ABSTRACT
The concept of critical success factors (CSFs) has been in the management lexicon since 1979, when the original Harvard Business Review article introduced the approach. CSFs have been adopted as a management tool by individuals and organizations and embraced by consulting firms as a useful tool for focusing on what is central to helping create success. While the approach has been applied in diverse ways over the years, three primary applications have evolved: defining an individual’s information needs, setting priorities for information technology resources, and setting priorities for general management resources. These will be described and highlighted with examples in the following chapter.
