1. Multiple kinds of value: there are many kinds of value and the return on investment or ROI measured in dollar terms is only one of them. (Chapter 1).

2. The investment opportunities matrix: there are different types of investments in information technology and each type has a different probability of providing a return. (Chapter 1)

3. The IT investment equation: the probability of obtaining a return from investing in IT depends on the type of investment (from the IT opportunities matrix) and the probability of conversion success. The latter probability is often less than 1 reflecting the fact that many systems are not implemented on time, within budget, and/or with all the features originally envisioned for them. (Chapter 2)

4. The IT value equation: anticipated value when considering an IT investment should be weighted by the probability the type of investment will show a return and the probability of conversion success (the IT Investment Equation) to produce an expected value of the return. This expected value in most cases will be less than originally anticipated. (Chapter 2)

5. An approach to deciding on IT investments: information from the equations in 3 and 4 should be combined with other information about the investment in allocating resources to IT investments. (Chapter 10)