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The Issue In Depth, January 2003

Editor's Note
Brian Gillooly

Endless Summer?

Contributors
The finest minds in business technology are right here.

Openers
A digest of reports, research, Web sites, and books that help make sense of new business-technology concepts

Fast Forward
Emerging Tech + Business Innovation

Research: Gap Analysis
Working Smarter Takes Work
IT execs, more than business heads, drive operational excellence

Word To The Wise
Operational Excellence Requires Tough Choices
By Robert Rubin
CIO-managed IT procurement can boost a company's productivity.

Square Off
Does Outsourcing Yield Expected Cost Saving?
By Rick Omartian and Paul Girard
Yes. Businesses not only realize cost savings, but gains in quality and process as well. By Rick Omartian, information-technology CFO, The Guardian
No:
The expected benefits of lower costs and reduced head count often turn out to be a short-term fix.

Other Visions
Other Visions: The Silent Conductor
By Benjamin Zander
To bring out the best in your staff, talk directly to their passion.

Business Leadership
Best Possible Outcome
By Michael Trick
Operations research is helping corporations and government agencies tackle really thorny scheduling problems in record time.

Business Management
Transforming IT
By Bruce Allen
IT must change the way it operates to meet upcoming business challenges. Here is a seven-step transformational model.

Corporate Culture
Outsmarting Complexity
By Michael Wujciak and Steve Patton
A handful of companies in diverse markets have overcome the fear and inertia of an uncertain economy to invest in IT with an eye toward streamlining operations and quickly adapting to change.

Financial Management
Accounting For Higher Profits
By Ian Thompson
Forget the benchmarks of the past. Here's a way to improve processes by studying not what was, but what can be achieved.

Optimal Marketing
Brand Magnetism
By Ron Ricci and John Volkmann
When your product is based on technology, the old rules of marketing no longer apply. It takes a new strategy—and a more proactive CIO—to turn a brand into a market force.

ROI Valuation
Case Study: Nextel's Big Adventure
By Richard LeFave
Optimization techniques helped Nextel overhaul its billing system on time and on budget.

Strategic Innovation
Getting The Most From IT Analysts
By William Davenport
Evaluating potential IT analysts? Then let your strategic technology plan be your guide. And be sure to ask lots of questions.