How to Measure the Value of an IT Investment

Some say life's a gamble. But gambling can be very random, as in the rolling of a die, or very scientific, as in the calculation of odds and percentages. Investing in technology should not be a gamble, inasmuch as you can predict what it will do for you.

In the standard business lingo, we call this prediction "return on investment" or "ROI." And whether you calculate that with all the vigor of two college students on a weekend trip to Reno, Nev., or a scientist who deeply understands the odds, is important. In this article, we'll discuss the many factors that go into a fully informed determination of the ROI for a technology project.