Nugent said he did not think it was possible for a single vendor to provide a SAP-like offering for IT infrastructure. A lack of standards is one issue, he said. SAP is the major ERP vendor.

A lack of business-related skills among IT professionals also was cited as an obstacle in assessing the business value of technology. Finding someone with an MBA or business degree who can understand technology is a problem, Gaughan said.

"That's a huge issue with a lot of companies," said Gaughan.