ROI for Technology Projects: Measuring and Delivering Value—D. Brian Roulstone and Jack J. Phillips (Woburn, MA: Butterworth Heinemann, 2008, pp. 343, ISBN-10: 0750685883; ISBN-13: 978-0750685887). Reviewed by P. Andru and A. Botchkarev

This article is an analytical review of the book “ROI for Technology Projects: Measuring and Delivering Value” by Roulstone and Phillips. The authors of the book effectively demystify a popular perception of the return on investment (ROI) metric as an ad hoc calculation based on a simple formula. They promote ROI assessment as a set of procedures that process data to provide an effective evaluation of a project. The book collects and arranges a large volume of material on ROI, and presents it with consistency, in plain English, and at a level which will be appreciated by an information technology (IT) professional. This review highlights several points to be kept in mind by readers of Roulstone and Phillips’ book to encourage unimpassioned expectations of the ROI metric and its implementation for IT initiatives.