Book excerpt: This is the first book focusing on the ROI for technology investments written by a technology executive for technology decision makers with the support and guidance of the foremost authority in the discipline of Return on Investment. This book leverages the talents of both authors to provide a framework and methodology that can ensure greater success in mobilizing technology initiatives. There is no other book on the market that specifically addresses the critical need to prove ROI on resource intensive technology projects with a time-tested and industry leading methodology. To date, most ROI books have focused in the areas of human performance, training, marketing, and other human capital related disciplines. With increased scrutiny of technology spending by the most complex organizations in the world, technology leaders need a 'tool kit' to help them prepare for hard-hitting discussions with their organization's CFO, president, CEO, or chairman about the return they should expect from critical technology projects. Rather than focusing top managers' attention on cutting, challenging, and controlling expenditures (as many C-level accountants prefer to do), this approach guides technology managers in providing executives with more comprehensive, balanced information that helps all involved make better business decisions. Along the way, it helps technology managers communicate more effectively with the financial decision makers in their organizations. The book also shows executives how partnering with IT leaders can help top management understand the return these technology projects can provide to the organization in increased human efficiency, automation of manual processes, unified organizational data, and other high-return results from complex and critical technology initiatives. At the same time, executives and IT professionals need to have their projects measured with a balanced perspective. While the ROI itself is very important, it's also important to capture intangibles related to the project, as well as information about application and implementation of the project. Even earlier in the cycle, it's important to capture reaction to the technology and the extent to which individuals have learned the technology. Together, these data sets represent a balanced profile of success, with ROI at the pinnacle.