In their research from 1995-2005 on how information technology (IT) can help make companies successful, the authors realized that they were focusing on the same thing whether studying enterprise architecture, IT infrastructure transformations, or e-business. Ross and Peter Weill (information systems research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) explain details of the pattern they saw across their studies: top-performing firms (e.g., Toyota, UPS) create a stable, efficient IT base by defining their operating model and automating core processes. The other author is a Swiss professor. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)