senior managers increasingly talk of, and are urged toward, the strategic use of IT.
This means doing new things, gaining a competitive edge, and becoming more effective,
Rather than using IT merely to automate routine operations, do existing things better,
And perhaps reduce the headcount. However only 16% of organizations used over four
criteria on which to base their evaluation. Cost/ benefit was used by 62% as their
predominant criterion in the evaluation process. The survey evidence here suggests that
organizations may be missing IS opportunities, but also taking on large risks, through utilizing
narrow evaluation approaches that do not clarify and assess less tangible inputs and benefits.
There was also little evidence of a concern for assessing risk in any formal manner.
However the need to see and evaluate risks and ‘soft’ hidden costs would seem to be
Essential, given the history of IT investment as a ‘high risk, hidden cost’ process.