Conclusions will be based on a review of recent academic literature addressing shared services and on interviews with executives in participating firms.  A number of publically available books and articles by leading academics and experts will be reviewed, including publications from the following:

• Arie Y Lewen – Professor of Sociology and Strategy, Duke University.
• Peter Weill – Director, Center for Information Systems Research, MIT.
• Gerry Mechling – Lecturer in Public Policy, Kennedy School, Harvard University.
• David Robertson – Professor of Innovation and Technology Mgt, IMD Lausanne.

Interviews will be conducted both with senior IT staff (ideally CIOs) and with COO’s and other CXO executives who will see IT SS from the point of view of the user and the customer.  We will seek to obtain a holistic view of IT SS, addressing both its strengths and its weaknesses as seen both from inside and outside.

The project will also draw extensively on prior LEF EP research projects in related or adjacent areas, including:

• Product IT and Business IT.                                      
• Customer Services Strategies.
• Doing Business in the Cloud.
• IT Governance.
• The Future of the IT Organisation.

The project may be viewed as continuing the work begun in Organising IT for the Future.