Executive's guide to lean IT (free ebook)

Fast. Lean. Agile. No matter what you call it, IT continues to move toward a model of rapid delivery in an effort to keep up with end-user expectations and to reduce costs, eliminate waste, and improve service delivery times.

But it's a balancing act, with IT caught between the realities of traditional service frameworks and the demand for quick-turnaround projects that offer tangible benefits to users and demonstrate the business value of IT.

One trend that is picking up momentum involves taking advantage of complementary approaches -- what Gartner calls 'bimodal IT'-- in which organizations divide their development efforts between traditional methodologies and a nonlinear mode that promotes innovation and emphasizes agility and flexible governance.

Increasingly, organizations are recognizing the value of both tactics. A recent report from Tech Pro Research, The rise of Agile IT, found that 47 percent of IT departments have begun moving from long-term to short-term projects, and 60 percent felt a switch from long-term to short-term projects would be beneficial for their organization.

Our latest guide looks at some of the competing concerns involved in building lean IT initiatives, as well as current trends and where the benefits (and pitfalls) lie for businesses that are pursuing more agile strategies.

The ebook is available as a free PDF download for registered ZDNet and TechRepublic members. If you're not already a member, you can click here to register. It only takes a moment.