Saturday, March 23, 2002

 
Posted by Mike Tarrani 9:17 PM
Reading Material. I'm still writing my next entry that addresses the service level objective layer in the Tarrani-Zarate Model. In the interim I want to provide some background material on business imperatives. It's a sad fact that too many IT professionals do not fully understand or appreciate the importance of business imperatives. Sadder still is the fact that many who have the title business systems analyst lack the understanding and appreciation. The books I've listed below will go a long way towards filling the understanding and knowledge gaps that exist:

• Internet Commerce Metrics and Models. This book is an encyclopedia of metrics that business process owners care about, and a compendium of advice for measuring them. Don't let the title fool you - this book is as applicable to bricks and mortar businesses as it is to e-commerce sites. I can assure you that reading this book will give you insights into the minds of the business process owners for whom you exist to serve, and will impart a good appreciation of business imperatives.
• Measuring the Impact of Your Web Site. Not only does this book expose the key metrics, but it also provides a methodology for gathering and analyzing the metrics. The methodology steps you through gathering raw measures, consolidating them, developing assumptions and approximations, then performing impact measurements. This book will not only give you insights into the business and what is important, but will also give you a methodology that can be employed for technical analysis within the IT domain. For example, these business techniques are also the basis for measuring IT effectiveness, service level attainment and other performance areas. Of course the metrics for IT are going to be different than the business metrics given in the book.
• Financial and Process Metrics for the New Economy. More metrics, but from a financial perspective with coupling to process performance. I won't rehash the specifics because you can read my 28 August 2001 review on Amazon.
• Ecosystem: Living the 12 Principles of Networked Business. My 10 September 2001 review covers the reasons why I am recommending this book. Also, in light of recent posts by Kate Hartshorn on complexity and perception I am going to revisit this one myself. The book has a lot of depth and provides deep insights into the business side.
• Web Business Engineering. I saved the best for last. This book is one of the top five I read in 2001, and has everything to do with business imperatives and little to do with technology. Both Linda and I reviewed this book and I cannot improve upon what Linda said in her 16 September 2001 review or what I said in my 14 September review. If you only buy one book this is the one to get.