the value of measurement

One of many differences between IT and the rest of the organization is effective measurement. IT either measures too little or too much, but most measurements gathered are internally focused. While it's good for the Help Desk Manager to know how long it takes before a call is answered, there is no need to share that data outside the department. IT needs to pay more attention to what's important to the business.

How do we do that? Measure in terms the business can understand. Paint a scenario, using vision and fear (the only drivers for change) to drive purpose. Use metrics to back up your story, not to tell your story.

Turn data into information via interpretation and analysis. But don't stop there. Turn that information into insight, using external data sources. Finally, turn that insight into knowledge, by distilling and communicating that message. Only then are measurements truly effective.