The benefits of information technology are difficult to forecast and quantify. "The effects of IT are generally indirect and take time to filter through," says Professor Chris Schlueter Langdon, a scientist from the Center for Telecom Management, University of Southern California. Schlueter Langdon researches models and metrics, developing data models and KPIs to measure and compare IT performance. He disputes the assumption that organizations assess the anticipated quantitative and qualitative impact of IT projects in advance: "For the most part, rough estimates remain the norm. The problem starts right at the beginning, when a business case is made for an investment, it continues in project controlling, and is still present during operation." Statistical methods backed up by computer-based simulation and analysis tools could shed more light on the subject. These tools - which Schlueter Langdon compares to flight simulators - would provide organizations with a sound basis for decision making and evaluating strategic options. And that pays off, he says. "Developing a mod-els-and-metrics strategy does not entail million-dollar investments, yet it yields major strategic benefits."
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