Gartner Consulting Says Companies Should Implement Critical Program Ma

Gartner Consulting Says Companies Should Implement Critical Program Management for Independent Supervision on Important IT Initiatives

    Business Editors
    Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2005

    STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2005--

Gartner Consulting to Announce New Service During Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in San Francisco, May 15-19
    The need to drive business results using IT has elevated investments in technology, but many companies are not equipped with the personnel to ensure these complex initiatives can be successfully implemented, according to Gartner Consulting, a unit of Gartner, Inc. Gartner consultants said organizations should put into practice a program management service to have a qualified and independent third-party monitor and evaluate major IT initiatives.
    Gartner predicts that through 2008, three out of four successful $500,000-plus projects will be planned and tracked with project office support, while three of four failed projects will not.
    "Usually implemented as a 'project office' critical program management (CPM) provides formalized, holistic supervision of a crucial project; usually by a third party expert that oversees all the complexities and ensures that the project not only remains on track from start to finish, but also delivers the intended business results," said Ruth Steinberg, managing vice president for Gartner Consulting.
    Gartner Consulting plans to announce and provide more details on its new service to support clients on CPM during the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, May 15-19, at Moscone West in San Francisco. In addition, Ms. Steinberg will provide case material and other analysis on CPM for participants at the conference.
    Implementations such as enterprise resource management (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and major infrastructure overhauls for e-commerce or real-time supply chain are mission critical. However, many executives put in charge of complex IT projects are not trained to manage the vast flow of details. They might be experts in one part of the job but not others.
    "CPM is becoming more popular, particularly in the government sector where cost-sensitivity runs high. A number of government organizations at the U.S., state and federal levels have mandated third-party project supervision," Ms. Steinberg said. "It's still not a common practice in large companies because people feel like they can do it themselves despite the risks and the 75 percent probability of failure."
    Competing priorities also derail enterprise-level initiatives. Multinational companies, multi-campus universities, and multi-agency governments will invariably run into conflicts between local and "corporate" parts of the organization.
    "CPM provides visibility when those competing objectives will hurt a program," Ms. Steinberg said. "CPM allows for issues to be addressed in a politically astute and politically correct way, so that they can be managed and accounted for properly, so they don't stall the program."

    Gartner Symposium/ITxpo is the IT industry's largest and most strategic conference, providing business leaders with a look at the future of IT. For more than 10,000 IT professionals from the world's leading enterprises, Gartner's annual Symposium/ITxpo events are key components of their annual planning efforts. Attendees are responsible for more than $35 billion in IT spending for their respective companies, and rely on Gartner Symposium/ITxpo to gain insight into how their organizations can use technology to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/us/symposiumwest.com.

    About Gartner
    Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB) is the leading provider of research and analysis on the global information technology industry. Gartner serves more than 10,000 clients, including chief information officers and other senior IT executives in corporations and government agencies, as well as technology companies and the investment community. The Company focuses on delivering objective, in-depth analysis and actionable advice to enable clients to make more informed business and technology decisions. The Company's businesses consist of Research and Events for IT professionals; Gartner Executive Programs, membership programs and peer networking services; and Gartner Consulting, customized engagements with a specific emphasis on outsourcing and IT management. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and has over 3,900 associates, including more than 1,100 research analysts and consultants, in more than 75 locations worldwide. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

--30--KK/ny*

CONTACT: Gartner Tom McCall, 408-468-8312 tom.mccall@gartner.com

KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT CALIFORNIA TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS ADVERTISING/MARKETING SOFTWARE TRADESHOW SOURCE: Gartner, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005