Peter A. High 
Implementing World Class IT Strategy 
How IT Can Drive Organizational Innovation

The actionable guide for driving organizational innovation
through better IT strategy

With rare insight, expert technology strategist Peter High
emphasizes the acute need for IT strategy to be developed not in a
vacuum, but in concert with the broader organizational strategy.
This approach focuses the development of technology tools and
strategies in a way that is comprehensive in nature and designed
with the concept of value in mind. The role of CIO is no longer
‘just’ to manage IT strategy–instead, the successful
executive will be firmly in tune with corporate strategy and a
driver of a technology strategy that is woven into overall business
objectives at the enterprise and business unit levels.

High makes use of case examples from leading companies to
illustrate the various ways that IT infrastructure strategy can be
developed, not just to fall in line with business strategy, but to
actually drive that strategy in a meaningful way. His ideas are
designed to provide real, actionable steps for CIOs that both
increase the executive’s value to the organization and unite
business and IT in a manner that produces highly-successful
outcomes.

* Formulate clearer and better IT strategic plans

* Weave IT strategy into business strategy at the corporate and
business unit levels

* Craft an infrastructure that aligns with C-suite strategy

* Close the gap that exists between IT leaders and business
leaders

While function, innovation, and design remain key elements to
the development and management of IT infrastructure and operations,
CIOs must now think beyond their primary purview and recognize the
value their strategies and initiatives will create for the
organization. With Implementing World Class IT Strategy, the
roadmap to strategic IT excellence awaits.

Table of Content

Foreword by Filippo Passerini xi

1 ‘Techtonic’ Plates 1

2 The CIO as Strategic Facilitator 17

3 IT Missions 39

4 Facilitating Corporate and Divisional Strategy 61

5 IT Strategy Creation 91

6 Enterprise Architecture 137

7 Reviewing, Refreshing, and Communicating Strategy 175

8 The Challenging Work Ahead 195

Notes 201

Bibliography 205

Acknowledgments 207

The Author 209

Index 211

About the author

PETER A. HIGH is the President of Metis Strategy, a CIO-advisory firm that he founded in 2001. He has been an advisor to many Fortune 500 CIOs. Peter is also the author of World Class IT: Why Businesses Succeed When IT Triumphs, which was named one of the top three IT books of 2009 by CIO Insight, and the number one book to read to ‘be smarter than your boss, ‘ according to Baseline magazine.

He writes the Technovation column in Forbes, and moderates a popular podcast entitled ‘The Forum on World Class IT, ‘ which is available on i Tunes. He is a regular contributor to CIO Insight, and he has also written for The Wall Street Journal, CIO, CIO Digest, and Information Week, among other publications.

Peter has been the keynote speaker at a vast array of executive conferences and universities in the US, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, China, India, and Australia.

He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with degrees in economics and history.

Follow Peter on Twitter @World Class IT. Contact him at peter.high@metisstrategy.com.