IT ROI questions from the CFO to the CTO
Required investment
How much investment — including capital expense, planning and deployment, application development, and ongoing management and support — will the project require?
Financial benefits
What are the expected financial benefits of the project, measured according to established financial metrics, including ROI, net present value savings, and payback period?
Strategic advantage
What are the project’s specific business benefits, such as operational savings, increased availability, increased corporate revenue, or achievement of specific corporate goals?
IT operating efficiency
How will the project improve IT, such as simplifying management, reducing support costs, boosting security, or increasing IT productivity?
Risk
What are the potential risks associated with the project? How likely will risks impact the implementation schedule, proposed spending, or derived target benefits?
Competitive impact
How does the proposed project compare with competitors’ spending plans?
Accountability
How will we know when the project is a success? How will the success be measured (metrics and timeframes)?
Source: Tom Pisello, President and CEO, Alinean
