Northeastern's CIO uses an electronic survey to find out which IT projects his users really want. For all of Bob Weir’s technological accomplishments at Northeastern University, it’s in the crucial area of getting stakeholder buy-in that the vice president of IS says he has been most successful. Using a simple methodology called the Murphy Tool (named after Weir’s employee, Tom Murphy, who thought it up), Weir is now better able to gauge which enterprise projects to invest in and which ones to pass on. “How do you compare whether you should replace an HR system or upgrade the network?” he asks. “Those are hard things to compare.” With the Murphy Tool, Weir surveys the top 40 senior leaders at NU on how they would value their individual IT project needs and what would be the critical success factors and associated risks with each project. Criteria such as competitive advantage or financial benefits are weighted differently, using a point system that assesses each project’s value. With this new data, driven solely by Weir’s constituents, he can see where he has strong business support for projects and where he doesn’t. “It allows you to say, Something scored low, and that’s because we’re not ready to do this,” he says. The tool also lets everyone speak the same language on a project because all of the key stakeholders are fluent in what qualifies a project to be approved at the outset. “By having that articulation, we all know the critical success factors that are unique to the project and Northeastern,” Weir says. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software Why data virtualization is critical for business success Data is your most valuable resource—but only if you can access it fast enough to address present challenges. Data virtualization is the key. By Milan Shetti, CEO of Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software The hybrid approach: Get the best of both mainframe and cloud Cloud computing and modernization often go hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean the mainframe should be left behind. A hybrid approach offers the most value, enabling businesses to get the best of both worlds. By Milan Shetti, CEO Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street Dear Oracle Cloud…I need my own space Access results from a recent Rimini Street survey about why enterprises are rethinking their Oracle relationship and cloud strategy. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cloud Computing brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street How to evolve IT systems into innovation engines Today’s IT leaders are more than eager to modernize with best-fit cloud solutions that drive innovation and rapid business impact, but they need to do so with ROI-based solutions. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe