ITPM's Two Roles
ITPM helps bring IT and its clients together. Clients--meaning other departments--interact with IT through requests and status updates, while IT uses these products to determine which projects are feasible from a financial and resource perspective.
In a scenario we created for this article, using our fictitious midsize manufacturing organization NWC Inc., the company's customer-service department requested a way to improve its customer-facing order-entry system. IT's client, the customer-service manager, used the ITPM products in our review to enter a request for just such a project.
Once the client did her part, the IT manager put together scenarios for two projects that would meet the business's needs: upgrading the existing order-entry system or implementing a new one. The IT manager gathered data on new hardware and software costs and on all labor hours required to implement, deploy and manage the existing and new systems. Further, the manager used the ITPM products to weigh the risks, such as implementing new technology and even vendor viability, based on NWC Inc.'s specific concerns for each factor.
After the data was entered, both parties could compare each option's total cost and staff capacity. The IT manager could then determine which project would best meet the client's needs and fit the budget--just as a fund manager for a 401(k) would determine which investments best fit his clients' needs.
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