Cutting IT costs through corporate information technology standards: The role of corporate enforcement

There is widespread concern among management that IT costs are excessive and growing too rapidly. Consequently, the desire to regain control over information technology related spending has become a high priority in many organizations in both private and public sectors. While a growing body of IS literature claims that implementation of corporate level IT standards facilitate greater levels of control over escalating IT costs, there is a noticeable lack of empirical evidence to support these claims. This study reports the results of a series of case studies designed to investigate the potential impact that the use of corporate level IT standards have on overall corporate IT related spending. Research findings suggest that when accompanied by sufficient levels of enforcement, corporate IT standards help to facilitate reduced IT costs in areas related to purchasing, maintenance, training, and support.