Many IT processes only use IT management software. Only a few have ventured into other management methodologies such as Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma.
So far, the only T organizations and CIOs that have applied Lean Six Sigma to their IT processes include those at Bank of America Corp., Sara Lee Corp., National City Corp., Xerox Corp., GE, and Seagate Technology LLC.
These organiziations have shown that IT processes can be defined, measured, analyzed, improved and controlled in a way that helps align projects and assures business results – the Lean Six Sigma way.
What’s the difference when you have Lean Six Sigma way your IT processes?
The following are traits of poor IT portfolio management practices:
- Poorly defined processes
- More projects than capacity
- Poor visibility of what is being worked on
- Poor or no alignment to strategic objectives
With Lean Six Sigma:
- Focus on facts and data to prioritize and select projects and resources.
- Establish roles, responsibilities and accountabilities driven by performance data.
- Link and align business goals to project goals (driving the businesses closer to software and IT functions).
- Require frequent review of performance data and supporting analysis.
- Refuse to accept redundancy, overlap and poorly prioritized projects and resources.
Read the whole discussion here.
