The present book is aimed at managers and executives who want to run their in-house information technology system according to the principles of proper business management (or ''corporate governance''), either due to regulatory requirements or for their own internal purposes. The discussion presented is based on the assumption that it is mandatory under the Corporate Governance Code for information technology managers to meet the key targets of sustainable, low-risk management of the company''s IT. Customer (dis)satisfaction with IT services and projects provides another important perspective on this issue; the customers we discuss are mainly company management and it`s divisions. Anyone who has dealt with IT in their professional life will be familiar with the question of explicitly stated requirements and how they are fulfilled. But another issue arises again and again: the problem of fulfilling customers'' implicit expectations of IT services and projects, expectations which are never actually formulated. The book also explores this source of potential flashpoints. We further assume that client satisfaction with any IT projects and services will be strictly in line with the business requirements of the company in question. After all, any dissatisfaction will lead to unplanned additional expenditure for the company, and where an IT solution fails to fulfil functional business requirements this can have an impact on the business concept, and even lead to insolvency or the liquidation of the company. Such extreme outcomes are more likely for companies whose product or service portfolio wholly, or to a significant extent, constitutes value added through IT. In terms of managing a company''s information technology system in line with key corporate governance requirements, this book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the major corporate governance standards and regulatory frameworks. We conclude that there is a need for in-house IT governance frameworks, and show methodically where these regulatory frameworks fit into the debate on corporate governance. We then present the major IT governance standards and assess their suitability in terms of meeting the requirements most relevant to achieving good corporate governance. The result is a structural framework for the proper management of a company''s information technology. Only where employees possess the relevant skills can a company be sure that this structural framework will indeed be realised and exploited in a sustainable manner. We therefore discuss and evaluate the methods and concepts best suited to developing the skills of the management team and thus ensuring that the key requirements for a company''s information technology - achieving sustainability and minimising risks - can be tailored and implemented effectively. We conclude with a competency profile for the management team derived from the results of an empirical survey. This can then be used to set the direction of travel, to adapt to the specific situation and to implement good corporate governance in relation to internal IT. Managers within the IT client company and the IT service provider are asked the same questions. The results will come as no surprise to anyone with business experience, yet this pointed approach enables clear conclusions to be drawn from the findings. Overa ll, the book takes a holistic approach which is worthwhile, if not required reading for all executives and managers who aim, as in all other traditional business areas, to operate their company''s information technology system strategically in line with good business practice and thus safeguard or even increase the value of their company.

Fontys Venlo - Publication of Applied Sciences