IT Business Partnerships: A Field Guide: Paving the Way for Business & Technology Convergence Hardcover – Illustrated, 25 Feb. 2014

Great book to help anyone capture the vision of true IT Business Partnering. Clearly defines responsibilities and actionable steps to take to be effective.It may be a few years old now, so some of the examples are dated but all the key principles taught are still very relevant for today.Too many companies are missing out on the significant impact effect IT Business Partners can make to the relationship between IT and Business Leaders.

Excellent book that focuses on how to overcome age-old mistrust and barriers between the business sections in organisations an IT.I liked the provided tools, financial models etc, shame that electronic versions were not provided given the price of the book; I know that you can download them from his website but at a cost. Nevertheless, really helpful for me in my job.

If you are in this field or looking to stand up this function in your organisation; this book is a must have.

Almost every corporate IT department faces the challenge of how to engage effectively with other business functions. All too often IT managers find themselves sidelined when strategic decisions are made, or when business change projects are mooted or launched, even when these place major demands on IT capabilities and resources. In his book, Joseph Topinka addresses this IT business relationship challenge head-on by defining and describing the critical role of “IT Business Partners”. These individuals, though based within the corporate IT function itself, are not IT account managers; they are first and foremost business people. As Topinka points out, “they must understand how the company makes money, what motivates customers, how operations work, and how the IT organization connects the dots between all those entities.” By working at a strategic level, IT Business Partners seek to leverage the constantly expanding capabilities of information technology on behalf of the business, what Topinka calls “the convergence of business and IT.”To become serious players, IT Business Partners require a powerful combination of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes – including a high level of political awareness. Topinka’s book provides practical advice on how this demanding role can be developed and implemented in all its key aspects, as well as a wide range of useful, field-tested techniques. Topinka skillfully draws on academic sources to provide sound theoretical backing for his detailed description of the role, while using personal “war stories” to illustrate and reinforce many of the points. The outcome of this is an easily absorbed and convincing handbook that should be read by every ambitious CIO and IT staffer.