I wish I could have read this book when I was younger. I started my career as a software developer. I wrote beautiful programs that my customer didn’t use. Since I was an introvert and they were polite, it took us awhile to talk about that. When we did, I discovered that I didn’t understand their requirements, and they didn’t understand their business processes. After we worked on that, they used my now more beautiful programs, but they didn’t solve any real business problems. It turns out that we didn’t know the company’s business strategy, which was posted on a wall hidden behind a curtain in a locked conference room. Our chief operating officer (COO) was surprised that we wanted to see it.

This book cuts through all that. Like Wirth’s classic guide for programmers [1], the Information Management Body of Knowledge (IMBOK) [2] clearly and concisely synthesizes and connects best practices for organizations to improve their value creation through information management processes.

The foundation for these best practices is the IMBOK framework. It consists of six knowledge areas or management domains and four information management processes that intersect and align the domains. The six knowledge areas are: information technology, information system, business process, business information, business benefit, and business strategy. The four information management processes are: projects, business change, business operations, and performance management.

An information technology project produces an information system. An information system supports a business process and captures business information. The operation of a business process provides business benefit. A business benefit reflects the performance of a business strategy.

The 11 chapters in the text explore each of the six knowledge areas extensively, and review other popular models and frameworks. Four short case studies demonstrate application of the information management processes.

This book is as essential read for technical specialists and business generalists who want to see the big picture and create more value together.