cost drivers of the organization.  Through management of procurement, business discipline, and better planning, the IT-finance and business relationship can ultimately serve as the vehicle for realizing cost savings, reducing or containing IT expenses, and making the best, data-driven decisions on IT solutions that meet business needs without breaking the bank.

 Transitioning to an Agile environment is a challenging proposition for many IT development organizations. However, in today’s world, many companies see it as a necessary change. Provided that there is a sound rationale for doing so, a transition to Agile can unlock increased productivity, better teamwork, streamlined funding, happier employees, and better overall organizational results. The transition process itself can be difficult, however, with increased employee turnover, decreased productivity in the short term, and employees who struggle with finding their roles in the new structure.

Data Analytics and AI

Tim Jackson, CIO, Diamond Offshore Drilling

Executive Summary

The 2010s have been a period of dramatic change for a lot of businesses and industries, particularly those that have flourished in an analog, mechanical world for quite a long time.  Transitioning these companies to a data-driven business model, and properly leveraging the data that your business creates, can make the difference between success and failure in this environment, and position your business for success in the future as well.  This can be accomplished in many ways, with the underlying goal being to streamline and gather data, put it together in a coherent way where it can be analyzed and managed, developing tools to provide visibility and monitoring for decision-makers, defining KPIs and adopting Lean or similar methodologies for operational improvements, and embracing the possibilities presented by artificial intelligence.

In this report, we’ll take a closer look at how data analytics and AI are being used to transform an example business, Diamond Offshore Drilling.  Specifically, we’ll look at three key initiatives that are part of the data transformation of the company – risk-based asset management, operational improvements, and data analytics – and how they provide meaningful lessons that other IT professionals can apply in their businesses and markets.  We’ll also review the logical extension of these efforts into the predictive technology and capabilities available with AI and machine learning, and discuss some of the challenges and problems that still need to be overcome in this emerging yet critical part of modern business IT today.  

NetApp’s Embrace of Current Trends in IT; a CIO-Practitioners Point of View

Bill Miller, SVP and CIO, NetApp

Executive Summary

The present era across the IT industry is one of immense change.  There are numerous trends taking place that will doubtless make or break many IT organizations and IT-enabled businesses over the next several years.  In order to be successful, it’s critical that IT professionals fully comprehend these trends, and develop insights into how their peers within the IT world are addressing them.  These insights will provide the critical information needed to develop a plan for your organization to capitalize on these trends; not only to survive, but to fully thrive.  In this context, we’ll look specifically at how one major technology player in the data management industry, NetApp Corporation, embraces these current trends, and how that company is leveraging them for their business.  Specifically, we’ll consider challenges that most IT organizations struggle with, including application portfolio management and rationalization, the rise and potential of AI and Machine Learning, Automation, and the rapid shift towards Next Generation Data Centers. The data center of the future comprises a mix of public hyperscaler clouds and private clouds that will dominate the way we operate into the 2020s. More importantly, according to the NetApp CIO, in the data center of the future, there is no center of data. 

-          * Image from Gibson PPT (Slide 6)

-          ** Slide 10

Topics:

·         IBM Spending Charging Methodology Overview

·         “Local” IT Spending Charging Methodology

·         Application Development and Maintenance – Application Services

·         Infrastructure and Provisioning Service Delivery

·         New Service Design 

 Executive Summary

 Developing the Right Cloud Model for Your Business

Mike Brady, CTO and Transformative Technology Executive

Executive Summary

Cloud hosting is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for businesses today.  The traditional IT model has become obsolete.  But many businesses are unsure as to how to move to the cloud, what steps they should take to prepare, and what cloud solution is right for their business.  This can be a challenging and daunting task, even for the most well-resourced and knowledgeable IT leadership.  Finding the right model or mix of cloud hosting styles, along with the right host, can make or break the transition process.  It can have a profoundly negative effect on your business if you get it wrong, and a correspondingly positive effect on your business if you get it right.  It all relies on developing a vision for cloud hosting in your business, and determining the destination for your IT organization.  This can be accomplished through several logical steps and tasks, which will ultimately make the process of finding the ideal cloud options to fit your needs easier to handle, and will help ensure a positive outcome.

The modern digital world is full of threats of every shape, size, vector, and type.  Businesses and organizations, and particularly the IT groups within businesses and organizations, need to guard against threats from both outside and inside.  Too often, insider threat risks are overlooked, until a major negative event occurs.  Rather than being reactive, a pro-active approach to managing and dealing with insider threat risks is much more effective.  Establishing some clear definitions of who insiders are, and what the threats are, is a necessary first step.  Addressing the four main buckets of insider threat risks – those from people, physical, process, and technology categories – is the next way to mitigate or prevent disaster from happening.  You’ll also need to address things like complexity (and trying to remove it where possible), analyze the risks from emerging technologies, and make meaningful changes to your organization’s culture in order to effectively guard against insider threats.  Finally, you need to know how to develop metrics with regard to insider threat risk, and use those metrics and other efforts to advocate for funding, training, and resources for your organization, to make the never-ending fight against threats of all types into one you can reasonably have a chance of winning.  

IT controls and risk management go hand-in-hand. Regulated industries with state, federal, and other regulatory agency requirements and regular auditing require a well-documented and well-thought-out control scheme for IT processes. This can be accomplished by adopting a standard IT Process, Risk, and Control framework, and building out processes, procedures, and accountability to align with both regulatory requirements and business objectives. Effectively managing risk via IT controls also requires a definition and assignment of responsibility and accountability within the personnel structure of the different IT groups or functions that exist within the organization. Change and issue management, and an aggressive, defense-oriented posture on the part of IT management personnel can help ensure successful management and mitigation of any issues that may arise. This serves the overall purposes of decreasing audit issues, generating and preserving evidence, ensuring system integrity, financial and personal data security, and reducing overall IT risk for the business organization. 

smaller, private cloud(s) for strategic and sensitive applications and data, with an overall move to approximately 90% of applications, storage, and computing power resting on the cloud in just a few years’ time. IT professionals can take advantage of these trends today by developing plans for their organization, to lead the infrastructure transition, and prepare for the architecture, application development, and service needs of the future infrastructure as a service, software as a service, and ultimately, IT as a service model. 

Fortunately, there are many things that IT finance and management professionals can do to combat this problem. Strong internal controls and governance, adjustment of contract expiry dates, minimum standards for procurement, robust vendor relationships for capacity, and a shift in how budgets vs. spending are managed, can all help reduce the impact of fourth-quarter investment activity. Likewise, innovative approaches such as allowing unspent funds to be “rolled over” into the next budget cycle can help reduce the “use it or lose it” incentive, and keep fourth quarter investment spending under control. 

 Cyber risks have continued to increase over the last several years.  Many companies that were previously paying little attention to cyber security matters have begun to wake up to the fact that data breaches from malicious actors, or data loss from internal failures, can both be devastating events, costing millions of dollars, lost productivity, lost sales, lost shareholder value, lost reputation, and in the worst cases, even forcing companies into the grave.

I 

 Milliken is a large, privately-held manufacturing company based in the United States. Despite over 150 years of operation, in 2013, Milliken’s IT organization was in need of some serious improvement. Roles, responsibilities, promotions, and compensation were inconsistent, not competitive with the market, and there was a general lack of clarity, transparency, or accountability for employees. Management was also stymied, unable to plan skill coverage or new hire profiles. Turnover was a consistent problem, and there was growing frustration within the company’s IT organization. A careful plan of identifying and analyzing these problems, and IT management working with HR and employees to define roles and responsibilities, benchmark salary data against the broader market, and other activities, ultimately resulted in a complete turn-around of the IT organization in just 3 short years. While the experience may be unique to Milliken, there are easily-adapted lessons from this case study that can be applied to other IT organizations of any size or style.

 Trends, fads, and hot spots are just as common in IT as they are in the rest of society. Understanding the trends of the past, trends of the present, and possible trends of the future is a challenge. However, studying this important topic, and the debates that rage within these trends, can better equip IT management and IT finance personnel to position themselves and their businesses for the best results and long-term success.

 Over the past century, the world has become more and more urbanized, with an almost endless migration from rural living to city living.  Different parts of the world have experienced this migration at different paces, with the developed world seeing the most massive shift, and the developing world poised to begin their journey along this same route.  This increase in urbanization presents a large number of challenges in the present and even more challenges as we move into the future.  Climate change, waste management, energy production, transportation and infrastructure, limited resources – the list of problems facing us as a species is large.  Current increases in urbanization have brought many of these problems to the forefront in cities around the world.  Continued urbanization and population growth could very well push some cities to the brink of collapse.  But this CAN be averted.  A fusion of technology and tech experts, innovation, private and public investment, engagement, political will, and intelligent planning can move us forward, not only by solving these problems, but by helping all of us to live healthier, more productive, happier, and ultimately better lives in the cities of tomorrow.

 Vendor Selection and Strategy for Infrastructure as a Service is based on a

 New Accounting Standards for Operating Leases is based on a Connect discussion.

 Executive Summary

 Senior technology executives need to be aware of best practices and attributes when searching for the best opportunity in the job market.  This report looks back at the role of CIO and its progression from the 1950’s through today.  Mark Polansky, Senior Client Partner in the Technology Officers Practice at Korn Ferry, highlights key factors in what makes today’s CIO successful, and what CEO’s search for in the hunt for top CIO recruitment.  

 In this report Bill Miller talks to us about the environment at NetApp specifically and in Silicon Valley, generally. It is a good read on where technology is moving from a manufacturer’s standpoint with most of the focus on the software. Bill also gives us a primer on CIOs and his perspective of the top five job requirements.

 Managing any company application portfolio can be a daunting task, but it is a critical one.  In the IMF Connect discussion,

several members discuss best practices for successfully overseeing the application inventory across platforms.

IBM is a company that has famously reinvented itself and turned around several times since their founding over a century ago. They appear to be in the midst of another outstanding turn around now. Moving a company of their scale with 380,000 employees in 177 countries must be extremely difficult but it is happening, and one key driver is the adaptation of Agile Processes. In this report, we cover Sean Reilley’s presentation from New York this summer on how IBM implemented Agile across the organization and the results of that strategy. 

Embracing the IT as a Service model offers many benefits and challenges.  It is typically delivered as a managed service with an IT services catalog and pricing associated with each catalog item.  IT Service providers focus on improving employee productivity, availability and profitability.  John Kennedy, Senior Director of Service Portfolio and Business Planning, Kaiser Permanente, elaborates on his own IT as a Service journey through the following Information Management Forum Report. 

 In this report, our good friend Ralph Quarles shares his thoughts on IT security in a pragmatic and understandable way.  Ralph has 30 years as a cyber security expert, most recently in the Federal Intelligence community and currently with Wells Fargo. I think you will find his approach to the subject to be understandable and enlightening.

The IT Finance and Accounting Training is a report based on a presentation given by Harry Bolton at the ITFM Fall meeting in September 2016.  Harry and his team led an effort to train UPS IT experts on financial management strategies and components.  In this report Harry details the process, the goals, and the benefits of the training.  

The Reinvention of McKesson’s Remote Hosting Business is a report based on a presentation given by Davind Maharaj at an IMF Forum earlier this year. The Hosting and Strategy Services Department at McKesson has recently taken a different approach to remote hosting services. Davind Maharaj gives readers an inside look at the process of reinventing this sector. He also explains why the change needed to happen in regards to McKesson’s goals, culture and customers.  

Retaining Top IT Talent is a report based on a presentation from the 2016 IMF Information Summit in Atlanta, GA. Brian Parks, an IT Director in the IT Workforce Strategy Department at USAA, takes us through his new recruiting process step by step. He gives us insight to some of the challenges that arise when looking for new talent, as well as solutions for narrowing down the best possible candidates for the IT Department. Brian and his team have transformed their hiring process into an effective and efficient system. USAA’s IT workforce hires approximately 250 of the 500 new employees annually. Having a productive hiring process is essential in such an expanding comapany, and USAA’s new employees reflect very well on the hiring strategies recently implented by the IT Department. 

IT Supplier Management and Governance is a report based on a presentation given by Brendan Woods and Kyle Chagnon at an IT Finance Managers meeting. Brendan and Kyle explain the strict, yet effective, supplier management structure at Travelers by sharing its framework. The model focuses heavily on supplier relationships and monitoring processes. Because of this framework, the supplier management division at Travelers was, is and continues to be successful. 

Deploying Agile and Measuring Throughput is a report based on a presentation given by Brad Gibson, Director of Finance and Operations at IBM, during the ITFM First Quarter Meeting in February. Brad explains the larger story behind IBM’s decision to transition fully to Agile and goes into detail when describing the logistics that come along with implementing significant changes.  

Command Center Best Practices is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on strategies for organizing andmanaging domestic and global command centers. Members participating in this Connect discussed the fundamental make-up of their command centers and shared their insight on best practices, strategies and procedures. 

Getting Ahead of the (Revenue) Curve is a report based on a presentation by Michael Bender, Chief of Staff to the CIO at VMware.In this report, Michael emphasizes the importance of IT’s role in revenue growth in the form of internally-made applications. He gives examples of innovations that both his company and others have created and explains the impact they have on businesses today. Michael reminds readers that building something for external users is a tactful strategy and has the potential to generate a large amount of IT revenue. 

Tech Bars: Are They Worth the Investment? is a report based on a presentation by Girish Israni, Controller in IT Infrastructure atVMware. Girish introduces the company’s newest workplace installation called the Oasis Center. This unqiue on-campus tech bar concept is revolutionizing the way VMware handles IT help desk mattres, including saving company time and increasing efficiency. 

SunTrust’s Innovation Programs is a report based on a presentation given by David Lee, Director ofInnovation Programs at SunTrust during the 2016 IMF Innovation Summit in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Lee shares how Innovation Programs aims to change culture and enables for all kinds of innovation to happen in every corner of the company. The team delivers a series of innovation contests, grassroots change programs and cultural exposure efforts to help people see the possibilities. Mr. Lee discusses why this model has been successful, examples of the efforts lead and lessons learned for future approaches.

Use of Dashboards to Drive IT Performance is a report based on an IMF Summit Presentation by Jennifer Pearce,Business Intelligence Team Lead at Milliken & Co. In this report, Jennifer explains how dashboards are beneficial from both an IT and business perspective by breaking down the system into categories. She expands on these dashboard categories, which include IT projects & Help Desk, Internal Phishing, Health Checks and Licenses & Assets. Examining each of these dashboards individually shows just how much data can be shared and easily accessed within a large company. The development of modern data collection tools has benefitted Milliken in a number of ways.

Mergers and Acquisitions – Managing the Transformation is a report based ona presentation given by                                       Michael Rimmey and John Dyson during the 2016 IMF Senior Executive Spring Roundtable in Orlando, FL. The two discuss how Lorillard Tobacco Company successfully managed through its own transformation into ITG Brands as a result of a multi-company acquisition/asset purchase agreement. They will share challenges of the transaction as it relates to IT governance, project management and infrastructure in addition to reviewing the critical success factors that guided a successful transformation. 

Rightsizing the IT Organization is a report based on a presentation given by David Sullivan during the 2016 IMF Senior Executive Spring Roundtable in Orlando, FL. In this report, Mr. Sullivan will walk us through Metlife’s organization and their efforts to have the right people in the right jobs and proper personnel counts to enable a flexible and agile organization. He will discuss their challenges in developing systems and balancing budgets against time to market.

Driving Agile Through the IT Organization is a report based on a presentation given by Rick Bankes, Vice President, Information Technology, FGL Sports and Mark’s (Divisions of Canadian Tire Company) during the 2015 Fall IMF Senior Executive Forum in Coral Gables FL. Mr. Bankes shares how his company adapted analysis and architecture to drive agile across the organization, not only in application development but in multiple functions.

The Real and Anticipated Benefits of the IBM – Apple Alliance is a report based on a presentation from the IMF Senior Executive Spring Roundtable in Orlando, FL. Fletcher Previn, VP of Workplace as a service at IBM, shows readers how the new alliance aims to redefine the way work gets done and sparks a true mobile-led business change. He speaks on the unique IBM cloud services optimized for iOS including the new class of more than 100 industry‐specific enterprise solutions.

Internal Private Cloud Operations is a report based on a presentation given by Brian Smith during the 2016 IMF Senior Executive Spring Roundtable in Orlando, FL. Smith shares the growth VMware has experienced over the past few years in terms of its private cloud. The organizational structure and timeline are detailed in addition to tips and tricks for implementing a successful private cloud.

The Transformation to a Leadership Development Experience is a report based on a presentation from the 2015 Fall IMF Senior Executive Forum in Coral Gables, FL. With more than 208,000 staff worldwide, PwC invests heavily in staff development. Craig Brice, Director, UK/US IT Enablement, takes readers through the innovation behind developing high-quality staff. Brice discusses the difference between millennials and non-millennials in addition to detailing PwC’s new Leadership Development Experience.

 Service Desk Best Practices is based on an IMF Connect discussion. In this report, members share their experience using various service desk and self-support services and discuss how ITIL and analytics play into the service picture. Members also converse over best practices and discuss what gives a person VIP status regarding help tickets.

Ethical Decision-Making and Leadership is a report based on a leadership discussion given by US Naval Academy Captain James Campbell at the IT Security Summit in Annapolis, MD in June 2015. 

Captain Campbell presents on how ethical decision-making is a core component of organizational leadership. The report features case studies as a basis for interactive discussion. He asks “What’s right, and how do you decide?”

IT Cost Transparency: Journey and Lesson Learned is a report based on a presentation from an ITFM quarterly meeting. The presenter shares how her company adapts to ever-changing technology, their implications on IT, and chargeback opportunities and challenges. She also speaks about the importance of accountability and good data.

Building a Business Case for Analytics is based on a presentation from an ITFM quarterly meeting. In this report, the presenters discuss their new enterprise analytics team that helps enable their company’s business areas through data and analytics. Their guidelines, benefits and master data management (MDM) discipline is broke down.

 

Business Value from MetLife’s New North Carolina Technology Campus is based on a presentation given by David Sullivan, Global RAD Vice President of Planning and Effectiveness at MetLife, during an ITFM quarterly meeting in May 2015. In this report, Mr. Sullivan examines the new MetLife campus located in the Research Triangle in North Carolina. Mr. Sullivan discusses what inspired the relocation and reflects on what made the new technology hub a success. 

The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity is a report based on two presentations given by Sheryl Hanchar, Director of Information Security for Broadcom Corporation at the IMF Senior Executive Forum and an IT Finance Managers Meeting in 2015.

Sheryl outlines the evolution of hackers and types of attacks, as well as highlights areas of significance in planning for and mitigating cyber attacks. She also shares ways companies can share intel to learn from previous hacks and put in place stronger security measures in preparation for the future.

Outsourcing IT at PwC is a report based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum presentation by Craig Brice, Director of US/UK IT Enablement at PwC.

Brice discusses the path to outsourcing and offshoring for PwC IT US, staffing challenges and opportunities, outcomes and results and future outlook for PwC US IT.

Over a period of years, PwC began the process by outsourcing ad hoc and moved to full outsourcing - multi-sourced with three vendors - in 2011.

This case study provides excellent background for others looking to outsource par of or entire IT functions.

Insourcing IT Within Canadian Tire Company is based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum presentation by Richard Bankes, Vice President of Information Technology for Mark's Work Wearhouse, a division of Canadian Tire Company.

Rick outlines the history of the company and its previous outsourcing agreements in two acquired divisions: Mark's Work Wearhouse and The Forzani Group Ltd. (FGL). Following the decision to insource IT, Rick outlines the process, its challenges and results of insourcing.

Benefits of Cloud Services for IT and Business is based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum presentation by Geoffrey Knoerzer, Vice President and CIO at Afni. In this report, Geoffrey leads a discussion on his organization’s work in cloud services, explores if cloud technology is beneficial for IT, and examines the risks and benefits of cloud services from a business perspective.

Geoffrey shares the steps his organization has taken to enter the cloud services space, and discusses the best early candidates for cloud deployment at the enterprise level as well as selecting and working with third part vendors for services, barriers to adoption, practical reasons to explore deployments, and future work in the cloud space.

Debunking Common IT Myths is based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum discussion led by Bill Miller, Chief Information Officer for Broadcom.

In this report, a group of IMF member companies debate the merits of several modern IT trends in an interactive IMF workshop.

Members participating in this discussion shared their experiences on:

• Cloud’s effects on modern IT, 
• Mobility, 
• Always-connected workforces, 
• Innovation in IT, 
• The role of ERP systems, and more.

 In this IMF Report, Michael Bender of VMware discusses:

• Attrition management objectives
• Competition for candidates
• Tools to attract talented workers
• Strategies for attrition and retention

The report is based on the presentation Michael shared at the IMF Senior Executive Forum held February 2015 in Laguna Beach.

Apptio Implementation Strategies is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on strategies for implementing Apptio IT finance management services. Members participating in this Connect discussed overall implementation strategies, timelines and implementation project length, project manager assistance, data connectivity, and more.

Risk and Security in Cloud Services is based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum presentation by Phil Hirschel, Director for IT Risk Management at PwC. In this report, Phil explores how cloud services have opened new opportunities to reconsider how IT supply chain risks are being managed.

Cloud Experiences: Workloads Matter is based on an IT Finance Managers group presentation by Jon Birdsall, IT Finance Controller at IBM. In this report, Jon discusses his organization’s work in the cloud, including cloud benefits for workload, the cost of moving applications to the cloud, and the transformation of the service portfolio to address new demand for applications using cloud-based solutions.

Showback and Chargeback Implementation is based on an IMF Senior Executive Forum presentation by Chip Ward, Director of Global Information Services at Milliken & Company. In this report, Chip discusses his organization’s implementation of a chargeback and showback process for IT services. Milliken & Company has created their system in a phased approach spanning multiple years. 

Best Practices for Creating a Multi-Domain Delivery Team is based on an IMF Web Forum presentation by Hans Eckman, GVP Security Services Workstream Manager at SunTrust. In this report, Hans explores methods for creating a capability based delivery team serving multiple business needs. 

Fraud Prevention through Detection Algorithms is a report based on an IMF Forum presentation by Trace Fooshee, Business Intelligence and Analytics Manager at SunTrust bank. In this report, Trace discusses the challenge of combating bank deposit fraud from a technology perspective, including the tools and procedures his team uses to catch fraudsters.

Strategies for Lync Implementation is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on the process of implementing Microsoft Lync communication services at a large scale, enterprise level. Topics discussed include utilizing third party consultants to assist in Lync implementation, performing the implementation in-house without outsourced assistance, support options for Lync services, online and classroom training options for administration, phased rollouts for new services, and more.

Apptio Implementation and Best Practices is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on the process of adopting and implementing Apptio IT finance management services. Members participating in this Connect discussed service costing, planning and forecasting, benchmarking, potential pitfalls in new and early implementations, reporting, customer access, improving communication between IT and business partners in terms of finance management, and the productivity, transparency, and financial benefits of a service implementation. 

Big Data Applications at Caesars is a report based on an IMF Big Data Forum presentation by Rizwan Patel and Brad Karnafel, IT Directors at Caesars Entertainment. In this report, Brad and Rizwan share details on Caesars’ new approach to big data and how an open source platform has allowed their organization to explore new avenues of customer service through an expanded big data presence.  

The Role of a PMO in an SAP Environment is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on best practices for project management, planning, and approval within an SAP environment. Members participating in this Connect discussed the scope of services an IT PMO manages in such an environment, how to determine the number of project managers needed to support an implementation, the types of governance mechanisms used to manage project intake and scheduling, and more.

Telecom Expense Management Solutions is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on managing enterprise wide telecom spend for wireline communications and mobile devices. Members participating in this discussion discussed telecom expense management tools, strategies for contract negotiation and management, procurement best practices, inventory management for devices and open lines, and more.  

Content Management and Sensitive Data is based on an IMF Connect discussion between IMF members on best practices and strategies for storing sensitive data and effective content management. Members participating in this Connect discussed scanning and storing old internal human resources documents, effective security processes for multifunctional devices, limiting system administrator access to content through encryption, secure search and discovery, and IT tools for effective content management.

The Case for Insourcing is a report based on an IMF presentation given at a 2014 IMF Senior Executive Forum by Mark’s Work Wearhouse and FGL Sports Vice President of Information Technology, Rick Bankes. In this report, Bankes discusses the change drivers that led to the decision to insource a large portion of the work performed by a number of primary and secondary vendors. He shares the approach followed to execute the overall change, and provide insights into the risks related to the completion of the strategy. 

IT Service Catalog Implementation and Best Practices is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the benefits of IT service catalog implementation, and best practices for planning and creating a robust, effective service catalog. Members participating discussed motivations for creating a service catalog, consultant assistance and outsourced vs. insourced implementation, tools for managing a new service catalog, the scope of initial implementations, the use of chargeback and/or showback in IT, and how the implementation of a catalog has affected internal IT operations. 

Using Lync in an Existing CallManager Environment is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the implementation of Microsoft Lync services, with specific interest in deploying those services into an environment with an existing Cisco CallManager infrastructure. Members participating in this Connect discussed performance issues, capacity, stability in mobile clients, comparisons between collaboration tools, best practices, and lessons learned.  

MDM and BYOD in the Enterprise is based on a presentation given at a 2013 IMF Senior Executive Forum by Allen Greathouse, Vice President, Enterprise Information Services for Harris Corporation.  In this report, Greathouse discusses effective mobile device management and Harris Corporation’s own experiences in implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) policy.  

Wireless and BYOD Best Practices is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of managing employee wireless devices and implementing bring your own device programs. Members discussed possible cost savings of such a program, security concerns and mobile device management platforms, attracting talent with innovative BYOD programs, limitations placed on deployed BYOD implementations, and stipends versus employee paid programs.  

Big Data Innovations at Caesars is a report based on an IMF Executive Forum presentation by Charly Paelinck, CIO of Caesars’ Entertainment. 

Macs in the Enterprise is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of the use of Macintosh computers in a large scale setting. Participants discussed steps necessary to begin offering Macintosh computers for users as alternatives to Windows machines, including infrastructure hurdles, user support, overall cost, security issues, and procurement challenges.  

Breaking Down Departmental Silos is a report based on an IMF Web Forum presented by USAC’s Brandon Lee, Director of IT; Rexhina Marjani, IT Application Delivery Manager; and Charles Dean, Manager of Applications Delivery. 

The Costs and Benefits of IT Service Catalogs is based on a Web Forum given by Ed Hayman, Technology Business Management Architect & Practice Director at Apptio. In this report, Hayman discusses the benefits versus the cost of implementing service catalogs for IT organizations.

IT Project Cost Modeling is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of IT project cost modeling. Members discussed project management issues that arise from the funding process, best practices and strategies for accurate forecasting, financial accountability and project ownership, IT finance management tools, project estimation, and managing and allocating funds for upcoming IT projects. 

Remote Server Virtualization Technologies and Strategies is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of servers that reside outside of the traditional data center in an effort to centralize infrastructure through remote server virtualization. Some of the topics discussed by the members on this call included budgeting for such a project, security, convincing leadership on the value of remote server virtualization, the possible timeline for project implementation, and the maintenance and depreciation costs of physical hardware.

Establishing an Effective Change Advisory Board is based on an IMF Connect discussion. In this report, IMF members share their experiences in the creation, and ongoing management of an internal change advisory board (CAB). Some of the topics discussed in this report include CAB ownership, strategies for increasing participation, reasons to establish set change schedules, standard changes, and tools that can be used to calculate risk level. 

Benefits of Internal Cloud Deployment is based on a presentation by VMware Senior Finance Director, Corporate Functions, IT and Operations Michael Bender at an IMF Senior Executive Forum. In this report, Bender outlines VMware’s internal transition from many segmented divisional data centers and technologies to one cloud service.

Bender discusses the cost savings of the effort, challenges faced, strategies for pushing adoption throughout the organization, and additional productivity and agility benefits found in adopting an internal cloud system.

Moving Enterprise Email to a Cloud-Based Platform is based on a presentation by American Red Cross CIO John Crary at an IMF IT Planning Forum in 2013. In this report, Crary outlines a massive Red Cross IT project to unify 40,000 users under a single cloud-based email platform for the first time in the organization's existence.

The American Red Cross successfully transitioned more than 40,000 staff to the Microsoft Office 365 email solution. This included users at national headquarters, blood services regions, and more than 600 chapter organizations. The effort consolidated more than 400 different email domains. 

Crary examines the benefits of going cloud, including improved services, features, and annual cost savings in excess of $1.5 million. He explains his organization’s approach to the vendor selection process and how to overcome several common migration obstacles. 

Hadoop Implementation Experiences is based on an IMF Connect discussion. In this report, IMF members share their experiences around Hadoop implementation at large IT operations, including planned and unforeseen benefits, recruitment and internal development techniques, and metrics for measuring implementation success. Members participating in the call discussed vendor selection, future Teradata use, data security and administration within Hadoop, benefits and known issues with the Hadoop platform, and metadata.

IT Finance Management Software is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of IT finance management applications, such as tools offered by Apptio, VMware, and Nicus and using those tools for expense transparency. Other members who use these tools participated in the discussion. Some of the topics addressed include resources assigned to the tools, community support, future updates, and the pros and cons of current available finance management applications.

Bridging Generational Gaps is a report based on two IMF presentations: one originally given by Global Information Partners Senior Consultant John Kennedy at a 2013 IMF IT Planning Forum, and a Web Forum presentation given by Principal Consultant Maggie Williams on the same subject. In this report, Kennedy and Williams discuss not only the new, rapidly growing generation of workers in their 20s and early 30s, but also the traits of every generation currently occupying the workforce and strategies for helping ever employee to work together.

Some of the topics discussed in these presentations include preventing generation clashes, the changing workplace demographic, and strategies for adapting management approaches for a new generation of employees. Kennedy and Williams discuss the importance of, the traits, and attitudes of Generation Y.

Telepresence Implementation at Loews is based on an IMF Web Forum presentation given by Bob Fields, CIO of Loews Corporation. In this report, Fields speaks on how Loews has successfully implemented Telepresence on a global scale across their diverse subsidiaries. Their slow and cautious approach resulted in a cost-effective, working solution on which the organization can grow and continue to develop.

Every organization struggles while juggling costs, compatibility, and vendor selection at some point in their videoconferencing efforts. Loews Corporation is no different – but their strategies managed to see a complex videoconferencing initiative through to success. Use Loews’ experiences as a guide for overcoming the struggle with expensive, complicated videoconferencing plans, and learn new ideas that can be put into action.

Using an ITIL Service Delivery Framework for Planning is based on a presentation by Allstate IT Service Manager Cathy Kirch at an IMF IT Planning Forum in 2013. In this report, Kirch, a longtime technical leader within infrastructure services, shares several strategies and best practices for the implementation of the ITIL service framework and the use of the framework around planning.

Kirch shares her thoughts around IT service management and how it should be approached, challenges that might be encountered, and proven practices based on years of IT service leadership. She discusses the benefits of ITIL implementation, roles, ITIL goals, and why service management is key to the future of effective IT.

Reviewing and Modifying Project Status Dashboards is based on an IMF Connect discussion. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of Project Status Dashboards, seeking efficient but effective methods of IT project reporting to organization management. Some of the topics discussed during the Connect discussion include best KPIs to track, proprietary dashboard solutions, closed and open dashboards, risk management, and tools for implementing digital project tracking.

Designing a Bring Your Own Device Policy is based on a Jan. 2014 IMF Connect. An IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of BYOD policies, strategies for initial planning and construction of a device policy and best practices for ensuring that a policy remains effective. Some of the topics discussed during the Connect discussion include policy scope, the types and operating systems of devices permitted under a BYOD policy, cost savings, restrictions, and policy evolution.

PCI Compliance Metrics is based on a Jan. 2014 IMF Connect.  A IMF member requested to speak with other members on the subject of Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance, including strategies for achieving compliance and metrics for tracking compliance projects. Some of the topics discussed during the Connect discussion included Qualified Security Assessor firms, alternative routes to PCI compliance, segmenting compliance tasks, and ideas for reducing the number of applications in-scope.

Transitioning to Tangoe Telecom Expense Management  is based on a 2013 IMF Connect.  An IMF member requested to speak with other members about the transition from Symphony telecom expense management software to Tangoe telecom expense management software. Some of the topics discussed in this IMF call included auditing, platform support, device tracking, reporting, and contract management. 

How Microsoft Tracks BYOD Policies is based on a presentation given by Christian Torres, Senior Finance Manager at VMware, during an ITFM quarterly meeting in Aug. 2013. In his presentation, Torres outlined a few approaches for an organization looking to tackle the ‘Bring Your Own Device’ dilemma. 

 Cisco ELA Best Practices is based on a Nov. 2013 IMF Connect.  A IMF member requested to speak with other members around audio conferencing technology trends. This includes Technologies as well as use of Company IP fabric (WAN and LAN) as carrier alternative to PSTN. They are considering migrating to a company wide IP fabric and are looking for best practices or experiences other have had. 

Big Data Implementation at Caesars is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Rizwan Patel and Brad Karnafel, IT Directors at Caesars Entertainment. In this report, Patel and Karnafel discuss the nuts and bolts of a massive big data technology project undertaken by Caesars Entertainment over the last year.

Big Data implementation can be challenging for any organization, especially one as large and diverse as Caesars Entertainment. Patel and Karnafel present their Big Data implementation approach, discussing strategies for how to overcome several obstacles along the journey. They also offer best practices and actionable advice based on their experiences in the Big Data realm.

Patel and Karnafel go into details on specific hardware and application choices taken by their organization, the thought process behind those choices and problems encountered as a result. Their experience serves as a guide for other organizations contemplating a similar move into big data processing, storage, and application.

The Insider Threat is based on a Forum presentation given by Ralph Q, a CIA Cyber Security Officer. In this presentation, Ralph focuses on the rise of the insider threat and its harmful impact on the CIA and other organizations alike. He explains that rigorous security vetting cannot singlehandedly thwart these clandestine attacks. His advice to other organizations – examine their users and the access they're given.

This report identifies specific groups of users at risk and provides solutions companies can use now to prevent, detect and mitigate the insider threat. The reader will learn about factors that contribute to the risk, allowing them to better manage their security measures. Other solutions include: creating a counter-intelligence center, automating actions, providing IT security training, providing cross-training opportunities and conducting rigorous log management, auditing and monitoring.

Security and Privacy in a Big Data World is based on a Forum presentation given by Dr. Flavio Villanustre, VP of Information Security & Lead for the HPCC Systems open source initiative for LexisNexis at an IMF Security Forum in Washington, D.C. in June 2013.

Big data is a relatively new and exponentially growing problem for modern enterprise. More user created content is being produced than ever before through social online services, and more devices are generating data every day. Companies must have effective processes and technology for processing and sorting this new influx of information.

How to Build and Govern a Security Operating Model is based on a Forum presentation given by Nalneesh Gaur, a director with PwC's health care practice.

Organizations are increasingly establishing the role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In fact, PwC's Global Information Systems Security Survey finds that 42% of the surveyed organizations have established a CISO role. Experience shows that the CISO role is not a purely technology oriented role; instead it is a role where the function must foster relationships with both business and technology.

 Lean Six Sigma: How Process Engineering Works at Verizon is based on a Forum presentation given by Kandy White from Verizon. The reader will get a comprehensive "big picture" look at Lean Six Sigma. There are five focus areas:

1. WHY do Lean Six Sigma?

2. WHAT is VLSS?

3. WHAT is the basic idea behind Lean Six Sigma?

4. HOW does Lean Six Sigma work?

5. Roles and Responsibilities

Based on Verizon's studies, companies often fail in their Six Sigma pursuit due to a lack of leadership support. This is why the company actively incorporates their credo into everyday communications. The credo plays an integral role in strategic alignment too, which is necessary to establish a rigorous framework for process improvement.

Read about the four pillars driving shareholder value: Revenue Growth, Operating Margin,  Asset Efficiency, and Expectations. Lean Six Sigma plays positively impacts those pillars through expense reduction. This is accomplished by platform consolidation, process improvements, and organizational realignment.

Take a brief but interesting look back at the rich history of Process Excellence and the Lean Six Sigma approach. Find out how it has shaped Verizon's current Lean Sigma methodology. Learn about the various process deployment roles, from VLSS Leader to Green Belt, and the levels of training these roles require.

Finally, we'll get into the process itself and how it works. This means looking at the three phases of work: value-added work, incidental work, and pure waste. Discover the differences between Six Sigma and Lean Sigma through illustrations and practical examples.

Enterprise Computing in the Public Cloud  is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Marty Smith, CIO of Implantable Provider Group (IFG).   IPG collaborates with Health Plans in partnership with Providers, Physicians, Manufacturers and Patients to develop market-based solutions that deliver tangible value in the implantable Device Benefit Management (DBM) space.  Assisting payers and providers with managing the cost of implanting a medical device into the human body, IPG has demonstrated saving healthplans over 20%.  

IT Security Succession Planning is based on a Forum presentation given by Lou Magnotti, Vice President of IT Services & Security, Pentagon Federal Credit Union.  Mr. Magnotti focuses on how security leaders in particular are facing challenges in attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel in the technical field of Information Technology (IT) Security/Information Assurance (IA).   These challenges are mostly attributed to a continuously rising compensation scale over the last decade and the overall competition for limited personnel resources in the field.

Enterprise Release and Change Management is based on a IMF Connect discussion led by Cathy Kirch, an ITSM Consultant.  Ms. Kirch has many years of experience with large enterprise implementations, specifically in the insurance industry.  This report highlights the current challenges organizations face throughout the process of migrating from the approval stage of change management to the endpoint of implementation, while proposing several solutions to best navigate the terrain.  The reader will learn that developing an agile, responsive management structure is imperative for success and can be achieved through mapping defined roles, standardizing onboarding and off-boarding, measuring metrics to justify and improve methods and utilizing intuitive application tools to facilitate a seamless transition. 

BA 2020: Creating a Discrete Vision and Goals to Transform Your Practice is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Hans Eckman, SunTrust GVP and Security Services Workstream Manager.  In 2007, SunTrust made a strategic investment to improve the business analyst capabilities within applications delivery.  In this presentation Mr. Eckman focuses on where SunTrust's BA maturity will be in the year 2020. 

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is based on a Forum presentation given by Kurt Lieber, VP of IAM and Large Programs at Kaiser Permanente.  Mr Lieber is responsible for assuring appropriate workforce identity and access for all of Kaiser Permanente by providing increased security, risk reduction and identity data protection.  This report highlights KP's current inefficiencies regarding IAM that is the result of a highly complex, manual and decentralized model.  The reader will learn that transforming access management functions to serve a centralized, automated and standardized model will benefit organizations in a number of areas.  Benefits of this initiative include: streamlining access to applications, enabling productivity and performance for future business needs, and efficiently address regulatory and compliance requirements.

Communicating IT Service & Value within the Enterprise is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Phil Malatras and Story Colling from Broadcom. The reader will learn about Broadcom’s current IT-Business alignment model and the pivotal role communications plays in its success. Good frontline IT communications leads to fast and efficient customer service response resulting in satisfied customers, trust, and credibility.

• Identifying and assessing your enterprise’s multiple audiences
• Choosing the correct combination of communication tools and channels
• Creating a plan and launch schedule
• Building messages and collateral
• Formal and casual feedback gathering techniques to ensure understanding

The Anatomy of Modern Malware Threats is based on a Forum presentation given by Morgan Gothard from Quanta Services. The IT Security landscape has changed drastically over the last few years. New vulnerabilities are being discovered every day and basic defense tactics are no longer good enough. 

Mr. Gothard gives you a comprehensive look at the six stages of a malware attack: Lure, Redirect, Exploit Kit, Dropper File, Call-home, and Data Theft/Destruction. Plus, he’ll reveal what makes today’s malware different from past versions. How can you avoid being the victim? Basic security measures still apply but this report will uncover new tactics and emerging technologies you can deploy to defend your organization. Some of the tools and activities we focus on include “anywhere” content filtering, virtual execution, network traffic replay, and mobile antivirus. 

Cost and Process Efficiency Gains Using RFID Technology is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Cisco’s Lynnee Jimenez. Cisco has employed RFID technology to improve the tracking of their fixed assets. In this report, you’re going to find out why and how they decided on an RFID solution. It was a cross-functional team effort that required careful planning, constant communication, and a consistent approach. Their hard work paid off too, earning them an award for “Best RFID Implementation” in 2012.

The report also provides an in-depth look at RFID technology and its supporting elements. There are several factors for deployment like location, obstructions, and mounting space. Learn how Cisco uses fixed RFID read points and takes advantage of handheld readers in certain scenarios. The tag designs themselves can make or break your RFID initiative. However, the lessons shared here will help make this a successful venture for your organization. 

Best Practices for Conducting In-House Telecom Management is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Jennifer Philage from Quanta Services. Jennifer is Quanta’s Wireless Carrier Program Manager. Mobile communication devices (cell phones, aircards, mifis) are necessities of everyday business. Without monitoring, the expense associated with these devices can prove to be much greater than originally budgeted. Ever changing usage patterns, employment status, outdated plans, and the management of such a program can overwhelm an office manager already burdened with a multitude of responsibilities.

• Structure and approach of establishing the initial program

• Preventative measures that can be taken to minimize and avoid high overages 

• Types of carrier provided data (exported from the carrier websites) that can be analyzed monthly for potential cost reduction 

Rural Sourcing: IT’s Onshore Alternative is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Monty Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton is the Chief Executive Officer of Rural Sourcing Inc. Rural sourcing is quickly picking up steam as a cost-effective alternative to offshore outsourcing. 

• What is “rural sourcing”
• Geographical breakdown of domestic sourcing providers
• How companies like IBM, HP, and ADP created jobs using onshore resources
• Four changing landscapes impacting the outsourcing industry
• Case study on cost comparison between offshore and onshore
• Four areas where rural and domestic sourcing has an advantage

Innovation in Cyber-Security Threat Avoidance is based on a Forum presentation given by John Holmblad. Mr. Holmblad is a Principal Information Security Services Specialist for the United States Senate. The U.S. Senate has recently re-competed their Cyber-Security Services contract. This enabled them to update their Statement of Work in order to reflect the current environment and threats. It also provided great insight into how the market for these services has changed since 2007. In this report, you will learn what to look for in a cyber-security services contract in terms of program management, SOC supervision, network security monitoring, and more.

• Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) overview
• Size and scope of SAA’s IT Operations
• “Five Stages of Attack” for Advanced Persistent Threats
• More sophisticated malware, i.e. W32.Flamer
• Cyber-security tools such as Intrusion Detection, Log File Analysis, SIEM, etc.
• Cyber-security services contract structure, including key performance indicators
• The contract solicitation process

Application Performance Management and Monitoring is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Rizwan Patel and Swithin George from Caesars. They play integral roles in Caesars’ IT Common Services Group. This report focuses on the group’s successful journey in influencing and implementing monitoring and management across Enterprise Services. 

• Composition of new monitoring framework and .NET application
• Filling in your monitoring gaps
• Enterprise monitoring initiatives
• Caesars’ vendor selection approach
• Application monitoring solution features like deep dive analytics
• Infrastructure monitoring solution features like inbuilt workflow management

Emerging Trends in Enterprise Storage is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Chris Bennett. Mr. Bennett is the Director of Enterprise Storage Services at Cox Communications. Approximately every four years, a disruptive technology shift occurs in Enterprise Storage Systems. This report focuses on how these new technologies are impacting storage environments. You’ll read about the effects on Operational scale, scope and practice. The following technologies are highlighted:

• FCoE / Converged networking
• SSD / Flash
• Automated workload management
• Reducing the disruptive nature of data mobility
• Converged storage (file, block, object)

• IT competes by investing in transformation
• Virtualization
• Traditional vs. Converged Networking
• Manual vs. Automated Data Placement
• Federation and global scale
• Data protection
• The advent of Big Data
• Massively scalable modern storage systems
• Organizational shifts around Big Data and IT Consumerization

Cyber-Security and Intellectual Property Protection is based on a Forum presentation given by Geoff Aranoff. Mr. Aranoff is the Chief Information Security Officer for Broadcom. This report looks at strategy and tactics for securing advanced computing environments to protect against malicious threats. There’s an emphasis placed on intellectual property (IP). 

• Same threats, different applications
• Cyber-attack facts and figures
• Possible compromise through mergers and acquisitions
• How IP protection helps your cyber-security strategy
• Broadcom’s Information Security program
• Elements of IP protection, including basic and advanced techniques
• Creating a “cyber-focused” strategy

Digital Cities, Open Data, and Applications is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Dr. Jonathan Reichental. Dr. Reichental is CIO for the City of Palo Alto, California. We have reached a point in the U.S. where reinventing how local government is delivered is not only necessary, but also possible. This is the result of significant new technology capabilities available in communities. The City of Palo Alto is leading the way in exploring and building completely new ways of delivering services and engaging civic participation. Their vision is to build and enable a leading digital city. 

• Local government’s challenges in 2012
• Organizational structure of a digital city
• The benefits of asking “why?”
• Doing things differently in a “new world”
• Case study– local collaboration leads to quicker results
• Scaling solutions and open data in action
• A lean startup approach emphasizing the basics and speed

Secure Cloud Computing: Resources to Assist with Vendor Assessment is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Steve Martin. Steve is the IT Security Manager for Lorillard Tobacco. Data stored within the Cloud presents unique challenges to information security. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain whether or not a cloud service provider has implemented security controls that align with an organization's security strategy and compliance efforts.

• Cloud deployment and service models
• Data residence considerations
• Data breach laws
• Bringing data back from the cloud
• IT security audit standards
• Cloud Security Alliance resources
• STAR Registry
• FedRAMP
• Shared Assessments

Successfully Managing a Multi-Year IT Initiative is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Rob Beistline. Rob is the Transition Leadership Team Lead at Milliken & Company. Companies attempt a number of initiatives every year and many of them are abandoned for various reasons before completion. Others may be completed with less than predicted outcomes, culminating in countless time, money, and energy lost trying to resolve the situation. 

• Milliken’s challenges reasons behind selecting a SAP solution
• Five steps to a successful multi-year implementation
• Project team composition
• Developing a realistic implementation plan
• The SAP project roadmap and Milliken’s ERP five year layout
• Change management responsibilities
• Importance of end-user ownership and how to improve it

The Benefits of Upgrading to Exchange 2010 is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Bryan Steward. Bryan is a Senior IT Manager for the Office of the United States Senate Sergeant at Arms CIO Division, overseeing System Architecture and Integration. This report takes a look at the Senate’s recent upgrade to Exchange 2010. 

• The Senate’s design goals for Exchange 2010
• Comparison of  old and new Exchange environments
• Considerations and selections for Exchange 2010 storage, archiving, and architecture
• Migration approach
• Exchange 2007 and 2010 solution overviews
• Why storage design still matters
• Importance of planning roles carefully
• Determining the right balance between virtualization and consolidation

Driving Business Value Through Technology: Historical Lessons and Future Implications is based on a Web Forum presentation given by Mark Guidi, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy for LPL Financial. Throughout history, societies have demonstrated time and time again how technology can be a strategic advantage. In the modern world, that same premise holds true for businesses. This report focuses on the three main components of technology: Innovation, Adaptability, and Quality. 

• Ancient China’s Song Dynasty and their innovative contributions
• Modern innovation
• How Ancient Rome improved a civilization by adapting
• Apple’s “innovation” vs. “adaptation”
• Globalization’s effect
• Quality unlocks value
• Looking ahead at technology in the mobile, virtualization, and video spaces
• Business and societal implications
• Education is key

From Waterfall to Agile: One Company's Journey is a report based the Web Forum presentation given by Diane Martin and Mary Rasmussen from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Agile software development practices continue to gain popularity in the IT industry. Is agile really the silver bullet? According to the Standish Group's 2011 CHAOS Manifesto, agile projects are successful three times more often than non-agile projects.

• Overview of agile and its values
  

• Scrum basics, including roles and meetings
  

• USAC's IT organization pre and post agile implementation
  

• Establishing new metrics for agile development
  

• Lessons learned from USAC's agile transition
  

• Future outlook 

Visual Analytics and Information Visualization: Bringing Your Data to Life is based on a Forum presentation given by Dr. John Stasko from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Investigators have an ever-growing suite of tools available for analyzing and understanding their data. While techniques such as statistical analysis, database queries, machine learning, and data mining all have benefits, this report explains how visualization can add much needed benefit to the mix.

Visualization brings capabilities for exploring data when one does not know which questions to initially ask. The report looks at why visualization is so powerful, how it helps people in data analysis, and provides some provocative examples of visualization techniques and systems. 

Innovation with Big Data and Total Cost Ownership is based on a Forum presentation given by Dr. Flavio Villanustre from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. It looks at how Big Data and a Big Data processing platform helped transform LexisNexis Risk Solutions from $0 to $1.4 billion in 10 years. There is a case study presented showing that Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of Big Data can catapult innovation, product delivery, and overall competitiveness in your organization.

This particular case study focuses on acquisition integration and includes ways to cut costs while increasing your capacity to scale for growth and innovation. Readers will get an in-depth look at the technology involved in LexisNexis’s High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) Systems and the benefits of this platform.

Building a Future-Ready Digital Government is based on an IT Innovation Forum presentation given by Adrian Gardner from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Nobody can deny that the global mobile landscape is rapidly changing. As a result, Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel declared 2012 as the "Year of Mobile Government." This report details the complex approach involved with becoming a more future-ready digital government. You will read about the three strategic layers of this approach: presentation, production, and information.

Mr. Gardner provides great insight on how to make your organization more information and customer-centric while placing high value on innovation and collaboration. The report then shifts its focus to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and the role it plays in a Bring-Your-Own-Device model. There are specific examples used from Mr. Gardner's experiences with NASA and Goddard in order to illustrate key points related to those concepts as well as Mobile Device Management.

• How to gain upper management buy-in

• Demonstrating the benefits of the service
  
  
•  ROI measurements
  
  
• Technologies used for Application Integration
   
• Size and reporting structure for an Application Integration team 

• The relationship between the Fraud Team(s) and your company’s leadership team

• Pain-points regarding fraud and how to work through them

• Balancing the need to have fraud prevention with other business priorities

• Measures of success

• Technology and tools used in a fraud prevention strategy

• Core CBA selling features that promote further investment in the Fraud Team(s)

This report takes a look at the implementation and success behind the award winning technology, Project Central, a software application designed by PNNL Information Management Services. It provides a central service-oriented framework for managing project lifecycle information from beginning to end.

This is a sample benchmarking report put together by The IMF's Managing Director of Information Exchange, Caleb Masland. It focuses on 3 areas of study: Intel & MidRange Servers, Enterprise Storage, and Mainframes. 

This is a sample benchmarking report focusing on Application Development.

This report, “Soft Skills and Their Place in Project Management,” is presented by Dr. Sandra Slaughter, a professor at Georgia Tech. It talks about the skills needed for effective project management in global software projects. While project managers need technical, domain, and project management expertise, they also need “softer” skills like practical intelligence and cultural intelligence to effectively manage global project teams. The report discusses what these soft skills are and how they can be utilized for better project management. Also included in the report are project examples and a case study Dr. Slaughter and her team performed.

This report covers the development of an on-line, real-time Graduation Requirements Tracking System and a Recognition and Participation Tracking System that is available through Gettysburg College’s PeopleSoft ERP. These newly developed systems replaced a paper based systems and ended up saving 2000 fewer hours in data management. Included are some of the process changes as well as successes that came about along the way.

Managing the security of critical information has proven a challenge for businesses and organizations of all sizes. Even companies that invest in the latest security infrastructure and tools soon discover that these technology-based “solutions” are short-lived. Attackers are constantly changing their tactics and strategies to make their attacks and scams as damaging as possible. This report covers 10 key information security activities your company may want to be aware of come the New Year.

In moving from head of infrastructure to head of Enterprise Architecture for Cox Communications Tom Guthrie had many challenges. He built a very pragmatic model to assess the opportunities for improvement and moved quickly into the implementation phase. This report will discuss the challenges he uncovered and the perspectives he gained in the new role.

This report centers around the success Verizon has had with its Student Mentoring Program.  Several Verizon employees walk through the steps that were taken to establish the program, some of the issues and concerns that arose and are ongoing, and how both the students and mentors were coached to ensure a meaningful and healthy mentorship was created.

This report focuses on the business perspective and impact of transitioning to an outsourced managed services model for the support and development of the Firm's financial systems. You will see how IT managed the transition, the impacts to the Finance organization and the changes the Finance PMO has had to implement in order to support the new model.

Over the past three years, project management at LexisNexis has played a key role in the integration of Choicepoint into LexisNexis.  From migrating to new platforms, sun-setting technologies, to bringing DR in-house, the last few years have been significantly challenging. This report details some of those key milestone migrations and how Project Management assisted in transition management.  

Collaboration among project management teams has become increasingly important as more and more companies turn to virtual teams, accommodating multiple locations in various geographical areas. Difficulty with communicating, working together, and producing high-quality, on-time results is typically heightened by distance. This report will reveal some best practices in collaboration among remote teams and explain some of the challenges associated with virtual teaming.

This report is an introduction to best practices in deploying ITSM performance metrics. Irrespective of tools available, it will guide you to move from being in a constant state of fire-fighting to a more productive, proactive state with metrics.  

Collaboration among project management teams has become increasingly important as more and more companies turn to virtual teams, accommodating multiple locations in various geographical areas.  Difficulty with communicating, working together, and producing high-quality, on-time results is typically heightened by distance.  Andrew Filev, CEO at Wrike, Inc., has successfully implemented best practices in collaboration among teams. This report shares some of the challenges and success associated with remote collaboration. 

 

IT Innovation is costly and, even though the ROI is not always readily apparent, it must be done to move the business forward. What are some of the strategies used by successful, innovative companies? In this report documents some of the methods Disney uses for communication to cut back on costs. This includes videoconferencing and an interesting look into the growing popularity of telepresence. 
 

Srinivasa Kalapala, Senior manager of Enterprise architecture spoke on the growth and implementation of enterprise architecture at Verizon. He will touches on the challenges faced in planning and designing enterprise applications that are spread across business and geographies as well as developing architects to think at enterprise level.

Over the last few years, a greater emphasis has been placed on separation of IT duties across all IT functions, especially security.  Most organizations are now realizing responsibilities must be assigned to individuals in such a way as to mandate checks and balances within the system and minimize the opportunity for unauthorized access and fraud, among other things.  But, how does a security organization do this while ensuring all security needs are met and the process runs effectively and efficiently?  This report will discuss the benefits and challenges created by these separation of duties, as well as how their organizations have addressed security issues.

The Service Catalog is the heart of the Front Office of IT which enables key Front Office processes such as Service Portfolio Management, Demand Management and Financial Management. Together these capabilities enable an organization to experience a broad range of benefits from rationalizing services to optimizing demand to controlling service consumption and managing fulfillment. This report will explore these concepts in more detail with practical examples.

Dr. Michael Hitson, whose academic work and research centers on team leadership within virtual environments, offers a presentation centered on leadership process and methodology within virtual teams who are oftentimes transitory in member orientation.

Designing a company’s IT and Business strategy is a familiar task for many organizations, but managing to that strategy proves to be another feat in itself. Chris Corrado, Senior Vice President of Technology Products at Asurion, will discuss how his organization designs and executes using an enterprise architecture methodology. He will also lead us through the design of a proper and scalable operational platform which reaches across all aspects of the business including IT to support and guide revenue growth. 

Manzella and his team are leading an effort to drive innovation through a deeply traditional, risk-averse corporate environment.  He will discuss how they have utilized social media and ideation technologies to engage employees in an effort to shift the culture from one focused on incremental operational improvements to one where disruptive change is explored and embraced early. Manzella will share the successes, lessons learned and continuing challenges of Allstate's journey to transform itself.

There was a time when vendor management was simply contract negotiations and finding the best price for the best solution.  With the emphasis on running core operations in many companies the role of vendor manager  has evolved into a critical role in managing strategic assets of the organization.  One must build a relationship with the vendor, understand the vendor, and work to ensure they understand you you become a strategic partner with your organization.

In the first quarter, member initiated connects revolved around web mail solutions, severity levels of incidents, and corporate mentoring programs.

In order to improve its existing processes, one IMF member was interested in exploring how other IT organizations defined their severity levels of incidents reported. This organization already had a service desk process in place, and though it what been working well, the organization desired to reassess the process in order to adjust to changing business requirements.
Another IMF company was interested in beginning a corporate mentoring program for high school students. The organization already had an internal mentoring program in place, but wanted to design an external program to help youths in their community. They also wanted to examine challenges that are often encountered, legality, and other best practices for establishment of these types of programs.

As an organizational improvement, another IMF Connect involved a member company sharing their experience of migrating from Microsoft to a web mail solution. Key drivers for this change were driven by cost savings and scalability. Currently, the organization is still in the process of completing the transition.

We encourage all members to review active connects on a regular basis for opportunities to leverage knowledge and experiences from other IT experts. If you are interested in initiating a connect, please visit our website: www.theimf.com
 

Ron Baklarz, CISO at Amtrak, provides insight into the role of the CISO and discusses his particular experiences with the different facets of responsibilities while during his time at MedStar Health. In his presentation, Baklarz presents the CISO role in three main categories which include: "Chief Risk Officer," "Chief Hacking Officer," and "Chief Investigative Officer."

Enterprise architecture is typically driven by business strategies. The company needs to know where they are going and how their dynamics are changing. Once the strategies are clarified, that is what drives enterprise architecture and enables business strategy. Alignment ensures tight linkages between today's business strategies and technology priorities and initiatives. It also focuses on where IT can deliver the most impact and where it can deliver impact to the business.