Managing Picasso: The Art and Science of Managing IT, Part 2

This book explores a set of concepts that are fundamental for the management of Information Technology (IT) as a successful business. The ideas and concepts explored here have emerged from a ten-year collaboration between the authors in creating professional development programs to support and enhance the remarkable success of a particular IT company – the Information Systems (I/S) Division of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. However, the book is about more than one company’s success. Anyone facing the challenge of managing an IT company, an IT unit, or IT projects of most any size will find ideas and concepts here that resonate with their experiences and that will provoke them to think in new and more productive ways about the work they do. In their earlier book, Picasso on a Schedule, the authors described a unique IT organizational structure called the Hierarchical Matrix, and defined a framework of repeatable processes for its Matrix component. The Matrix component of the structure focuses on producing the quality technical work that IT clients expect and demand. The Hierarchy component of the structure focuses on managing the resources necessary for the production of that work. The current book, Managing Picasso, extends the study of the Hierarchical Matrix by describing a framework of repeatable processes for the Hierarchy (Management) component of the structure. The Hierarchy’s mission has two major features. First it must enable the IT organization's current success by creating and managing a technical workforce that consistently produces excellent client value. Second, it must ensure that the organization remains positioned for long-term success. To accomplish this two-fold mission, those in the Hierarchy must have the technical competence to deal with the creative nature of IT work, and the business competence to employ the best-practices under which successful non-IT businesses operate. Managing Picasso is an accessible reference guide to a framework of repeatable IT management processes that enable the accomplishment of this mission.

As the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Mr. Stephen K. Wiggins is in charge of all corporate systems strategic planning, development, programming and enhancements. Under his direction, BlueCross operates one of the most advanced data processing centers in the United States, processing more than 13 billion online health care transactions and 850 million claims each year. He was named one of the Elite Eight of 2008 by Insurance & Technology magazine in recognition of the top eight insurance technology executives in the country. In addition BlueCross has won numerous national awards related to technology during his tenure. He currently has a staff of 2,250. Mr. Wiggins has been employed with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina since 1979. He graduated with honors from Clemson University in 1976 and earned the designation of Certified Systems Professional in 1985. Dr. Kenneth C. Abernethy is Herman N. Hipp Professor of Computer Science at Furman University in Greenville, SC, where he has taught since 1983. He has authored or co-authored a half dozen computer science textbooks and more than 60 professional articles in the field of computer science. For the past decade, he has also been Director of Furman’s Institute for the Management of Information Technology, and in this capacity has worked closely with Mr. Wiggins during this time to develop a number of professional development programs in the areas of software requirements management, IT project management, and the management of information technology work efforts. Dr. Abernethy graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1967 and earned A.M. (in 1968) and Ph.D. (in 1972) degrees from Duke University.