More productive IT

Companies can simplify their approach to building IT infrastructures—and boost IT's productivity by as much as 30 percent.

 
In recent years, companies have worked hard to reduce the cost of IT infrastructure elements such as data centers, networks, and software. Yet even the most effective cost-cutting program eventually hits a wall: the complexity of the infrastructure itself. The root cause of this complexity is a build-to-order mind-set whose consequences include incompatible assets, limited flexibility, and slowed times to market.

 
There is a better way. Rather than custom-craft the infrastructure, some leading companies are adopting an off-the-shelf model: they assess the needs of their users, and their IT infrastructure groups create portfolios of reusable services. Developers can then fill their IT requirements much as you might shop through a catalog. Automated processes and technologies, somewhat along the lines of a factory, ensure that orders are filled in the most effective way. Although this approach requires major organizational changes, the business benefits are significant: reducing complexity, eliminating redundant activity, and boosting the utilization of assets can make an IT infrastructure 20 to 30 percent more productive, generating far greater output and enhancing flexibility.

To learn how to make the transition, read "Managing next-generation IT infrastructure."