Making the Invisible Visible

In this summary you will learn

• Why information integrity is essential to business performance
• Why leveraging information, people and information technology (IT) means better products and customer service
• Why a manager’s mindset and perceptions are critical to effective information use
• How to maximize your IT use and create value

getAbstract rating

Why you should read Making the Invisible Visible

Donald A. Marchand, William J. Kettinger and John D. Rollins, professors and consultants on information technology and management, explain how your company can improve its business performance using information orientation (IO). The authors present ways to improve corporate capabilities in information management, information technology and employee use of information. The authors draw from interviews with about 1,000 senior managers from more than 100 companies, representing two dozen countries and two dozen industries. The book uses case histories and examples from these interviews to support its central model, which is based on building, using and measuring these three information capabilities. The authors present innovative answers to the perpetual question of how to quantify subjective measures. The one shortcoming, beyond explanatory repetition, is the problem of sorting out programs with initials instead of names. Yet, getAbstract found this book quite solid, albeit academically written, and suggests it to all managers and executives involved with IT initiatives at large companies.

About the Authors

Donald A. Marchand  is a professor of information management and strategy at the International Institute of Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. William J. Kettinger  is director of the Center of Information Management and Technology Research at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. John D. Rollins  is the managing partner of Strategic Information Technology Effectives for Accenture.