High-level IT Questions to Ask - Management Questions

Are we building the right set of market-driving capabilities? The right market-driving capabilities are those in which excellence yields a sustainable competitive advantage and allows the leaders to drive the market. Recognize that often it is as challenging to determine which core competencies the corporation must have as it is to develop and build them.
Are we delivering I.T. services at the right level of cost and quality? The challenge on the delivery side is to be a low-cost supplier, not necessarily the low-cost supplier. Traditional I.T. delivery components (e.g., data center operations, networks and software maintenance) are not typically market-driving capabilities in most industries. Each of these components is scale-intensive and has lower cost profiles with increased volumes. Top management will quickly ascertain the right cost versus quality level and make the appropriate trade-offs. Surprisingly, more often than not, it is not necessary to be the lowest-cost or highest-quality supplier. The real issue involves understanding the different levels and making the necessary trade-offs.
Do we have the right kind of information to manage the business effectively? As the push for performance measurement and accountability becomes an agreed-upon initiative, a corporation’s data and supporting processes are often unable to cope with these new reporting demands. The challenge becomes two-dimensional: to determine the right set of performance measurement reporting tools to run the business and to ensure that the existing data are in the right format to be reported.