Those organisations consistently focused on multiple value-based outcomes affecting service, reputation and growth in addition to traditional operational considerations such as efficiency and cost reduction.

The research was based on interviews with 550 IT executives worldwide.

Of the survey respondents, 139 companies – 25 percent of those surveyed – emerged as leaders based on their effectiveness at managing IT resources to achieve key business objectives. Not surprisingly, the survey sample showed significant differences between leaders and others in the way they applied IT practices and used outsourcing relationships for continuous improvement, which can be key in delivering IT services to advance business goals.

The study shows that leading organizations focus their priorities beyond cost-cutting, which is conventionally viewed as the primary business driver of IT best practices. They create service delivery models that employ a balanced mix of practices involving people, process and automation to execute, adjust and innovate in achieving multiple important business objectives.

Leaders are also more likely to look outside the organization and draw from outsourcing partners to improve their best practices.

"These survey results indicate IT executives' growing realisation that the greatest benefits come when they focus on innovation in IT service management to achieve business results," said Bart De Maertelaere, vice president, IT Outsourcing Strategy, Unisys Global Outsourcing and Infrastructure Services. "To be leaders, IT executives must adopt proven best practices that enable truly collaborative innovation between their organization and the businesses they serve."

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