4-CONSULTING E-ZINE

Although we've come out of recession, most businesses will remain reluctant to make investments in new ICT systems for some time to come. Instead, business managers will look to maximising realisable benefits from their existing ICT facilities.

The key to effective and efficient Information and Communications Technology facilities is ICT governance.  We look at research that illustrates the importance of good governance and how businesses can make rapid assessment of the state of their ICT Governance.

We have been analysing some recently published data on ICT spending in the public sector in different international economies.  Although Scotland is a relatively high spender on ICT, finding future savings may be problematic.  We offer some ideas about the way forward for the public sector.

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In this issue

• The Importance of ICT Governance
• System Recovery - The Role of ICT in Local Government During the Downturn
• Making the Most of Excel and Word
• FREE - ICT Total Cost of Ownership calculator
• Recent Successes
• Our Associates
• Tell us your view

The Importance of ICT Governance

Over the past 10 years, research has repeatedly highlighted the importance of ICT governance for successful organisations.  The increasing importance of ICT for all types of businesses makes it ever more essential that Directors and Executive Managers take responsibility for the effective management of their organisations' investments in ICT.  Michiel Erasmus discusses some of the issues that Directors and executive managers need to think about if ICT investments are to realise their full benefits and all of the ICT are to be risks recognised and managed.

To read the complete article, visit:

www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_18/Ezine_18_01.htm

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System Recovery - The Role of ICT in Local Government During the Downturn

In collaboration with Verso Economics, we have been looking at recent benchmark data that shows that Scotland's public sector spending on ICT compares poorly with our Nordic and smaller European competitor economies.  Over the past 10 years, public sector spending on ICT facilities has doubled to reach an estimated £1.6 billion by 2008 as the UK governments have sought innovation through technology.  Recently published benchmarking data shows that Scotland is a high spender on ICT services and the EU Commission has praised Scotland for having developed one of the most advanced implementations of e-procurement in Europe.  But the Commission also noted that further cost savings in service delivery will only be realised with an integrated back-office, collaborative working across agencies, and business process streamlining (not just putting existing administrative procedures online), service-orientated architectures, standards and interoperability.

Richard Marsh of Verso Economics suggests that, rather than cutting budgets, more collaboration, shared services and the removal of duplication of services will be the way to improve our international standing on the provision of public services using information technology.

To read the complete article, visit:

www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_18/Ezine_18_02.htm

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Making the Most of Excel and Word

Our regular "tricks and tips" features offers practical advice on getting the most out of your word processor and creating better spreadsheet workbooks.

To read the complete article, visit:

www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_18/Ezine_18_03.htm

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FREE - Our new ICT Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

To mark the publication of our survey on public sector spending on ICT, we've produced a small application called the "ICT TCO Calculator" that helps you to calculate how much per computer and per person your organisation spends on its ICT facilities. If you would like to try it out, just click here to download our free software.

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Recent Successes

Over the winter we've been working with MacLean Electrical to introduce a new ICT governance protocol and a new approach to project management.  We completed the facilitation of strategic thinking workshops for Elmwood College in Fife.  Following this success, our Director for Public Sector Consulting was invited to carry out a similar exercise for the new Glasgow Metropolitan College by assisting them in their strategic planning round.  It's always great when we are invited back to a client and Creative Scotland have recently asked us to help them once more to start to implement the ICT merger plans as the union of Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen draws closer.

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We are delighted to announce that Michiel Erasmus is joining our consultancy practice as a new Director and will take up his post at the end of this month.  Michiel has a strong pedigree in ICT consultancy, particularly in the public sector, and he has developed an international reputation with his academic work with universities in South Africa, Australia, the USA and here in the UK.   Michiel's details can be found on our website by clicking here.

We are always interested in developing our pool of consultants and, if you think you might be interested in joining us, please give Ralph Leishman a call on 0131 668 2112 or drop him an email at Ralph.Leishman@4-consulting.com.

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