Benefits Management
The Office for Government Commerce provides the following
definition of benefits management:
“Benefits management is the identification of potential
benefits, their planning and tracking, the assignment of
responsibilities and authorities and their actual realisation as
a result of investing in business change.”
Effective benefits planning and management is key to ensuring
that IT projects deliver their anticipated benefits. Research
shows that IT projects have failed to deliver in the past when
they have failed to engage users and to implement the service
changes needed to achieve the benefits.
Integrated Service Improvement Plans brought a new approach
to benefits management the NHS, taking account of the various
dimensions of delivery. This approach, which is based on
the methodology developed by Cranfield University, is one that
we have used successfully on a variety of projects. It involves
linking IT investments with local service developments, and
developing benefits delivery plans that are integrated with
local delivery plans.
Portico has also developed tools and approaches to closely
link benefits planning into the business case and procurement
processes – ensuring that each component is aligned and that
organisational implications (and benefits delivery) are
documented along with clear ownership and sign-up to budget
implications. This approach is particularly relevant where
IT investment is intended to deliver hard financial savings as
well as clinical process improvements.
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