The practice of IS/IT benefits management in large Australian organizations

Information systems and technology investments in organizations are substantial and growing. While formal methodologies and techniques for computing investments are generally used, relatively less formality is applied to managing and realizing their benefits. Part of an ongoing research programme, this paper examines a number of aspects of information systems/information technology (IS/IT) benefits realization in large Australian organizations and reveals issues of identifying and structuring benefits, planning benefits realization, delivering, evaluating and reviewing these benefits, with some success and some failure. The results show some value in the use of formal methodologies, benefits measurement, formal reviews, and allocation of specific responsibilities, but a lack of uniformity in their formality. These results, however, are generally consistent with findings in related studies outside Australia. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.