IT Resources
IT Resources tests whether you can identify, classify, govern and optimize the resources an enterprise IT function uses. COBIT defines four IT resource types-applications, information, infrastructure, and people-and processes are not one of them. Expect questions on resource optimization, architecture, data quality, skills and asset lifecycle.
The four resource types
- Applications: business and infrastructure applications, including interfaces and configurations.
- Information: data and knowledge assets, including quality, ownership, retention and privacy.
- Infrastructure: hardware, networks, hosting, cloud services and facilities.
- People: skills, competencies, capacity, awareness and behavior.
Processes, policies and frameworks are governance instruments, not IT resources. A common exam error is adding 'process' to the list.
Optimization
EDM04 Ensured Resource Optimization sets direction for capability, capacity and cost. Management objectives such as APO03 (enterprise architecture), APO07 (human resources), BAI09 (assets) and DSS01 (operations) execute it. Optimization is not cost-cutting: it balances capability, capacity, cost and risk. Cloud shifts capital expense to operating expense but does not remove the need to manage capacity, exit, or skills.
Lifecycle and ownership
Every resource needs an owner, a lifecycle stage (plan, acquire, operate, retire), and a measure. Information needs a data owner accountable for quality and access; applications need an application owner; infrastructure needs a service owner. Skills gaps are resource risks, not just HR issues.
Worked example
A hospital replaces its EHR. Which resources are in scope? Applications: the EHR, interface engine and clinical apps. Information: patient records, data quality, retention and consent. Infrastructure: hosting, network, devices, identity. People: clinician training, interface-engine skills, support capacity. Reasoning: assign an owner and a lifecycle measure to each. Gaps emerge-no data owner for migrated records and no interface-engine skill. Those gaps are resource risks to report to the steering committee, not just project tasks.
Traps
- Listing processes as IT resources.
- Treating cloud as 'no infrastructure' and skipping capacity and exit planning.
- Assuming information is owned by IT rather than by the business.
- Optimizing cost while ignoring capability and risk.
- Ignoring people capacity during transformation.