Managing Information Technology

There are two different, interdependent components of IT that are important to a CIO: strategy, which is long-term; and tactical and operational concerns, which are short-term. Based on this distinction and its repercussions, this book clearly separates strategy from day-to-day operations and projects from operations – the two most important functions of a CIO.

It starts by discussing the ideal organization of an IT department and the rationale behind it, and then goes on to debate the most pressing need – managing operations. It also explains some best industry standards and their practical implementation, and discusses project management, again highlighting the differences between the methodologies used in projects and those used in operations. A special chapter is devoted to the cutover of projects into operations, a critical aspect seldom discussed in detail. Other chapters touch on the management of IT portfolios, project governance, as well as agile project methodology,how it differs from the waterfall methodology, and when it is convenient to apply each. 

In this second edition, besides a number of corrections and updates throughout the text, chapter 8 on “Agile Project Management” replaces the former chapter 8 completely, and chapter 10 on “IT Security” has been newly introduced as this topic has become more and more important for both management and operations during the last six years.

Taking the fundamental principles of IT service management and best practices in project management, the book offers a single, seamless reference for IT managers and professionals. It is highly practical, explaining how to apply these principles based on the author’s extensive experience in industry.

“A superb effort in compiling into a single source a practical approach to the management of IT, leaving far behind the traditional approach of using methodological recipes. “Managing Information Technology” is an essential book which brings a fresh and complete vision to all that a CIO needs to know for the proper management of operations and projects. Castillo’s book is a valuable introduction to this subject matter, and a fast way for familiarizing oneself with its key aspects.” (Alberto Ariza, Director, Head of Global Delivery Services, Indra, Madrid, Spain)

"Information Technology (IT) is very pervasive nowadays and a necessary domain but at the same time, there is a lack of sound practical knowledge and a gap between the theory and the efficient management of these services and technology.
In his book, Castillo addresses the management of the IT domain from a very practical and objective perspective. Personal experience and specific skills are present along the wholelist of chapters. The book is instructive, very practical and a good help for people developing IT responsibilities in their respective companies and organizations." (Prof. Joan Cabestany, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain)

Francisco Castillo is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Maynilad Water Services, inc., the water concessionaire for the West area of Manila’s greater metropolitan area which serves about 9 million people. He was previously connected to a major multinational IT consulting firm as Managing Consultant for Asia-Pacific, where he worked over 12 years in various capacities. This 2013 he was named “Outstanding ASEAN CIO” by the IDG group, and again in 2016 in the ASEAN IT Strategy Forum in Singapore. He has over 25 years experience in Information Technology, and has undertaken projects in over a dozen countries in Europe and Asia. He holds a Ph.D. in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (Barcelona, Spain), where he was also Associate Director for the Technical Engineering College, and Associate Professor. He has over 50 published papers in international journals and conferences, and has presented in over 30 international seminars around the world. He teaches part-time in the Asian Institute of Management (Manila), and is a co-inventor for 2 different patents. He is a certified PMP, PfMP and CISSP.

Korina Monoso is Assistant Vice President and Head for IT Operations in Maynilad Water Services, Inc. She has been in the IT industry for 20 years, garnering extensive experiences in IT Operations, Service Delivery, and Project Management. She contributed to Maynilad IT’s achievement of various awards and certifications including ISO/IEC 20000-1, making it the very first water company in the Philippines to gain such certification since 2015, SAP Customer Center of Excellence (CCOE) since 2014, SAP CCOE of the Year Nominee in 2016, making it the first Asian company nominee in this global SAP award, also Digital Transformer of the Year Award by IDC in 2017.