Citibank: Creating "Code Of ROI"

Citibank Global Securities is revamping its approach to return on investment, an effort Jon Howell describes as a journey that began about eight months ago. The group had been using formal and informal ROI models depending on the type of project. Developing a more generic ROI model for use across the group was important to create a "code of ROI for the business," says Howell, VP and program director of net solutions at Citibank Global Securities Services.

The group worked with consultants to build an internal model for ROI and then enlisted the help of iValue, a consultancy focusing on the valuation of information technology, to verify its model and see how it overlapped with iValue's ROI model (see "Getting Tough On ROI," Oct. 21, 2002).

Howell plans to meld the internally developed model along with iValue's recommendations to develop a generic ROI methodology across the company. Figuring out exactly where to apply the model, though, is part of the continuing journey. "Do we run it on projects that we're already working on? Do we only do it on new projects? There are a lot of questions still."

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