Working through my aggregator, I cam across this article by Robert B Carter, Executive VP & CIO, fedex, titled "Every Framework has its place". Here Robert highlights the framework that he has implemented in the Fedex IT team.

FedEx borrowed the core framework of the book "The Myth of Excellence" and adapted it to IT. Focussing on five critical attributes:

• Cost effectiveness
• Speed
• Innovation
• Service levels
• Business alignment

The frame wok in the book is about how companies can create compelling value based on focus. It accurately postulates that excellent firms don't try to be great at everything; that would diffuse efforts too much.

Excerpts:
Our plans, initiatives, and communication centered on these, and we put our money on what really mattered. The entire team tied significant bonus dollars to these focus areas. We would all win together or we would all fail-and the team agreed that failure wasn't an option.

The five attributes we identified worked very well. We execute and prioritize in those areas, and everyone on the IT team knows where we're headed. However, there was one important omission from our original framework: people.

Everything IT does depends on people, and no other attribute is as important as having a motivated team that wants to win.

Recently, we made an adjustment to the model so that it rests on the foundational philosophy that people come first. Now we have a framework to carry forward that's a lasting vestige of the transformation initiative, even as the initiative concludes.Prashanth RaiTag(s):CIO, IT+Management