For those concerned with skyrocketing IT expenses, this book can show how to take control and make more effective use of IT. The text provides a basic, practical framework for understanding the economic issues of information as well as some suggestions on how a company's IT efforts may be appraised.

The rapidly increasing level of expenditure on information technology in most organisations is one reason why IT benefits management has become an important business concern. Top management have begun to insist that much more attention be paid to the economic aspects of information systems. This had led to a great demand for a comprehensive IT metric. However, little attempt has yet been made to produce a complete approach to understanding the economics of how information is used to boost the efficiency or effectiveness of companies. The Effective Measurement and Management of IT Costs and Benefits provides a basic framework for an understanding of the economic issues of information as well as some suggestions as to how a company's IT efforts may be appraised. The authors discuss a number of different evaluation concepts as well as reviewing several approaches to cost and benefit measurement. An IT Assessment Metric (ITAM) is proposed which allows firms to measure their progress towards obtaining maximum value from their information technology efforts.