Discussion 2:
Post 1:
IT Financing
Every organization struggles with IT budgeting, and the reason is that most of the information technology teams are not familiar with the process that they should use in the budgeting process, and the finance team is not well aware of the IT process (Abel-Smith, 2018). Therefore, the tea that is selected to deal with financing different departments in an organization should consider financing each department since they play a vital role in the environment. They should bear in mind that spending their budget on IT is like they are funding the future of the organization. Before financing, they should consider analyzing their customers, whether the short terms ones or the long terms.
The financial planners in an organization should consider every client in their organization, whether the client is a long term or a short term. It forms the central security before the organization (McKeen, & Smith, 2015). Therefore, if the department is not well-financed, then they will lack enough capital that they require to develop and set on the most secure strategies that they will use to protect the organization against the hackers. Excellent financing must consider each client in the organization since each client requires different facilities and products. Therefore, finance officers should make proper arrangements and overlook each client and the services they need where the services are long term or short term.
In conclusion, IT financing is important since it ensures that all the departments are well protected and connected. Without the connection, then the different departments in the organization will lack the proper communication that is required to jeep the processes running.
References
Abel-Smith, B. (2018). An introduction to health: policy, planning and financing. Routledge.
McKeen, J. D., & Smith, H. A. (2015). IT strategy: Issues and practices (3rd ed
Response 1 in APA format with atleast 2 references.
Post 2:
IT Budgeting
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Gray, P. (2018) defined IT budgeting as “an IT budget is a wish list of funding for every conceivable project and technology that’s expected to be reduced, trimmed, and rejected.” In general people who propose the IT budget generally propose more than what is estimated to be on the safer side but the business who approve the budget are aware of such practices in IT. There are no fixed practices to defining an IT budget but below are some of the IT budgeting practices that can help
Appoint an IT finance specialist
McKeen, J.D., & Smith, H.A (2015) has mentioned that “Financial specialists can help IT managers to understand their costs and drivers in new ways.” A large number of companies are following this already and they have financial experts working with CFO and IT to help create efficient IT budgets. These financial experts can also help in the translation process between the IT budget and the fiscal IT budget and assist with the value analysis of t ...
Discussion 1a)When a company decides to use an outside party t.docxcuddietheresa
Discussion 1a)
When a company decides to use an outside party to conduct some tasks or projects, the process is called sourcing. Sometimes IT sourcing is a good idea because some companies do not have the resources or team to secure the IT structure. Some of the resources include skilled professionals, expensive equipment to support the structure, and so on. Similarly, Lazarus (2018) mentions that the outsourcing team usually gets the company great deals on prices. Their team has a list of competitive vendors that makes them excellent negotiators, which benefits the company. McKeen & Smith (2015) list some of the things that the managers need to focus on before they process IT sourcing.
They are:
Flexibility: When considering IT outsourcing, an organization needs to consider what kind of values they want and how soon do they want. Outsourcing IT might help them find a better deal, but sometimes it comes with longer response time.
Control: Outsourcing is right for some companies because it is easier for them to monitor if their expectations are meeting or not.
Knowledge Management: Some companies prefer not to outsource IT because they want to train their employees to learn knowledge and retain it. However, it is an expensive choice as it is cheaper to outsource IT and receive its benefits.
Business Exigency: Sometimes, different factors play in business that requires them to follow a non-stand process and employ unique decisions. Most of this time, outsourcing IT is a better deal, as it caters the specific needs of the business. In-house IT usually does not have the capability or the resource to respond to unique, non-standard functions.
1b) The main choice criteria that are required for IT managers to examine for making decision related to IT sourcing are as follows.
Flexibility
Flexibility is key thing that should be viewed while making choice in IT sectors. Flexibility in IT normally refers to scenario where, how speedy the IT functionality can be delivered and what are the capacities of those delivered functionality. It is equally crucial to display these elements of the decision. The great example of sourcing is IT body of workers nowadays. Many organizations have a tendency to hire group of workers from outside the business enterprise i.e. outsourcing or attempt to find the worker inside the company who have the competencies to operate the required task. For this, the part should take delivery of the terms and conditions (McKeen, 2017).
Control
Control refers to the excellent of the delivered IT functionalities. For example, its like checking the performance of the IT workforce that was employed from sourcing. For this, the work done via him has to be correct and should comply with the company requirements. Also, these works have be covered and protection measure need to be applied.
Knowledge enhancement
Knowledge enhancement is very essential procedure for making decision. Knowledge and continued learning are imperative in enterpr ...
PSY-520 Graduate Statistics
Topic 7 – MANOVA Project
Directions: Use the following information to complete the assignment. While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
A researcher randomly assigns 33 subjects to one of three groups. Group 1 receives technical dietary information interactively from an on-line website. Group 2 receives the same information from a nurse practitioner, while Group 3 receives the information from a video tape made by the same nurse practitioner.
The researcher looked at three different ratings of the presentation; difficulty, usefulness, and importance to determine if there is a difference in the modes of presentation. In particular, the researcher is interested in whether the interactive website is superior because that is the most cost-effective way of delivering the information.
Group
Usefulness
Difficulty
Importance
1
20
5
18
1
25
9
8
1
23
15
20
1
16
9
22
1
20
6
22
1
28
14
8
1
20
6
13
1
25
8
13
1
24
10
24
1
18
10
20
1
17
9
4
2
28
7
14
2
25
14
5
2
26
9
20
2
19
15
22
2
29
14
12
2
15
6
2
2
29
10
5
2
26
11
1
2
22
5
2
2
15
15
14
2
29
6
4
2
15
6
3
3
22
8
12
3
27
9
14
3
21
10
7
3
17
9
1
3
16
7
12
3
19
9
7
3
23
10
1
3
27
9
5
3
23
9
6
3
16
14
22
1. Run the appropriate analysis of the data and interpret the results.
2. How could this study have been done differently? Why or why not would this approach be better?
Discussion 1
Key Decision Criteria for selecting IT Sourcing Option
IT sourcing is a process of choosing or acquiring information technology resources from external sources outside of the organization. While traditionally sourcing was a way to reduce costs, companies see it now more like an investment designed to enhance capabilities, increase agility and profitability, or gain them a competitive advantage (Tome, 2018). IT Managers must consider four different sourcing options which are In-house, Insource, Outsource and Partnership. The following are the four key decision criteria that needs to be considered for selecting the appropriate sourcing option
Flexibility: Flexibility has two key factors which are response time and capability which defines the quickness and range of IT functionality respectively. Insourcing or a permanent IT staff, is also a highly flexible sourcing option. Outsourcing exhibits less flexibility because of the need to locate an outsourcer who can provide the specific function, negotiate a contract, and monitor progress. Partnerships enjoy considerable flexibility regarding capability but much less in terms of response time (McKeen & Smith, 2015).
Control: There are two dimensions in this criterion as well: ensuring that the delivered IT function complies with requirements and protecting intellectual assets. In-housing and Insourcing are ranked high for these f ...
JUSTIFICATION OF, AND BENEFITS REALIZATION BEYOND IT INVESTMENTS: ANALYSIS F...ijmvsc
This work looked at the justification of IT investments in general, to draw important conclusions that could
be beneficial to IT project managers and professionals, and then zero in on the angle of benefits realization
beyond IT investments.About 30 categories/sets of research outputs or articles out of more than 60 articles
reviewed were used for this work. No primary data was employed for this work. Articles were sourced from
databases such as Google Scholar, Research Gate, Academia.edu, Google search engine, Elsevier, and so
on. The main themes used for the search were IT investments, Justification for IT investments, IT
investments benefit determination, value creation beyond IT investments, and so on. The results showed
that justification is unique to every firm, it is contextual, and so stakeholders must take into consideration
environmental factors, corporate and strategic goals, experience and expertise of stakeholders, and so on,
to design its framework and measures to justify IT investments. Zeroing on benefits realization, two things
run through all the discussions: benefits realization of IT investments must take into consideration the
organization's strategic objectives and that they do not simply emerge, as if by magic. Their realization has
to be planned, delivered, reviewed, and exploited to ensure value realization on a more consistent/constant
basis.
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 11) DiscussionCOLLAPSEIT value Infor.docxmccormicknadine86
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 1
1)
Discussion
COLLAPSE
IT value: Information Technology is used everywhere in the world. Information technology provides many services to other organizations and ends users such as by providing computer services, network services, hosting the applications and sites and other engineering applications. IT organizations price their services from their clients and customers. Many clients think that service providers are costing them more because they only know a few benefits about the services they are taking. For this service providers need to communicate and explain IT value with their customers, the benefits and features they are getting in it.
The IT value is realized when every product and service is analyzed and its benefits are used completely by the organization. This helps to make decisions about investment in new technology.
Reference:
Meyer, N. D. (2007, December 1). IT Value: What It Really Means. Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/2437551/it-value--what-it-really-means.html.
2)
Week 1 - Discussion Attachment
COLLAPSE
IT value is defined as capturing and understanding the business value derived from both financial and economical in information technology which consists of various components and systems. IT value consists of various category which include revenue quantity quality and cost. IT value is determined based on the organizational performance and the impact of information technology both at a higher level and medium level and organization hierarchy (John, 2003). IT value comprises of efficiency impact and competitive level impact. The IT value is understood by various means of technologies like using business intelligence and other data science technology is to understand the customer and what can be provided to create value internally as well as to any client. The organization's ethics and industrial standards will elevate the IT value of a company. IT value provides detailed information about the organization process and their correlation between the employees and their ideas and approach towards implementation and other projects.
Information technology is realized when the organization is not performing as per their industrial standards, The rectification is can be made by the senior executives and other decision-makers whether the IT value is being fulfilled internally and externally. The most important thing about IT realization is organization is justifying the services to the client (John, 2003)
References:
Glaser, John. (2003). Analyzing information technology value. Healthcare financial management : journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. 57. 98-100, 102, 104.
Lee, Byungtae & Menon, Nirup. (2000). Information Technology Value Through Different Normative Lenses.. J. of Management Information Systems. 16. 99-120. 10.1080/07421222.2000.11518267.
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 2
3)
Week 1 Discussion
Principles for delivering value
In almost all sections, IT can be d ...
Copyright Notice:
This presentation is prepared by Author for Perbanas Institute as a part of Author Lecture Series. It is to be used for educational and non-commercial purposes only and is not to be changed, altered, or used for any commercial endeavor without the express written permission from Author and/or Perbanas Institute. Appropriate legal action may be taken against any person, organization, or entity attempting to misrepresent, charge, or profit from the educational materials contained here.
Authors are allowed to use their own articles without seeking permission from any person, organization, or entity.
This presentation is prepared by Author for Perbanas Institute as a part of Author Lecture Series. It is to be used for educational and non-commercial purposes only and is not to be changed, altered, or used for any commercial endeavor without the express written permission from Author and/or Perbanas Institute. Appropriate legal action may be taken against any person, organization, or entity attempting to misrepresent, charge, or profit from the educational materials contained here.
Authors are allowed to use their own articles without seeking permission from any person, organization, or entity.
CHAPTER EIGHT Strategic Alignment Tim Campos IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, .docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER EIGHT Strategic Alignment Tim Campos IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, CIOs have tremendous opportunity to have a major strategic influence on their businesses. This opportunity arises from the rapid adoption of information technology over the past three decades across nearly every aspect of business. When a company wants to merge with another organization, the IT organization is one of the first corporate departments to be involved. When a new plant or facility is opened, the IT organization must be involved to help connect it to the rest of the company’s systems. Even when a company reaches into a new line of business, the IT organization is involved to help set up the information systems to support the new business. This opportunity, however, can also be the CIO’s greatest liability if the organization’s focus is diluted. IT has been adopted in nearly every business process, even those that are not very strategic. Nearly all employees at companies have e-mail accounts, and every corporation has a web site, regardless of whether it delivers products or services through that web site. Because all of these technology operations must function in order for the business to operate, CIOs must divide their focus and resources across the entire company. This breadth of demand creates tremendous challenges for IT organizations. It is not good enough simply to focus on those portions of the business that are strategic, to the detriment of everything else. Although this might work in the short run, over time the neglected business functions become a drain on the success of the business. (This is one of the reasons so many firms reimplement enterprise systems.) Moreover, what is “strategic” depends on whom one asks. A customer portal may not be that important to manufacturing, but it is critical to the strategy of the service organization. The resources allocated to the IT department are finite, yet the demands on the IT organization can at times appear infinite. It is this challenge that separates the mediocre from the exceptional IT organization. The secret to addressing this challenge is to strategically align your organization to the business. FRAMEWORK Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT organizations face (see Figure 8.1). FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it. Strategic alignment is achieved .
Managing It Innovation: Recessionary and Post-Recessionary Service and Staffi...IJMIT JOURNAL
Information Technology (IT) service and staffing models were increasingly reduced in the wake of
recession, which often limits focus for long-term innovation, as the remaining services and staff are focused
on producing short-term requirements. Despite these cutbacks, organizations must continue to innovate and
provide contributions to the set of stakeholders. In addition as the post-recessionary timeframe begins,
organizations that continued to innovate throughout the recession, must retain human capital and take
advantage of their prior investments. Organizations that focus on innovation during recessionary
timeframes, are more likely to emerge in a superior competitive position during post-recessionary
timeframes. This paper explores identified industry best practices for IT service and staffing models that
can be utilized to ensure adequate resources are dedicated to achieving innovation, and management
implications for post-recessionary methods. In addition, a review of the capacities and capabilities which
fall under the new IT service and staffing models are developed in the form of an innovation matrix. This
approach reduces IT requirements to focus on key strategic service areas, with considerations for reduced
staffing needs during periods of economic downturn, and staffing retention during the following economic
upturn.
Discussion 1a)When a company decides to use an outside party t.docxcuddietheresa
Discussion 1a)
When a company decides to use an outside party to conduct some tasks or projects, the process is called sourcing. Sometimes IT sourcing is a good idea because some companies do not have the resources or team to secure the IT structure. Some of the resources include skilled professionals, expensive equipment to support the structure, and so on. Similarly, Lazarus (2018) mentions that the outsourcing team usually gets the company great deals on prices. Their team has a list of competitive vendors that makes them excellent negotiators, which benefits the company. McKeen & Smith (2015) list some of the things that the managers need to focus on before they process IT sourcing.
They are:
Flexibility: When considering IT outsourcing, an organization needs to consider what kind of values they want and how soon do they want. Outsourcing IT might help them find a better deal, but sometimes it comes with longer response time.
Control: Outsourcing is right for some companies because it is easier for them to monitor if their expectations are meeting or not.
Knowledge Management: Some companies prefer not to outsource IT because they want to train their employees to learn knowledge and retain it. However, it is an expensive choice as it is cheaper to outsource IT and receive its benefits.
Business Exigency: Sometimes, different factors play in business that requires them to follow a non-stand process and employ unique decisions. Most of this time, outsourcing IT is a better deal, as it caters the specific needs of the business. In-house IT usually does not have the capability or the resource to respond to unique, non-standard functions.
1b) The main choice criteria that are required for IT managers to examine for making decision related to IT sourcing are as follows.
Flexibility
Flexibility is key thing that should be viewed while making choice in IT sectors. Flexibility in IT normally refers to scenario where, how speedy the IT functionality can be delivered and what are the capacities of those delivered functionality. It is equally crucial to display these elements of the decision. The great example of sourcing is IT body of workers nowadays. Many organizations have a tendency to hire group of workers from outside the business enterprise i.e. outsourcing or attempt to find the worker inside the company who have the competencies to operate the required task. For this, the part should take delivery of the terms and conditions (McKeen, 2017).
Control
Control refers to the excellent of the delivered IT functionalities. For example, its like checking the performance of the IT workforce that was employed from sourcing. For this, the work done via him has to be correct and should comply with the company requirements. Also, these works have be covered and protection measure need to be applied.
Knowledge enhancement
Knowledge enhancement is very essential procedure for making decision. Knowledge and continued learning are imperative in enterpr ...
PSY-520 Graduate Statistics
Topic 7 – MANOVA Project
Directions: Use the following information to complete the assignment. While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
A researcher randomly assigns 33 subjects to one of three groups. Group 1 receives technical dietary information interactively from an on-line website. Group 2 receives the same information from a nurse practitioner, while Group 3 receives the information from a video tape made by the same nurse practitioner.
The researcher looked at three different ratings of the presentation; difficulty, usefulness, and importance to determine if there is a difference in the modes of presentation. In particular, the researcher is interested in whether the interactive website is superior because that is the most cost-effective way of delivering the information.
Group
Usefulness
Difficulty
Importance
1
20
5
18
1
25
9
8
1
23
15
20
1
16
9
22
1
20
6
22
1
28
14
8
1
20
6
13
1
25
8
13
1
24
10
24
1
18
10
20
1
17
9
4
2
28
7
14
2
25
14
5
2
26
9
20
2
19
15
22
2
29
14
12
2
15
6
2
2
29
10
5
2
26
11
1
2
22
5
2
2
15
15
14
2
29
6
4
2
15
6
3
3
22
8
12
3
27
9
14
3
21
10
7
3
17
9
1
3
16
7
12
3
19
9
7
3
23
10
1
3
27
9
5
3
23
9
6
3
16
14
22
1. Run the appropriate analysis of the data and interpret the results.
2. How could this study have been done differently? Why or why not would this approach be better?
Discussion 1
Key Decision Criteria for selecting IT Sourcing Option
IT sourcing is a process of choosing or acquiring information technology resources from external sources outside of the organization. While traditionally sourcing was a way to reduce costs, companies see it now more like an investment designed to enhance capabilities, increase agility and profitability, or gain them a competitive advantage (Tome, 2018). IT Managers must consider four different sourcing options which are In-house, Insource, Outsource and Partnership. The following are the four key decision criteria that needs to be considered for selecting the appropriate sourcing option
Flexibility: Flexibility has two key factors which are response time and capability which defines the quickness and range of IT functionality respectively. Insourcing or a permanent IT staff, is also a highly flexible sourcing option. Outsourcing exhibits less flexibility because of the need to locate an outsourcer who can provide the specific function, negotiate a contract, and monitor progress. Partnerships enjoy considerable flexibility regarding capability but much less in terms of response time (McKeen & Smith, 2015).
Control: There are two dimensions in this criterion as well: ensuring that the delivered IT function complies with requirements and protecting intellectual assets. In-housing and Insourcing are ranked high for these f ...
JUSTIFICATION OF, AND BENEFITS REALIZATION BEYOND IT INVESTMENTS: ANALYSIS F...ijmvsc
This work looked at the justification of IT investments in general, to draw important conclusions that could
be beneficial to IT project managers and professionals, and then zero in on the angle of benefits realization
beyond IT investments.About 30 categories/sets of research outputs or articles out of more than 60 articles
reviewed were used for this work. No primary data was employed for this work. Articles were sourced from
databases such as Google Scholar, Research Gate, Academia.edu, Google search engine, Elsevier, and so
on. The main themes used for the search were IT investments, Justification for IT investments, IT
investments benefit determination, value creation beyond IT investments, and so on. The results showed
that justification is unique to every firm, it is contextual, and so stakeholders must take into consideration
environmental factors, corporate and strategic goals, experience and expertise of stakeholders, and so on,
to design its framework and measures to justify IT investments. Zeroing on benefits realization, two things
run through all the discussions: benefits realization of IT investments must take into consideration the
organization's strategic objectives and that they do not simply emerge, as if by magic. Their realization has
to be planned, delivered, reviewed, and exploited to ensure value realization on a more consistent/constant
basis.
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 11) DiscussionCOLLAPSEIT value Infor.docxmccormicknadine86
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 1
1)
Discussion
COLLAPSE
IT value: Information Technology is used everywhere in the world. Information technology provides many services to other organizations and ends users such as by providing computer services, network services, hosting the applications and sites and other engineering applications. IT organizations price their services from their clients and customers. Many clients think that service providers are costing them more because they only know a few benefits about the services they are taking. For this service providers need to communicate and explain IT value with their customers, the benefits and features they are getting in it.
The IT value is realized when every product and service is analyzed and its benefits are used completely by the organization. This helps to make decisions about investment in new technology.
Reference:
Meyer, N. D. (2007, December 1). IT Value: What It Really Means. Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/2437551/it-value--what-it-really-means.html.
2)
Week 1 - Discussion Attachment
COLLAPSE
IT value is defined as capturing and understanding the business value derived from both financial and economical in information technology which consists of various components and systems. IT value consists of various category which include revenue quantity quality and cost. IT value is determined based on the organizational performance and the impact of information technology both at a higher level and medium level and organization hierarchy (John, 2003). IT value comprises of efficiency impact and competitive level impact. The IT value is understood by various means of technologies like using business intelligence and other data science technology is to understand the customer and what can be provided to create value internally as well as to any client. The organization's ethics and industrial standards will elevate the IT value of a company. IT value provides detailed information about the organization process and their correlation between the employees and their ideas and approach towards implementation and other projects.
Information technology is realized when the organization is not performing as per their industrial standards, The rectification is can be made by the senior executives and other decision-makers whether the IT value is being fulfilled internally and externally. The most important thing about IT realization is organization is justifying the services to the client (John, 2003)
References:
Glaser, John. (2003). Analyzing information technology value. Healthcare financial management : journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. 57. 98-100, 102, 104.
Lee, Byungtae & Menon, Nirup. (2000). Information Technology Value Through Different Normative Lenses.. J. of Management Information Systems. 16. 99-120. 10.1080/07421222.2000.11518267.
CHAPTER-1 Discussion 2
3)
Week 1 Discussion
Principles for delivering value
In almost all sections, IT can be d ...
Copyright Notice:
This presentation is prepared by Author for Perbanas Institute as a part of Author Lecture Series. It is to be used for educational and non-commercial purposes only and is not to be changed, altered, or used for any commercial endeavor without the express written permission from Author and/or Perbanas Institute. Appropriate legal action may be taken against any person, organization, or entity attempting to misrepresent, charge, or profit from the educational materials contained here.
Authors are allowed to use their own articles without seeking permission from any person, organization, or entity.
This presentation is prepared by Author for Perbanas Institute as a part of Author Lecture Series. It is to be used for educational and non-commercial purposes only and is not to be changed, altered, or used for any commercial endeavor without the express written permission from Author and/or Perbanas Institute. Appropriate legal action may be taken against any person, organization, or entity attempting to misrepresent, charge, or profit from the educational materials contained here.
Authors are allowed to use their own articles without seeking permission from any person, organization, or entity.
CHAPTER EIGHT Strategic Alignment Tim Campos IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, .docxtiffanyd4
CHAPTER EIGHT Strategic Alignment Tim Campos IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, CIOs have tremendous opportunity to have a major strategic influence on their businesses. This opportunity arises from the rapid adoption of information technology over the past three decades across nearly every aspect of business. When a company wants to merge with another organization, the IT organization is one of the first corporate departments to be involved. When a new plant or facility is opened, the IT organization must be involved to help connect it to the rest of the company’s systems. Even when a company reaches into a new line of business, the IT organization is involved to help set up the information systems to support the new business. This opportunity, however, can also be the CIO’s greatest liability if the organization’s focus is diluted. IT has been adopted in nearly every business process, even those that are not very strategic. Nearly all employees at companies have e-mail accounts, and every corporation has a web site, regardless of whether it delivers products or services through that web site. Because all of these technology operations must function in order for the business to operate, CIOs must divide their focus and resources across the entire company. This breadth of demand creates tremendous challenges for IT organizations. It is not good enough simply to focus on those portions of the business that are strategic, to the detriment of everything else. Although this might work in the short run, over time the neglected business functions become a drain on the success of the business. (This is one of the reasons so many firms reimplement enterprise systems.) Moreover, what is “strategic” depends on whom one asks. A customer portal may not be that important to manufacturing, but it is critical to the strategy of the service organization. The resources allocated to the IT department are finite, yet the demands on the IT organization can at times appear infinite. It is this challenge that separates the mediocre from the exceptional IT organization. The secret to addressing this challenge is to strategically align your organization to the business. FRAMEWORK Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT organizations face (see Figure 8.1). FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it. Strategic alignment is achieved .
Managing It Innovation: Recessionary and Post-Recessionary Service and Staffi...IJMIT JOURNAL
Information Technology (IT) service and staffing models were increasingly reduced in the wake of
recession, which often limits focus for long-term innovation, as the remaining services and staff are focused
on producing short-term requirements. Despite these cutbacks, organizations must continue to innovate and
provide contributions to the set of stakeholders. In addition as the post-recessionary timeframe begins,
organizations that continued to innovate throughout the recession, must retain human capital and take
advantage of their prior investments. Organizations that focus on innovation during recessionary
timeframes, are more likely to emerge in a superior competitive position during post-recessionary
timeframes. This paper explores identified industry best practices for IT service and staffing models that
can be utilized to ensure adequate resources are dedicated to achieving innovation, and management
implications for post-recessionary methods. In addition, a review of the capacities and capabilities which
fall under the new IT service and staffing models are developed in the form of an innovation matrix. This
approach reduces IT requirements to focus on key strategic service areas, with considerations for reduced
staffing needs during periods of economic downturn, and staffing retention during the following economic
upturn.
MANAGING IT INNOVATION: RECESSIONARY AND POST-RECESSIONARY SERVICE AND STAFFI...IJMIT JOURNAL
This document discusses managing IT innovation through recession and post-recession service and staffing models. It proposes a framework involving establishing an IT service catalog, optimizing application portfolios, aligning service-oriented architectures, identifying emerging services, and generating sustainability. During recessions, IT budgets and staffing are often cut, limiting innovation; however, organizations that continue innovating through downturns will be better positioned post-recession. The framework is intended to help organizations dedicate resources to innovation through various economic cycles.
White Paper: The Business Case for IT Governance in the Age of Digital Transf...SDI Presence LLC
Why is strong #ITGovernance a strategic mandate in light of business’ use of evolving digital technologies throughout their organization?
SDI Presence assesses the management challenges of legacy and emerging IT throughout an organization and effective processes establishing for #ITGovernance framework in the first of our new “Building Smarter Organizations” white paper series: “The Business Case for an IT Governance in the Age of Digital Transformation”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Strategic Alignment
Tim Campos
IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, CIOs have tremendous opportunity to have a major strategic influence on their businesses. This opportunity arises from the rapid adoption of information technology over the past three decades across nearly every aspect of business. When a company wants to merge with another organization, the IT organization is one of the first corporate departments to be involved. When a new plant or facility is opened, the IT organization must be involved to help connect it to the rest of the company’s systems. Even when a company reaches into a new line of business, the IT organization is involved to help set up the information systems to support the new business.
This opportunity, however, can also be the CIO’s greatest liability if the organization’s focus is diluted. IT has been adopted in nearly every business process, even those that are not very strategic. Nearly all employees at companies have e-mail accounts, and every corporation has a web site, regardless of whether it delivers products or services through that web site. Because all of these technology operations must function in order for the business to operate, CIOs must divide their focus and resources across the entire company.
This breadth of demand creates tremendous challenges for IT organizations. It is not good enough simply to focus on those portions of the business that are strategic, to the detriment of everything else. Although this might work in the short run, over time the neglected business functions become a drain on the success of the business. (This is one of the reasons so many firms reimplement enterprise systems.) Moreover, what is “strategic” depends on whom one asks. A customer portal may not be that important to manufacturing, but it is critical to the strategy of the service organization. The resources allocated to the IT department are finite, yet the demands on the IT organization can at times appear infinite. It is this challenge that separates the mediocre from the exceptional IT organization. The secret to addressing this challenge is to strategically align your organization to the business.
FRAMEWORK
Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT organizations face (see Figure 8.1).
FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework
These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it. Strategic alignment is achieved.
Total IT spending as a percentage of revenue, total IT spending per user, and total IT spending per PC are three useful metrics for managing an IT organization and benchmarking against other companies. Total IT spending as a percentage of revenue indicates how efficiently a company spends on IT compared to industry standards and allows identification of opportunities for improvement. Total IT spending per user and per PC provide additional perspectives beyond total spending as a percentage of revenue to account for factors like shared devices. Benchmarking against other companies using these metrics helps identify best practices and areas for process improvement to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
IT Optimization: Navigation Fiscal AusterityOmar Toor
The Federal Government faces a situation similar to that of the private sector in the early 2000s. Many corporations experienced rapid growth in the late 1990s. Companies spent tens of millions of dollars on ERP, CRM, and other enterprise IT systems. As the below graphic illustrates, large enterprise systems grew corporate expense budgets at an unprecedented rate in the form of support, maintenance, enhancement, operations, and amortization. The late 1990’s technology and dot com busts, multiple downturns, and a recession caused industry to change their spending habits and drive cost out of their baseline. Some succeeded, many failed, and a few went bankrupt.
The question is whether Federal COOs, CFOs, and CIOs will wait for OMB to levy cuts on them or whether Federal executives will act to address the systemic drivers of IT expense so they are ready to respond to the inevitable round of forthcoming budget cuts. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” Acting now could protect agency missions and even redirect additional funds to critical needs. If CFOs and CIOs wait for the inevitable budget mandate, it will be too late to identify waste - and the only thing left to cut will be investment dollars.
www.pwc.com/publicsector
FRAMEWORK Strategic alignment results from structuring t.docxhanneloremccaffery
FRAMEWORK
Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To
explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic
functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are
management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can
be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are
typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT
organizations face (see Figure 8.1).
img
FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework
These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it.
Strategic alignment is achieved when all functions operate in harmony to achieve business results.
However, how these functions are managed directly impacts how strategic an organization is. A tall
skinny pyramid will generate far more value for a firm than a short fat one. For the rest of this chapter,
we explore each function in more detail and highlight the management issues the CIO and the IT
management staff must address to achieve strategic alignment.
Support Delivery
Support makes up all of the break-fix activity of the IT operations. It is the most fundamental and, in
many respects, the most important activity the IT organization engages in. Support includes the help
desk and monitoring organizations but also aspects of technical operations, such as system
administration, database administration, development, and business process analysts. All aspects of the
IT organization provide some level of support back to the business.
Support delivery is critical not because it is strategic but because it is the foundation from which
everything else is built. Put in simpler terms, if you are in the CEO’s office and her personal computer is
broken, what do you expect you will be discussing with her when you meet: supply chain strategy, or
why her PC has been down for the past four hours? Support is the function that all IT organizations are
engaged in regardless of size. In some IT organizations, support is all they are engaged in.
Support delivery involves several management decisions including scope, service levels, and overall
investment. A widely circulated metric asserts that most IT organizations spend 70 to 80 percent of their
budget sustaining existing systems. Whether this is the right level is the subject of some debate, but the
metric highlights the fact that support delivery is not only the foundation of all other aspects of the IT
organization, but it is also the dominant expense.
The key support delivery management challenge is to provide the right level of support cost effectively.
This balance is subtle but important. Although a corporation might enjoy IT support levels so h ...
Here are the key points regarding avoiding the alignment trap in information technology:
- Many IT projects fail due to poor alignment between business and IT strategies and objectives. Alignment refers to the degree to which IT understands and supports the business priorities.
- There are four alignment quadrants companies can fall into:
1) Strategy execution - High alignment and high efficiency where IT is tightly linked to business strategy.
2) Order taker - High alignment but low efficiency. IT simply fulfills requests but lacks strategic perspective.
3) Technology leader - Low alignment but high efficiency. IT drives innovation without business input.
4) Disconnected - Low alignment and low efficiency. IT operates independently with little business value.
Challenges in Business and IT AlignmentVidur Pandit
The document discusses challenges with aligning business and IT. It provides context on the importance of business-IT alignment and defines key concepts. The phases of the business-IT alignment cycle are also outlined, including plan, model, manage and measure. The goal of alignment is to ensure IT supports business strategies and processes efficiently.
NTT DATA predictable success marketpulse_white paper_finalDyann Calder
The document discusses research from a 2017 IDG study on digital workplace transformation among manufacturing and energy firms. It finds that while most organizations say they are committed to digital transformation, they are struggling to implement initiatives and seeing results. Only a small percentage identify as "trailblazers" in transformation efforts. The research reveals that organizations face challenges like lack of funding and cultural change management strategies. Most companies seem stalled in the planning stages of transformation efforts. The document provides four steps organizations can take to achieve a more dynamic and successful digital workplace transformation, with a focus on understanding the transformation framework, defining business value, aligning the organization, and establishing metrics for continuous improvement.
Discussion 1Discussing the conditions that are necessary for su.docxcharlieppalmer35273
Discussion 1:
Discussing the conditions that are necessary for successful innovation:
We have three different conditions for making successful innovation. They are 1) Motivation, 2) Support, 3) Direction [McKeen & Smith (2015)].
1. Motivation: It encourages the people by establishing various rewards for innovation. Many people in the organization work hard for the best outputs. By the pressures of the team leaders or higher authority people, they tend to demotivate and get discouraged. They cannot work for creating new innovations by the extra pressures. So, the organization should create a new innovative idea by giving rewards and extra incentives for all the employees who work hard in resolving the risks. This can boost up the confidence levels of the employees and result in great outputs [Johnston (2017)]. Every organization can have different types of rewards given for their employees. Some of them may give rewards like tickets, books, executive citations and recognition days, etc. Some may give the opportunity to play and work with upcoming new technologies.
2. Support: This should create support by creating an effective infrastructure for which it can sustain the innovation. As the motivation phase can encourage the employee for creating the innovation, they should also start providing support for the innovation. Not only the motivation, but also support helps in creating efficient innovation. Here, we have two different strategies followed in supporting the innovation. They are stated as follows:
· Insulate: This strategy helps all the organizations to create the innovation centers. These are the centers that act as the one-stop destination for all the common problems.
· Incubate: This strategy helps to keep all the centers within specific lines of business (LOBs) [McKeen & Smith (2015)].
The centers that are established will support all the innovations. Supporting the innovation may involve some tasks like providing the access for all the organizations that deal with them, they should provide the effective infrastructure, the social interaction with other organizations, various functions that can support for development of any particular organization [Minshall, Stefan, Mortara (2014)].
3. Direction: It should manage all the innovations that are created with different strategies. Successful innovations always have a great impact [JD (2009)]. Learning is the most important task to do in any organization. Learning all the new strategical ways to present an innovation leads to best results. We have three different ways of strategical learning that employees in every organization should follow. They are as follows:
· Always we need to link the innovation to the customer value for having a better and clear result. This approach can easily focus on the customer pain points (CPPs) [McKeen & Smith (2015)]. The identification of these pain points gives us many potential solutions.
· Always we should link all the experimentation.
This research essay descriptively details what is meant by Information Technology Strategy and why in increasingly automated business environment of today, successful firms are those that not only have an established IT strategy but also keep updating the same based on changes that may be encountered. Further explained in extreme detail are the reasons that necessitate the need for organizations of today to have an established and implemented IT strategy other than the competition that may be faced from other organizations which have an IT strategy. Also detailed are the values and benefits that may be derived by organizations by having an IT strategy and what qualities and elements of an IT strategy would need to be established in order to derive the maximum amount of value from an IT strategy.
1. Top of FormResource Project Systems Acquisition Plan Gradi.docxambersalomon88660
1.
Top of Form
Resource: Project Systems Acquisition Plan Grading Guide
Resources:
· Baltzan, P., and Phillips, A. (2015). Business Driven Information Systems (5th ed).
· Week 3 articles and videos
· It is recommended students search the Internet for a Systems Acquisition Plan template.
Scenario: You are an entrepreneur in the process of researching a business development idea. As you create a high-level Information Technology (IT) strategy for your new enterprise, it is important to consider the acquisition of IT resources. A Systems Acquisition Plan will guide the process of identifying enterprise technology needs and acquiring appropriate information systems in the context of your goal to incorporate business driven IT. The Systems Acquisition Plan is intended to describe a high-level process for acquiring and maintaining IT systems. The Systems Acquisition Plan is a working document, which is expected to change over time as new project details emerge.
Create a high-level Project Systems Acquisition Plan for your project in a minimum of 1,050 words that includes the following information:
· A description and justification of the specific systems design and development approach (SDLC, RAD, Spiral, outsourcing, etc.) the enterprise will employ
· A summary of the steps in the systems acquisition process including initiation, analysis, design, acquisition, and maintenance
· A high-level overview of who will participate in each step of the systems acquisition process
Cite a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed references from the University of Phoenix Library.
Format consistent with APA guidelines.
Submit your assignment.
Resources
· Center for Writing Excellence
· Reference and Citation Generator
· Grammar and Writing Guides
· Learning Team Toolkit
2
CHAPTER
Decisions and Processes: Value Driven Business
CHAPTER OUTLINE
SECTION 2.1
Decision Support Systems
SECTION 2.2
Business Processes
Making Organizational Business Decisions
Measuring Organizational Business Decisions
Using MIS to Make Business Decisions
Using AI to Make Business Decisions
Managing Business Processes
Using MIS to Improve Business Processes
What’s in IT for me?
Working faster and smarter has become a necessity for companies. A firm’s value chain is directly affected by how well it designs and coordinates its business processes. Business processes offer competitive advantages if they enable a firm to lower operating costs, differentiate, or compete in a niche market. They can also be huge burdens if they are outdated, which impedes operations, efficiency, and effectiveness. Thus, the ability of management information systems to improve business processes is a key advantage.
The goal of Chapter 2 is to provide an overview of specific MIS tools managers can use to support the strategies discussed in Chapter 1. After reading this chapter, you, the business student, should have detailed knowledge of the types of information systems that exist to support decision making and business .
Sit717 enterprise business intelligence 2019 t2 copy1NellutlaKishore
This document discusses data mining techniques and business intelligence. It begins with an introduction to different data mining techniques like clustering, statistical analysis, visualization, classification, neural networks, rules, and decision trees. It then provides more detail on statistical techniques, explaining that they help analyze large datasets. The document evaluates how big data and business intelligence are related, concluding that while they are different concepts, they need to work together to effectively analyze data and make smart business decisions. Big data provides the large datasets, while business intelligence extracts useful information from those datasets.
The incorporation of innovation on organizations is simultaneously a necessity and a risk which requires substantial changed in today’s organizations in order for those to achieve success and which frequently means reinventing their business models, hence, embracing the inevitable change.
This document provides an overview and summary of a seminar report on how increased IT outsourcing affects unemployment, with a focus on India. Some key points:
- IT outsourcing refers to outsourcing of computer/internet work like programming to other companies. It is growing rapidly and estimated to be worth $163 billion in 2004.
- The report aims to analyze how IT outsourcing impacts employment and can increase unemployment as companies adopt new technologies.
- The outsourcing trend has become controversial as some see it as helping companies cut costs while others see it negatively impacting jobs in India. Rising unemployment is linked to more outsourcing of India jobs overseas.
This document provides an overview and summary of a seminar report on how increased IT outsourcing affects unemployment, with a focus on India. Some key points:
- IT outsourcing refers to outsourcing of computer/internet work like programming to other companies. It is growing rapidly and estimated to be worth $163 billion in 2004.
- The report aims to analyze how IT outsourcing impacts employment and can increase unemployment as companies adopt new technologies.
- The conclusion is that IT outsourcing is damaging India's economy by reducing jobs and increasing unemployment rates. When jobs are lost to outsourcing, spending decreases which impacts other businesses and incomes.
. According to your textbook, Contrary to a popular misconception.docxmadlynplamondon
According to a cross-cultural study of 186 societies, attitudes toward homosexuality vary significantly across cultures. Only 31% of societies studied stigmatized homosexual behavior, while 38% viewed it as a normal developmental phase for youth and 18% accepted committed same-sex relationships as an alternative form of marriage. The historical stigmatization of homosexuality in America is a product of enculturation rather than universal moral values.
-How did artwork produced in America from 1945 to 1960 compare to ar.docxmadlynplamondon
Post-World War II American art differed from European art by embracing abstract expressionism through artists like Jackson Pollock and his drip paintings, while European art focused more on figurative styles. Pollock's painting Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) used dripped and splattered oil paint on canvas in 1950, as did Willem de Kooning's Woman I in 1952, showing the abstract expressionist movement in America. European art of the time included Alberto Giacometti's figurative sculpture Woman of Venice II from 1956.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
Strategic Alignment
Tim Campos
IN TODAY’S BUSINESS, CIOs have tremendous opportunity to have a major strategic influence on their businesses. This opportunity arises from the rapid adoption of information technology over the past three decades across nearly every aspect of business. When a company wants to merge with another organization, the IT organization is one of the first corporate departments to be involved. When a new plant or facility is opened, the IT organization must be involved to help connect it to the rest of the company’s systems. Even when a company reaches into a new line of business, the IT organization is involved to help set up the information systems to support the new business.
This opportunity, however, can also be the CIO’s greatest liability if the organization’s focus is diluted. IT has been adopted in nearly every business process, even those that are not very strategic. Nearly all employees at companies have e-mail accounts, and every corporation has a web site, regardless of whether it delivers products or services through that web site. Because all of these technology operations must function in order for the business to operate, CIOs must divide their focus and resources across the entire company.
This breadth of demand creates tremendous challenges for IT organizations. It is not good enough simply to focus on those portions of the business that are strategic, to the detriment of everything else. Although this might work in the short run, over time the neglected business functions become a drain on the success of the business. (This is one of the reasons so many firms reimplement enterprise systems.) Moreover, what is “strategic” depends on whom one asks. A customer portal may not be that important to manufacturing, but it is critical to the strategy of the service organization. The resources allocated to the IT department are finite, yet the demands on the IT organization can at times appear infinite. It is this challenge that separates the mediocre from the exceptional IT organization. The secret to addressing this challenge is to strategically align your organization to the business.
FRAMEWORK
Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT organizations face (see Figure 8.1).
FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework
These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it. Strategic alignment is achieved.
Total IT spending as a percentage of revenue, total IT spending per user, and total IT spending per PC are three useful metrics for managing an IT organization and benchmarking against other companies. Total IT spending as a percentage of revenue indicates how efficiently a company spends on IT compared to industry standards and allows identification of opportunities for improvement. Total IT spending per user and per PC provide additional perspectives beyond total spending as a percentage of revenue to account for factors like shared devices. Benchmarking against other companies using these metrics helps identify best practices and areas for process improvement to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
IT Optimization: Navigation Fiscal AusterityOmar Toor
The Federal Government faces a situation similar to that of the private sector in the early 2000s. Many corporations experienced rapid growth in the late 1990s. Companies spent tens of millions of dollars on ERP, CRM, and other enterprise IT systems. As the below graphic illustrates, large enterprise systems grew corporate expense budgets at an unprecedented rate in the form of support, maintenance, enhancement, operations, and amortization. The late 1990’s technology and dot com busts, multiple downturns, and a recession caused industry to change their spending habits and drive cost out of their baseline. Some succeeded, many failed, and a few went bankrupt.
The question is whether Federal COOs, CFOs, and CIOs will wait for OMB to levy cuts on them or whether Federal executives will act to address the systemic drivers of IT expense so they are ready to respond to the inevitable round of forthcoming budget cuts. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” Acting now could protect agency missions and even redirect additional funds to critical needs. If CFOs and CIOs wait for the inevitable budget mandate, it will be too late to identify waste - and the only thing left to cut will be investment dollars.
www.pwc.com/publicsector
FRAMEWORK Strategic alignment results from structuring t.docxhanneloremccaffery
FRAMEWORK
Strategic alignment results from structuring the IT organization around the needs of the business. To
explain how this is done, let me break the operations of the IT organization down into four basic
functions. Two are delivery functions: support delivery and project delivery. The other two are
management activities: value attainment and strategic alignment. All activities of the IT organization can
be categorized into one of these four functions, although, as we will see later, these functions are
typically spread out across multiple teams, which is the source of much of the misalignment IT
organizations face (see Figure 8.1).
img
FIGURE 8.1 IT Strategic Alignment Framework
These functions layer on top of each other such that failure at one level affects everything above it.
Strategic alignment is achieved when all functions operate in harmony to achieve business results.
However, how these functions are managed directly impacts how strategic an organization is. A tall
skinny pyramid will generate far more value for a firm than a short fat one. For the rest of this chapter,
we explore each function in more detail and highlight the management issues the CIO and the IT
management staff must address to achieve strategic alignment.
Support Delivery
Support makes up all of the break-fix activity of the IT operations. It is the most fundamental and, in
many respects, the most important activity the IT organization engages in. Support includes the help
desk and monitoring organizations but also aspects of technical operations, such as system
administration, database administration, development, and business process analysts. All aspects of the
IT organization provide some level of support back to the business.
Support delivery is critical not because it is strategic but because it is the foundation from which
everything else is built. Put in simpler terms, if you are in the CEO’s office and her personal computer is
broken, what do you expect you will be discussing with her when you meet: supply chain strategy, or
why her PC has been down for the past four hours? Support is the function that all IT organizations are
engaged in regardless of size. In some IT organizations, support is all they are engaged in.
Support delivery involves several management decisions including scope, service levels, and overall
investment. A widely circulated metric asserts that most IT organizations spend 70 to 80 percent of their
budget sustaining existing systems. Whether this is the right level is the subject of some debate, but the
metric highlights the fact that support delivery is not only the foundation of all other aspects of the IT
organization, but it is also the dominant expense.
The key support delivery management challenge is to provide the right level of support cost effectively.
This balance is subtle but important. Although a corporation might enjoy IT support levels so h ...
Here are the key points regarding avoiding the alignment trap in information technology:
- Many IT projects fail due to poor alignment between business and IT strategies and objectives. Alignment refers to the degree to which IT understands and supports the business priorities.
- There are four alignment quadrants companies can fall into:
1) Strategy execution - High alignment and high efficiency where IT is tightly linked to business strategy.
2) Order taker - High alignment but low efficiency. IT simply fulfills requests but lacks strategic perspective.
3) Technology leader - Low alignment but high efficiency. IT drives innovation without business input.
4) Disconnected - Low alignment and low efficiency. IT operates independently with little business value.
Challenges in Business and IT AlignmentVidur Pandit
The document discusses challenges with aligning business and IT. It provides context on the importance of business-IT alignment and defines key concepts. The phases of the business-IT alignment cycle are also outlined, including plan, model, manage and measure. The goal of alignment is to ensure IT supports business strategies and processes efficiently.
NTT DATA predictable success marketpulse_white paper_finalDyann Calder
The document discusses research from a 2017 IDG study on digital workplace transformation among manufacturing and energy firms. It finds that while most organizations say they are committed to digital transformation, they are struggling to implement initiatives and seeing results. Only a small percentage identify as "trailblazers" in transformation efforts. The research reveals that organizations face challenges like lack of funding and cultural change management strategies. Most companies seem stalled in the planning stages of transformation efforts. The document provides four steps organizations can take to achieve a more dynamic and successful digital workplace transformation, with a focus on understanding the transformation framework, defining business value, aligning the organization, and establishing metrics for continuous improvement.
Discussion 1Discussing the conditions that are necessary for su.docxcharlieppalmer35273
Discussion 1:
Discussing the conditions that are necessary for successful innovation:
We have three different conditions for making successful innovation. They are 1) Motivation, 2) Support, 3) Direction [McKeen & Smith (2015)].
1. Motivation: It encourages the people by establishing various rewards for innovation. Many people in the organization work hard for the best outputs. By the pressures of the team leaders or higher authority people, they tend to demotivate and get discouraged. They cannot work for creating new innovations by the extra pressures. So, the organization should create a new innovative idea by giving rewards and extra incentives for all the employees who work hard in resolving the risks. This can boost up the confidence levels of the employees and result in great outputs [Johnston (2017)]. Every organization can have different types of rewards given for their employees. Some of them may give rewards like tickets, books, executive citations and recognition days, etc. Some may give the opportunity to play and work with upcoming new technologies.
2. Support: This should create support by creating an effective infrastructure for which it can sustain the innovation. As the motivation phase can encourage the employee for creating the innovation, they should also start providing support for the innovation. Not only the motivation, but also support helps in creating efficient innovation. Here, we have two different strategies followed in supporting the innovation. They are stated as follows:
· Insulate: This strategy helps all the organizations to create the innovation centers. These are the centers that act as the one-stop destination for all the common problems.
· Incubate: This strategy helps to keep all the centers within specific lines of business (LOBs) [McKeen & Smith (2015)].
The centers that are established will support all the innovations. Supporting the innovation may involve some tasks like providing the access for all the organizations that deal with them, they should provide the effective infrastructure, the social interaction with other organizations, various functions that can support for development of any particular organization [Minshall, Stefan, Mortara (2014)].
3. Direction: It should manage all the innovations that are created with different strategies. Successful innovations always have a great impact [JD (2009)]. Learning is the most important task to do in any organization. Learning all the new strategical ways to present an innovation leads to best results. We have three different ways of strategical learning that employees in every organization should follow. They are as follows:
· Always we need to link the innovation to the customer value for having a better and clear result. This approach can easily focus on the customer pain points (CPPs) [McKeen & Smith (2015)]. The identification of these pain points gives us many potential solutions.
· Always we should link all the experimentation.
This research essay descriptively details what is meant by Information Technology Strategy and why in increasingly automated business environment of today, successful firms are those that not only have an established IT strategy but also keep updating the same based on changes that may be encountered. Further explained in extreme detail are the reasons that necessitate the need for organizations of today to have an established and implemented IT strategy other than the competition that may be faced from other organizations which have an IT strategy. Also detailed are the values and benefits that may be derived by organizations by having an IT strategy and what qualities and elements of an IT strategy would need to be established in order to derive the maximum amount of value from an IT strategy.
1. Top of FormResource Project Systems Acquisition Plan Gradi.docxambersalomon88660
1.
Top of Form
Resource: Project Systems Acquisition Plan Grading Guide
Resources:
· Baltzan, P., and Phillips, A. (2015). Business Driven Information Systems (5th ed).
· Week 3 articles and videos
· It is recommended students search the Internet for a Systems Acquisition Plan template.
Scenario: You are an entrepreneur in the process of researching a business development idea. As you create a high-level Information Technology (IT) strategy for your new enterprise, it is important to consider the acquisition of IT resources. A Systems Acquisition Plan will guide the process of identifying enterprise technology needs and acquiring appropriate information systems in the context of your goal to incorporate business driven IT. The Systems Acquisition Plan is intended to describe a high-level process for acquiring and maintaining IT systems. The Systems Acquisition Plan is a working document, which is expected to change over time as new project details emerge.
Create a high-level Project Systems Acquisition Plan for your project in a minimum of 1,050 words that includes the following information:
· A description and justification of the specific systems design and development approach (SDLC, RAD, Spiral, outsourcing, etc.) the enterprise will employ
· A summary of the steps in the systems acquisition process including initiation, analysis, design, acquisition, and maintenance
· A high-level overview of who will participate in each step of the systems acquisition process
Cite a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed references from the University of Phoenix Library.
Format consistent with APA guidelines.
Submit your assignment.
Resources
· Center for Writing Excellence
· Reference and Citation Generator
· Grammar and Writing Guides
· Learning Team Toolkit
2
CHAPTER
Decisions and Processes: Value Driven Business
CHAPTER OUTLINE
SECTION 2.1
Decision Support Systems
SECTION 2.2
Business Processes
Making Organizational Business Decisions
Measuring Organizational Business Decisions
Using MIS to Make Business Decisions
Using AI to Make Business Decisions
Managing Business Processes
Using MIS to Improve Business Processes
What’s in IT for me?
Working faster and smarter has become a necessity for companies. A firm’s value chain is directly affected by how well it designs and coordinates its business processes. Business processes offer competitive advantages if they enable a firm to lower operating costs, differentiate, or compete in a niche market. They can also be huge burdens if they are outdated, which impedes operations, efficiency, and effectiveness. Thus, the ability of management information systems to improve business processes is a key advantage.
The goal of Chapter 2 is to provide an overview of specific MIS tools managers can use to support the strategies discussed in Chapter 1. After reading this chapter, you, the business student, should have detailed knowledge of the types of information systems that exist to support decision making and business .
Sit717 enterprise business intelligence 2019 t2 copy1NellutlaKishore
This document discusses data mining techniques and business intelligence. It begins with an introduction to different data mining techniques like clustering, statistical analysis, visualization, classification, neural networks, rules, and decision trees. It then provides more detail on statistical techniques, explaining that they help analyze large datasets. The document evaluates how big data and business intelligence are related, concluding that while they are different concepts, they need to work together to effectively analyze data and make smart business decisions. Big data provides the large datasets, while business intelligence extracts useful information from those datasets.
The incorporation of innovation on organizations is simultaneously a necessity and a risk which requires substantial changed in today’s organizations in order for those to achieve success and which frequently means reinventing their business models, hence, embracing the inevitable change.
This document provides an overview and summary of a seminar report on how increased IT outsourcing affects unemployment, with a focus on India. Some key points:
- IT outsourcing refers to outsourcing of computer/internet work like programming to other companies. It is growing rapidly and estimated to be worth $163 billion in 2004.
- The report aims to analyze how IT outsourcing impacts employment and can increase unemployment as companies adopt new technologies.
- The outsourcing trend has become controversial as some see it as helping companies cut costs while others see it negatively impacting jobs in India. Rising unemployment is linked to more outsourcing of India jobs overseas.
This document provides an overview and summary of a seminar report on how increased IT outsourcing affects unemployment, with a focus on India. Some key points:
- IT outsourcing refers to outsourcing of computer/internet work like programming to other companies. It is growing rapidly and estimated to be worth $163 billion in 2004.
- The report aims to analyze how IT outsourcing impacts employment and can increase unemployment as companies adopt new technologies.
- The conclusion is that IT outsourcing is damaging India's economy by reducing jobs and increasing unemployment rates. When jobs are lost to outsourcing, spending decreases which impacts other businesses and incomes.
Similar to Discussion 2Post 1IT FinancingEvery organization struggles.docx (20)
. According to your textbook, Contrary to a popular misconception.docxmadlynplamondon
According to a cross-cultural study of 186 societies, attitudes toward homosexuality vary significantly across cultures. Only 31% of societies studied stigmatized homosexual behavior, while 38% viewed it as a normal developmental phase for youth and 18% accepted committed same-sex relationships as an alternative form of marriage. The historical stigmatization of homosexuality in America is a product of enculturation rather than universal moral values.
-How did artwork produced in America from 1945 to 1960 compare to ar.docxmadlynplamondon
Post-World War II American art differed from European art by embracing abstract expressionism through artists like Jackson Pollock and his drip paintings, while European art focused more on figurative styles. Pollock's painting Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) used dripped and splattered oil paint on canvas in 1950, as did Willem de Kooning's Woman I in 1952, showing the abstract expressionist movement in America. European art of the time included Alberto Giacometti's figurative sculpture Woman of Venice II from 1956.
-Just thoughts and opinion on the reading-Consent and compen.docxmadlynplamondon
-Just thoughts and opinion on the reading
-Consent and compensation are two things that the Johns Hopkins doctors did not provide Henrietta Lacks. How are these ideas at odds?
-African Americans today face disparities in the health care system even today. How can Henrietta's story motivate change in our current system?
.
. The Questioned Documents Unit (QDU) provides forensic support .docxmadlynplamondon
. The Questioned Documents Unit (QDU) provides forensic support to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies by conducting examinations on evidence collected during their investigation as well as expert testimony concerning information contained in the reports. The Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit (CRRU) supports law enforcement by assisting in the analysis of cryptic communications such as codes found in letters, notes and diaries (FBI.gov).
After an individual is arrested, I will obtain fingerprints and photographs of the subject and complete a number of forms that are used to start a criminal file on the subject. I will use the Buccal Collection DNA test kit provided by the FBI on my subject. Once completed properly and submitted to the FBI, the kit will be sent to the Federal DNA Database Unit (FDDU). The FDDU will take the DNA test kit and upload it into NDIS creating a DNA profile for my subject. The subject’s DNA profile will be searched against unknown forensic profiles from crime scenes across the country. If my subject’s DNA matches with another crime from another state he can be charged for that crimes as well. In my opinion this is the most important service the FBI has. This allows all agencies to communicate and share information based off of DNA evidence. The flaw is that they need the criminal to be apprehended and processed in order for the DNA to be in the system.
In Knoxville Tennessee, FBI Emergency Response agents train how to excavate a body at the Body Farm. The agents pair up in teams with forensic anthropologists to learn how to best identify and excavate human remains to preserve the clues and pieces of evidence that decaying bodies may leave behind. The weeklong training gives agents step by step instructions while surprising the agents with twists and surprises during their excavations. This was very interesting to me because it helps put things into perspective. Teaches them to put the victim first, which will motivate them to slow down, be methodical with their techniques and be very thorough because it only can be done once.
respond to this discussion question 150 words
.
. What is it about the fundamental nature and structure of the Olym.docxmadlynplamondon
. What is it about the fundamental nature and structure of the Olympics that helps explain why the conflict arose and escalated?
b. Was the form of aggression displayed by the attackers hostile aggression or instrumental aggression? Explain your reasoning. (Note: you
must
make a decision between these alternatives and defend your decision.)
.
-Learning objectives for presentation-Brief background o.docxmadlynplamondon
Madeleine Leininger developed the transcultural nursing theory to address the need for culturally competent care (Leininger, 2002). Her theory focuses on how culture impacts health, wellness, and nursing care. It emphasizes understanding a patient's cultural values, beliefs and practices to provide sensitive and respectful care.
-You will need to play a phone game Angry Birds (any version) to mak.docxmadlynplamondon
-You will need to play a phone game Angry Birds (any version) to make observation.
-Make an observation on how you must launch the birds in order to knock over the items.
-Pay attention to how the path of the birds (the projectiles) changes as you change the launch angle and how far back you pull the birds at launch.
-You will also need to complete the calculations in assignment.
Assignment file below...
.
. EDU 571 Week 5 Discussion 1 -
"Data Collection" Please respond to the following:
· Using your planned evaluation project, assume that the client paying for the evaluation has requested that you primarily use audio/visual interview and observation techniques. The client envisions using clips in the evaluation report and in marketing campaigns. Discuss the appropriateness, advantages, and disadvantages of using digital capabilities to capture sound, video, and photographs of the interviewees, focus groups, and observations. Provide reasons for opposing or supporting the request (partially or completely).
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·
EDU 571 Week 5 Discussion 2 -
"Benefits of Meta-Evaluation" Please respond to the following:
· Your client told you that a meta-evaluation should not be included in the plan or budget. Explain two (2) reasons for including a meta-evaluation in the evaluation plan. Recommend two (2) ways to reduce the costs.
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EDU 571 Week 3 Target of Program Evaluation Plan, Part 1 -
Target of Program Evaluation Plan, Part 1
Assignment 1 is the first part of a five-part project to plan the various elements of a program evaluation for education. Select a program target from your school district, workplace, (e.g., business training program) or your university (where you are a student). For you to gain the most from the assignment, you should select a program that you are interested in, would like to see evaluated, and are able to obtain information about. (Possible programs include: student assessment, teacher assessment, pay for student achievement, new teacher or employee training, online classrooms, anti-bullying, gender equity for girls in math and science, school to work, retention of at-risk students, and schools of choice (charter schools), etc.). As you develop the entire plan, gather information, and receive feedback from your professor (or others), you should revise and refine each part of the project. Think of your professor as your project evaluator and supervisor who will help guide you so that you produce an outstanding, well-developed evaluation plan for the stakeholders.
Write a 1000 words paper in which you:
1. Describe three (3) elements of a worthy object for program evaluation - its type, the department administrating it, and target population.
2. Describe the program's history, primary purpose(s), and / or expected outcomes.
3. Explain three (3) reasons for selecting the program (e.g., program's value or lack of it, issues surrounding it, age, relevance, cost, impact on students, etc.).
4. Discuss three (3) advantages of evaluating the program at this time.
5. Discuss two (2) major constraints in conducting an evaluation on this program and a method of addressing them.
6. Use at least three (3) peer-reviewed academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and many Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Peer-reviewed academic resources refer to articles and scholarly journals that are reviewe.
. What were the causes of World War II Explain how and why the Unit.docxmadlynplamondon
. What were the causes of World War II? Explain how and why the United States got involved in the war. Discuss the U.S. home front. How did women and minorities respond to the war? Explain the war in North Africa and Europe. Discuss the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. What was Adolf Hitler’s “final solution,” and what were the consequences of the Holocaust? How did the Allies end the war in Europe? Discuss the war in the Pacific. What proved to be an effective U.S. strategy in the Pacific? Analyze Harry Truman’s controversial decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. What were the consequences of World War II?
.
. Complete the prewriting for the progress reportPrewriting p.docxmadlynplamondon
. Complete the prewriting for the progress report:
Prewriting prepares you to write and helps you organize your ideas.
You may print the lesson and jot notes for yourself on the paper, or you may write notes on your own.
You do not have to submit prewriting for any points, but don't skip this important step!
2. Complete a draft of the progress report:
Remember to use the memo format style in typing this progress report.
This report should be two or more pages when you are completed.
The draft will be much shorter than your final report.
Follow a logical structure: introduction, what is finished, what is underway, what is left to do, and a conclusion.
Use specifics such as dates, proper names, numbers, costs, etc.
Include one or more visuals may such as pictures, graphs, charts, tables, etc.
.
-in Filomena by Roberta Fernandez the author refers to the Mexican r.docxmadlynplamondon
-in Filomena by Roberta Fernandez the author refers to the Mexican rituals for the day of the dead how is this celebration portrayed in the story?
-in "La doctora Barr" how does Mary Helen Ponce describe the traditional way Mexican-American women prepared for a childbirth in their community?
-how does Nilda feel about Sophies's presence in her home?
-how is bilingualism used in the story "Filomena"? Support your opinions with examples from the story
-describe the incident with the vanilla ice cream . Why was it so upsetting for Nilda?
.
-Write about a violent religious event in history.(Ex. Muslim ex.docxmadlynplamondon
-Write about a violent religious event in history.
(Ex. Muslim extremist acts in history, or the Christian crusades, etc.)
-Write about belief/reasoning/justification those certain people believe their actions have and affects of...
-(Identity)They're view of the world and themselves. Is it rationale or is it a problem. Why?
5-pages minimum
4-scholarly sources min. 2 of 4 book sources Need Dec. 2nd by 9pm.
.
-This project is an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to analyz.docxmadlynplamondon
-This project is an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to analyze and write about music with clarity and purpose. Assume the role of a reviewer/critic who is applying for a job writing a music column for a progressive weblog catering to readers who on average have at least a bachelor's degree and are concerned with issues of justice and equality
-The CD reviewed is one that will allow reflection about how music can provide people the opportunity to imagine the lives and experiences of others different from oneself. Questions to guide reflection while listening should include:
1. Who are the peoples performing the music or who is the music about?
2.What type of life is presented through the music's lyrics and musical sound?
3.What themes or issues are presented by the music?
4. How do the various musical selections relate to each other?
5.What can be learned about people by listening to this CD?
6.Why should other people listen to this music?
-A list of CDs is available for this assignment. CDs may be downloaded for a fee from a preferred site.
-The review will need to include:
1.CD title, artist, genre, release date, etc
2.Background information about the artist or artists for those who may not be familiar.
-The review should be between 800 and 1000 words.
-Conventions of good writing (e.g., correct grammar, spelling, appropriate use of quotations, unctuation) should be observed throughout this project. Moreover, it is important to consider the audience and write in a style that is appropriate. Quotations or information from a primary or secondary source should be cited correctly using APA, Turabian, or MLA.
.
-7 Three men are trapped in a cave with no hope of rescue and no foo.docxmadlynplamondon
Judge A belongs to the legal positivist school of thought. He bases his decision solely on statutory law and case precedents interpreting the law, without considering other factors.
Judge B belongs to the natural law school of thought. He believes the laws of nature apply in extraordinary situations where people are cut off from civilization, rather than man-made laws.
Judge C belongs to the sociological jurisprudence school of thought. She bases her decision on a scientific survey of the community's beliefs, rather than just statutory law or precedent.
-1. Are the three main elements of compensation systems—internal.docxmadlynplamondon
-1.
Are the three main elements of compensation systems—internal consistency, market competitiveness, and recognizing employee contributions—equally important, or do you believe that they differ in importance? If different, which do you believe is most important? Least important? Give your rationale.
use 1 online reference and
Martocchio, J. (2017). Strategic Compensation: A human resource management approach (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
.
- What are the key differences between national health service (.docxmadlynplamondon
- What are the key differences between national health service (NHS) and national health insurance (NHI) systems?
- How do NHI and NHS systems compare with the health care system in the United States?
- How do most countries with similar levels per capita income differ from and resemble the United States with respect to provider payments, coordination of care, workforce and information technology, and health system performance?
Cite at least 2 peer reviewed journal/article. Write in APA format
.
--Describe and analyze the ways in which Alfons Heck’s participation.docxmadlynplamondon
Alfons Heck participated in the Hitler Youth and Nazi culture as a child, which helped shape his sense of purpose and identity. In his memoir "A Child of Hitler", written many decades later, Heck reflects on his experiences and how the acts of writing and reflection allowed him to craft a new identity in the present. Students are asked to analyze how Heck's participation in the Hitler Youth influenced his identity, and how writing his memoir also impacted his identity later in life, in a 2-4 page paper with citations.
------ Watch an online speechpresentation of 20 minutes or lo.docxmadlynplamondon
------
Watch an online speech/presentation of 20 minutes or longer.
( please cite the presentation you would use)
Write a speech analysis essay of
2-3 pages
I: List the speaker, date, location, & topic, and describe the audience. Describe each of these elements and analyze the effect that each of these elements had on the speaker and/or speech.
II: Describe and analyze the effectiveness of each part of the speaker's introduction (attention getter, revelation of topic, statement of credibility, statement of central idea, preview of main points).
III: Summarize each of the speaker's main points. What pattern of organization did the speaker utilize? Was this effective? Why or why not?
IV: Describe and analyze the effectiveness of the evidence/supporting material that the speaker used.
V: Describe and analyze the effectiveness of the speaker's language.
VI: Describe and analyze the effectiveness of the speaker's delivery.
VII: Describe and analyze the effectiveness of each part of the speaker's conclusion.
.
) Florida National UniversityNursing DepartmentBSN.docxmadlynplamondon
)
Florida National University
Nursing Department
BSN Program
NUR 4636-Community Health Nursing
Prof. Eddie Cruz, RN MSN
Please choose one infectious disease or communicable disease and present a 1,000 words essay including the follow;
Name of the disease including agents that cause Infectious/Communicable Disease, the mode of contamination or how it is spread.
The modes of prevention applying the three levels of prevention with at least one example of each one.
Prevalence and control of the condition according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including morbidity and mortality.
Implications of the disease in the community and the role of the community health nurse in the control and prevention of the disease.
The essay must be presented in a Word Document, APA format, Arial 12 font attached to the forum in the tab of the Discussion Question title “Infections/Communicable disease essay” and in the assignment tab under the exercise title “SafeAssign infectious/communicable disease”. A minimum of 3 references no older than 5 years must be used. If you use any reference from any website make sure they are reliable sites such as CDC, NIH, Institute of Medicine, etc.
There is a rubric attached to the assignment for your guidance.
Below please see the definitions of infectious disease and communicable disease. They are similar but differ in some characteristics.
Infectious diseases
are disorders caused by organisms — such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They're normally harmless or even helpful. But under certain conditions, some organisms may cause
disease
. Some
infectious diseases
can be passed from person to person.
Communicable
, or infectious
diseases
, are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Some are transmitted through bites from insects while others are caused by ingesting contaminated food or water.
.
- Please answer question 2 at the end of the case.- cita.docxmadlynplamondon
- Please answer
question 2
at the end of the case.
- citations and references in
IEEE
style
( at least two)
- your answer should be in regards to the case
+
regarding the question itself.
Do it twice ( two different copies)
.
Strategies for Effective Upskilling is a presentation by Chinwendu Peace in a Your Skill Boost Masterclass organisation by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan on 08th and 09th June 2024 from 1 PM to 3 PM on each day.
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
In this webinar, participants learned how to utilize Generative AI to streamline operations and elevate member engagement. Amazon Web Service experts provided a customer specific use cases and dived into low/no-code tools that are quick and easy to deploy through Amazon Web Service (AWS.)
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
This document provides an overview of wound healing, its functions, stages, mechanisms, factors affecting it, and complications.
A wound is a break in the integrity of the skin or tissues, which may be associated with disruption of the structure and function.
Healing is the body’s response to injury in an attempt to restore normal structure and functions.
Healing can occur in two ways: Regeneration and Repair
There are 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This document also describes the mechanism of wound healing. Factors that affect healing include infection, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition, age, anemia, the presence of foreign bodies, etc.
Complications of wound healing like infection, hyperpigmentation of scar, contractures, and keloid formation.
हिंदी वर्णमाला पीपीटी, hindi alphabet PPT presentation, hindi varnamala PPT, Hindi Varnamala pdf, हिंदी स्वर, हिंदी व्यंजन, sikhiye hindi varnmala, dr. mulla adam ali, hindi language and literature, hindi alphabet with drawing, hindi alphabet pdf, hindi varnamala for childrens, hindi language, hindi varnamala practice for kids, https://www.drmullaadamali.com
বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক সমীক্ষা ২০২৪ [Bangladesh Economic Review 2024 Bangla.pdf] কম্পিউটার , ট্যাব ও স্মার্ট ফোন ভার্সন সহ সম্পূর্ণ বাংলা ই-বুক বা pdf বই " সুচিপত্র ...বুকমার্ক মেনু 🔖 ও হাইপার লিংক মেনু 📝👆 যুক্ত ..
আমাদের সবার জন্য খুব খুব গুরুত্বপূর্ণ একটি বই ..বিসিএস, ব্যাংক, ইউনিভার্সিটি ভর্তি ও যে কোন প্রতিযোগিতা মূলক পরীক্ষার জন্য এর খুব ইম্পরট্যান্ট একটি বিষয় ...তাছাড়া বাংলাদেশের সাম্প্রতিক যে কোন ডাটা বা তথ্য এই বইতে পাবেন ...
তাই একজন নাগরিক হিসাবে এই তথ্য গুলো আপনার জানা প্রয়োজন ...।
বিসিএস ও ব্যাংক এর লিখিত পরীক্ষা ...+এছাড়া মাধ্যমিক ও উচ্চমাধ্যমিকের স্টুডেন্টদের জন্য অনেক কাজে আসবে ...
ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, and GDPR: Best Practices for Implementation and...PECB
Denis is a dynamic and results-driven Chief Information Officer (CIO) with a distinguished career spanning information systems analysis and technical project management. With a proven track record of spearheading the design and delivery of cutting-edge Information Management solutions, he has consistently elevated business operations, streamlined reporting functions, and maximized process efficiency.
Certified as an ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Lead Implementer, Data Protection Officer, and Cyber Risks Analyst, Denis brings a heightened focus on data security, privacy, and cyber resilience to every endeavor.
His expertise extends across a diverse spectrum of reporting, database, and web development applications, underpinned by an exceptional grasp of data storage and virtualization technologies. His proficiency in application testing, database administration, and data cleansing ensures seamless execution of complex projects.
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Throughout his career, he has taken on multifaceted roles, from leading technical project management teams to owning solutions that drive operational excellence. His conscientious and proactive approach is unwavering, whether he is working independently or collaboratively within a team. His ability to connect with colleagues on a personal level underscores his commitment to fostering a harmonious and productive workplace environment.
Date: May 29, 2024
Tags: Information Security, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, Artificial Intelligence, GDPR
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How to Manage Your Lost Opportunities in Odoo 17 CRMCeline George
Odoo 17 CRM allows us to track why we lose sales opportunities with "Lost Reasons." This helps analyze our sales process and identify areas for improvement. Here's how to configure lost reasons in Odoo 17 CRM
Main Java[All of the Base Concepts}.docxadhitya5119
This is part 1 of my Java Learning Journey. This Contains Custom methods, classes, constructors, packages, multithreading , try- catch block, finally block and more.
How to Make a Field Mandatory in Odoo 17Celine George
In Odoo, making a field required can be done through both Python code and XML views. When you set the required attribute to True in Python code, it makes the field required across all views where it's used. Conversely, when you set the required attribute in XML views, it makes the field required only in the context of that particular view.
Reimagining Your Library Space: How to Increase the Vibes in Your Library No ...Diana Rendina
Librarians are leading the way in creating future-ready citizens – now we need to update our spaces to match. In this session, attendees will get inspiration for transforming their library spaces. You’ll learn how to survey students and patrons, create a focus group, and use design thinking to brainstorm ideas for your space. We’ll discuss budget friendly ways to change your space as well as how to find funding. No matter where you’re at, you’ll find ideas for reimagining your space in this session.
1. Discussion 2:
Post 1:
IT Financing
Every organization struggles with IT budgeting, and the reason
is that most of the information technology teams are not
familiar with the process that they should use in the budgeting
process, and the finance team is not well aware of the IT
process (Abel-Smith, 2018). Therefore, the tea that is selected
to deal with financing different departments in an organization
should consider financing each department since they play a
vital role in the environment. They should bear in mind that
spending their budget on IT is like they are funding the future
of the organization. Before financing, they should consider
analyzing their customers, whether the short terms ones or the
long terms.
The financial planners in an organization should consider every
client in their organization, whether the client is a long term or
a short term. It forms the central security before the
organization (McKeen, & Smith, 2015). Therefore, if the
department is not well-financed, then they will lack enough
capital that they require to develop and set on the most secure
strategies that they will use to protect the organization against
the hackers. Excellent financing must consider each client in the
organization since each client requires different facilities and
products. Therefore, finance officers should make proper
arrangements and overlook each client and the services they
need where the services are long term or short term.
In conclusion, IT financing is important since it ensures that all
the departments are well protected and connected. Without the
connection, then the different departments in the organization
will lack the proper communication that is required to jeep the
processes running.
2. References
Abel-Smith, B. (2018). An introduction to health: policy,
planning and financing. Routledge.
McKeen, J. D., & Smith, H. A. (2015). IT strategy: Issues and
practices (3rd ed
Response 1 in APA format with atleast 2 references.
Post 2:
IT Budgeting
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Gray, P. (2018) defined IT budgeting as “an IT budget is a wish
list of funding for every conceivable project and technology
that’s expected to be reduced, trimmed, and rejected.” In
general people who propose the IT budget generally propose
more than what is estimated to be on the safer side but the
business who approve the budget are aware of such practices in
IT. There are no fixed practices to defining an IT budget but
below are some of the IT budgeting practices that can help
Appoint an IT finance specialist
McKeen, J.D., & Smith, H.A (2015) has mentioned that
“Financial specialists can help IT managers to understand their
costs and drivers in new ways.” A large number of companies
are following this already and they have financial experts
working with CFO and IT to help create efficient IT budgets.
These financial experts can also help in the translation process
between the IT budget and the fiscal IT budget and assist with
the value analysis of the IT services and IT infrastructure
(Gruman 2006).
Use budgeting tools and methodologies
It is a no brainer that usage of budgeting tools and technology
would make the life of the IT managers easier. According to the
focus group research conducted by McKeen et al., (2015)
managers who used the budgeting tools for asset tracking,
rolling up and breaking down budgets felt that the tools were
3. really of help while the managers who did not access such tools
felt that there were gaps in the budgeting process and there were
disconnects all over the place.
Separate operations from innovation
Maintenance and support should not be mixed up with the new
development of projects. IT funds should be assigned to
strategic delivers rather than business units to avoid such mix
ups. This kind of separation of budget of operations from
innovation provides a level of visibility in IT spending which in
turn will help the business have visibility and tracking over the
new projects as well as maintenance of the ongoing.
Adopt rolling budget cycles
Instead of having annual budgets, budgets should be accessed
more frequently. Having an eighteen-month budgets with
quarterly reviews and updates have been proven to be more
effective than annual budgets.
Aligning IT budget with the organization’s strategy
Shimamoto, D. (2012) has proposed that “Once IT
initiatives have been evaluated and incorporated into the
budget, organization should take a step back from the details
and look at the big picture.” It is very essential for the business
to ask itself whether the IT budget aligns with the
organization’s strategic objective or should there be any
reconsiderations in certain areas of the budget.
Although all of the above-mentioned practices seem to
be important, I particularly think that adopting rolling budget
cycles is very essential for an organization. The reason for this
is that having a locked annual budget disables the control for
the business over its IT. Having a long-term rolling budget and
adopting to rolling cycles budgets like quarterly reviews will
give the business a chance to look at where the IT and business
are currently aligning. Business will have an opportunity to re-
access and update its budget if necessary.
References
Gray, P. (2018, September 4). IT budgeting: A clean sheet.
4. Retrieved February 3, 2020,
from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/it-budgeting-the-
smart-persons-guide/
Gruman, G. (2006, July 1). Trimming for Dollars. CIO
Maganize
McKeen, J.D., & Smith, H.A (2015). IT Strategy: Issues and
practices (3rd ed.). Pearson
Shimamoto, D. (2012). A strategic approach to IT budgeting.
Retrieved February 3, 2020,
from https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2012/mar/20
114439.html
Bottom of Form
Response 2 in APA format with atleast 2 references.
Discussion 1:
Post 1:
IT Sourcing Criterias
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Discussion
Key decision criteria that IT managers need to examine
to help them make an IT sourcing decision
IT sourcing is the most problems that IT companies are facing
in today’s world. IT sourcing decision making plays a major
role in most of the IT companies to hire permanent IT staffs or
outsource or have partnership with other outsourcing
companies. There are some key decision criteria’s that IT
managers can consider in making these decisions.
1.Flexibility. This criterion has two dimensions which is
response time (IT function delivery time) and capability (the
range of IT functionality). In-house staff rate high at both
5. dimensions. Insourcing is also a highly flexible sourcing option.
Outsourcing can provide the services as like other sourcing
options, but outsourcing is available in particular time frame
only because of the negotiation in the contract. Partnerships
have considered flexibility regarding capability but much less
response in time. Partnerships always contribute to create value
beyond the organization expectations.
2. Control. This criterion has two dimensions which is delivery
(i.e., ensuring that delivered IT function complies with
requirements) and security (i.e., protecting intellectual assets).
In-house and insourcing options are favored in case where the
work is proprietary, strategic, “below the radar”, or needed
immediately. Outsourcing is preferred in delivery option but
when it comes to security type of dimension, they are not
disclosed with outsourcing companies and their employees.
Security plays main role in IT companies to protect their assets
which causes very high value damage to entire organization.
Partnerships are designed to be self-controlling by the
memberships and when it comes to security, they are in the
same level of outsourcing but will have little more privilege to
less secured resources. “What is not easily replicable and thus
is potentially strategic, is an organization intelligence and
capability” (Marquis (2006)).
3. Knowledge Enhancement. This criterion deals with
knowledge retention but not just with knowledge development
(Ross, J. W., and G. Westerman (2004)). If a product is
developed by internal IT personnel and if it augmented by
contract personnel, knowledge development takes place here,
but retention of this developed knowledge is not completely
shared with internal IT personnel. It is better to assign a
internal personnel time and knowledge to work on that
particular product or tool and train other insource staffs with
developed internal IT personnel will be helpful to have the
knowledge shared and developed within organization which
leads to bring more suggestions or ideas towards growth of the
6. organization.
4. Business Exigency. Business opportunities arise periodically
but sometimes IT planning / budgeting are not ready to
accommodate those surprise/urgent requirements which
companies needs to fulfill by end of the financial quarter. To
satisfy this via sourcing options insource/inhouse options is
definitely not preferred in this situation because it takes much
time to finish the recruitment process and outsourcing is the
best option to fulfill these urgent positions which requires
specific contractual agreements which can later change to
insource through contract-hire roles. Business exigence is a
dominant factor and faster sourcing option will take precedence
(Smith, H. A., and J. D. McKeen (2015)).
References:
Smith, H. A., and J. D. McKeen. “IT in 2015.” Presentation to
Center for Information Systems Research (CISR),
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, April 2012.
Marquis, H. A. “Finishing Off IT.” MIT Sloan Management
Review 47, no. 4 (Summer 2006): 12–16.
Ross, J. W., and G. Westerman. “Preparing for Utility
Computing: The Role of IT Architecture and Relationship
Management.” MIT Sloan Management Review 43, no. 1
(2004): 5–19.
Bottom of Form
Response 1 in APA format with atleast 2 references.
Post 2:
7. Decision criteria for IT managers to IT sourcing decision.
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
· Discuss the key decision criteria that IT managers need to
examine to help them make an IT sourcing decision.
There are some key considerations which help IT managers to
select the IT sourcing:
Decision Criteria 1: Flexibility - Flexibility is considered in two
options: Response time (to determine the delivery of IT
product), Capability (ability to deliver IT product). Insourcing
is nothing but permanent IT staff which is very flexible
sourcing option, Outsourcing has less flexibility compared to
Insourcing because, finding an outsourcing with all the skills
required, monitoring work is another task. So, partnership is the
more flexible option to achieve goals and add value to the
organization. (Mckeen & Smith, 2015)
Decision Criteria 2: Control - Control is considered with two
dimensions: Delivery (Ensuring that IT delivers all the business
needs), Security (Securing the systems). In this case insourcing
has more flexibility with respect to work emergency.
Outsourcing is preferred when we have a scheduled time of
delivery and handled with agreements. Partnerships are tending
to be more favored than other options. (Mckeen & Smith, 2015)
Decision Criteria 3: Creative and Operational - Some creative
products designing a chip, games mostly compliance products
are not outsourced because they have confidential data where as
some of the operational products like automation process are
outsourced very easily. For all outsourcing decisions a details
data specs is required. (Zwilling, 2011)
Decision Criteria 4: Knowledge Enhancement - For every
sourcing decision knowledge capture is required. One
organization explained with an example of developing new
business product by using internal staff (in-house) to transfer
knowledge between It team and business team even though they
had a change to get outsource staff. Another organization made
a decision to train insource staff how to do the work by the
8. internal IT expertise rather than outsourcing the project for
cheaper cost. Knowledge development is not only the key factor
but also knowledge transfer plays a prominent role, therefore
knowledge enhancement is the best component for sourcing
decisions. (Mckeen & Smith, 2015)
Decision Criteria 5: Product or Services – Product software
development is toughest part after that delivering that product
to the customers doesn’t take much effort. Outsourcing these
services must be carefully monitored; sometimes the delivered
product may not work and may have issues. (Zwilling, 2011)
Decision Criteria 6: Business Exigency - Business opportunities
arise intermittently and due to the emergency they do not follow
a standard process and decision is made to freeze the
opportunity and other decisions are dropped because of the
business idea. In this option sourcing can give better results.
Due to the immediacy partnership decision will be implemented
within the staff. Therefore, business exigency is a key in urgent
situations faster the outsourcing option is make better
results. (Mckeen & Smith, 2015)
References:
Mckeen, J. D., & Smith, H. A. (2015). IT Statregy. New Jersey:
Pearson.
Zwilling, M. (2011, April). Six Key Factors in the Right
Outsourcing Decision. Retrieved from Business Insider:
https://www.businessinsider.com/six-key-factors-in-the-right-
outsourcing-decision-2011-4
Bottom of Form
Response 2 in APA format with atleast 2 references.
case study/Assignment_sample_db (1) (1).docx
Running Head: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD APPLIED TO
DIGITAL FORENSICS 1
9. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD APPLIED TO DIGITAL
FORENSICS 7
The Scientific Method Applied To Digital Forensics
by student name
Professor D. Barrett
University
Course
Todays date
10. Abstract
Computer forensics is the process of digital investigation
combining technology, the science of discovery and the
methodical application of legal procedures. Judges and jurors
often do not understand the inner workings of computers and
rely on digital forensics experts to seek evidence and provide
reliable, irrefutable testimony based on their findings. The
scientific method is the process of diligent, disciplined
discovery where a hypothesis is formed without bias, and
analysis and testing is performed with the goal of effectively
proving or disproving a sound hypothesis. When investigative
teams do not follow standard investigative procedures it can
lead to inappropriate and inaccurate evidentiary presentations
that are extremely difficult for non-technical participants to
refute. The practitioners of digital forensics can make strides to
measure and improve the accuracy of their findings using the
scientific method. This paper includes a summary of the
scientific method as applied to the emerging and growing field
of digital forensics and presents details of a specific case where
both the prosecution and defense would have benefitted greatly
from the use of this proven method of discovery and analysis.
Findings can only be deemed reasonably conclusive when the
scientific process is correctly applied to an investigation,
findings are repeatable and verifiable, and where both the
evidence collected and the tools used are subject to the utmost
scrutiny.
The Scientific Method Applied To Digital Forensics
The forensic analyst and investigator must use a unique
combination of technical, investigative, and scientific skills
11. when approaching a forensic case. Most adults remember the
Scientific Method from their middle school science class as a
set of six steps beginning with stating a problem, gathering
information, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis,
analyzing the data and drawing conclusions that either support
or do not support the hypothesis. Peisert, Bishop, & Marzullo
(2008) note that the term computer forensics has evolved to
mean “scientific tests of techniques used with the detection of
crime” yet note that many academic computer scientists also use
the term to refer to the “process of logging, collecting, auditing
or analyzing data in a post hoc investigation”. The necessity to
maintain chain of custody requires methodical and detailed
procedures, as does the formulation of a legitimate and unbiased
hypothesis and conclusion using the scientific method. Since
many judges and jurors assume that computer forensic evidence
is as “reliable and conclusive” as it is depicted on television,
the legal system is unaware of the volatile nature of computer
forensics investigations and the significance of a scientific
approach to evidence gathering and analysis (Peisert et al.,
2008).
The Scientific Process as Applied to Computer Forensics
Peisert et al. (2008) discuss in detail the need for the use of the
scientific method in forensic investigations, not only for the
process of discovery and analysis of evidence, but for
measuring the accuracy of the forensic tools used in an
investigation. Casey (2010) agrees, and cautions that evidence
must be compared to known samples so that investigators better
understand the scope and context of the evidence that is
discovered or presented and to better understand the output of
forensic tools. Casey (2010) further elaborates that the
scientific method is a powerful tool for forensic investigators
who must be neutral fact finders rather than advocates for one
side of a case or the other.
The process of creating a hypothesis and completing
experiments to prove or disprove them allows an investigator to
gain a concrete understanding of the digital evidence or mere
12. traces of evidence under analysis. Casey (2010) also notes that
while there is no ethical requirement to do so and may be
impractical, a thorough investigative practice would consider
investigation of alternate scenarios presented by defense.
Forensic examination tools can contain bugs, or behave
differently with various types of data and forensic images.
Casey (2010) recommends that investigators examine evidence
at both the physical and logical layers since both methods can
provide unique perspectives, and the physical layer may not
yield deleted, corrupted or hidden data. Suspects with limited
technical experience can rename image files with different
extensions not used for images, and those with more technical
knowledge can use advanced steganography techniques to
embed data within other data in an attempt to defy detection.
The 2004 case of State of Connecticut v. Julie Amero in
Norwich, Connecticut is one where the scientific method was
clearly missing from both the defense and prosecution.
Eckelberry, Dardick, Folkerts, Shipp, Sites, Stewart, & Stuart
(2007) completed a comprehensive post-trial analysis of the
evidence as provided to the defense and discovered very
different evidentiary results using a structured scientific
approach to their investigation. Amero was a substitute
elementary teacher accused of displaying pornographic images
that appeared on pop-up’s to her students from what ultimately
was proven to be a spyware-infected school computer. The
credibility of the legal system was compromised and the
prosecution made a numerous incorrect assumptions based on
results provided from inadequate forensic tools and poor
investigative techniques (Eckelberry et al., 2007).
The computer that Amero was using in her classroom was a
Windows 98 machine running Internet Explorer 6.0.2800 and a
trial version of Cheyenne AntiVirus that had not received an
update in several years. The content filtering at the school had
expired several months prior to the incident. The prosecution
presented non-factual statements that may easily have been
misconstrued by a non-technical jury and that likely caused a
13. guilty verdict. The false testimony made by the school IT
specialist indicated that the virus protection was updated
weekly when in fact they were not since computer logs and the
signatures clearly showed that virus updates were no longer
supported by the vendor. The updates may have been performed
but against files that had no new updates for many months. The
IT Manager who testified also incorrectly claimed that adware
was not able to generate pornography and especially not
“endless loop pornography”. This information was received as
a fact by the non-technical jury and incredibly not refuted by
the defense. The detective for the prosecution also stated that
his testimony was based completely on the product
ComputerCop which the vendor admits is incapable of
determining if a website was visited purposefully or
unintentionally. The forensic detective astoundingly admitted
that he did not examine the computer for the presence of adware
(Eckelberry et al., 2007, p. 7-10).
The case against Amero was largely based on testimony stating
that she deliberately visited the offensive pornographic websites
and that the sites visited subsequently showed the links in red.
The post-trial investigative team quickly verified that the ‘sites
visited’ color setting in Internet Explorer on the suspect
machine was set to “96,100,32” which is a greenish-gray color.
One of the web pages that the defendant allegedly visited had an
HTML override to highlight one of the links presented in red
and was not colored based on a deliberate visit to the site.
According to Eckelberry et al. (2007) the page in question was
not discovered in “any of the caches or Internet history files or
the Internet History DAT files. The post-trial investigative
team through meticulous investigation and use of the scientific
method were able to present facts that were “exculpatory
evidence showing that the link was never clicked on by the
defendant” or any other person, and disproved most of the
statements made by the forensics examiner and the witnesses for
the prosecution (Eckelberry et al., 2007, p. 12-14).
The prosecution testimony stated that there was no evidence of
14. uncontrollable pop ups found on the suspect machine, however,
the post-trial investigative team discovered irrefutable evidence
that the page in question was loaded twenty-one times in one
second using a computer forensics tool called X-Ways Trace.
Eckleberry et al. (2007) detail many other instances where
testimony was haphazard and discovered that a Halloween
screen saver was the source of the adware that presented the
continuous stream of pornographic sites. The chain of custody
was also compromised in that the disk image was from a Dell
PC but the defense witness saw a Gateway PC stored at the
police station. The officer reportedly seized a computer but the
police report contradicts this and states that only a drive was
taken (Eckelberry et al., 2007, p. 14-17).
The case described and investigated by Eckelberry et al. (2007)
resembles a staged blunder designed as a humorous sample case
for beginning forensic students to discuss. The case was
however very real and even though the defendant was
eventually acquitted she suffered lasting harm from the
notoriety based on the initial conviction of contributing to the
delinquency of minors. If the prosecution or defense had
investigated the evidence using the scientific method and
maintained a credible chain of custody, or at least used clear
critical thinking while performing a thorough forensic
investigation this case may never have gone to trial. It wasted
the time and resources of judge, jury, and countless other
participants in the trial and permanently damaged an innocent
victim (Eckelberry et al., 2007).
Conclusion
The scientific method is a process that allows confidence in a
hypothesis when it can be subjected to repeated identical tests.
The use of the scientific method not only provides a methodical
structure to a forensic investigation, it lends credibility to a
case in the very nature of the steps used to document and
diligently test any given hypothesis. The case independently
investigated post-trial by Eckelberry et al. (2007) was
performed by a team of trained experts who were well aware of
15. the necessity of the methodical requirements and necessity of
the scientific method of discovery. Their findings proved that
the suspect was in fact a victim of poorly maintained computers
by a local Connecticut school system, that the forensic expert
and witnesses who testified in the case were untrained and
uninformed and used inadequate tools for the investigation.
Cases such as State of Connecticut v. Julie Amero illustrate the
importance of using the scientific method, and the necessity of
proper training in the art and science of digital forensics.
References
Carrier, B. (2002, October). Open Source Digital Forensics
Tools: The Legal Argument. In @ Stake Inc. Retrieved
September 8, 2011, from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.19.78
99&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Casey, E. (Ed.). (2010). Handbook of Digital Forensics and
Investigation (Kindle ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier, Inc.
Eckelberry, A., Dardick, G., Folkerts, J., Shipp, A., Sites, E.,
Stewart, J., & Stuart, R. (2007, March 21). Technical Review of
the Trial Testimony of State of Connecticut vs. Julie Amero.
Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://www.sunbelt-
software.com/ihs/alex/julieamerosummary.pdf
Nelson, B., Phillips, A., & Steuart, C. (2010). Guide to
Computer Forensics and Investigations (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
Peisert, S., Bishop, M., & Marzullo, K. (2008, April).
Computer Forensics in Forensis. Retrieved September 8, 2011,
from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.140.3
949&rep=rep1&type=pdf
16. case study/case study text book pages.pdf
case study/post.docx
Case study
Read the RR Communications Case Study on pages 156-159 in
the textbook. Answer Discussion Questions 1-3 at the end of the
Case Study. Your responses must be complete, detailed and in
APA format.
case study/Text Book.pdf
Global
editionGlo
b
a
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it
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this is a special edition of an established
title widely used by colleges and universities
throughout the world. Pearson published this
exclusive edition for the benefit of students
outside the United States and Canada. if you
purchased this book within the United States
or Canada you should be aware that it has
been imported without the approval of the
Publisher or author.
17. Pearson Global Edition
Global
edition
For these Global editions, the editorial team at Pearson has
collaborated with educators across the world to address a
wide range of subjects and requirements, equipping students
with the best possible learning tools. this Global edition
preserves the cutting-edge approach and pedagogy of the
original, but also features alterations, customization, and
adaptation from the north american version.
it
Strategy:
Issues and Practices
M
cK
een
Sm
ith
it Strategy
Issues and Practices
tHiRd edition
James D. McKeen • Heather A. Smith
t
H
iR
18. d
ed
it
io
n
McKeen_1292080264_mech.indd 1 28/11/14 12:56 PM
IT STraTegy:
ISSueS and PracTIceS
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 1 26/11/14 9:32 PM
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 2 26/11/14 9:32 PM
IT STraTegy:
ISSueS and PracTIceS
T h i r d E d i t i o n
G l o b a l E d i t i o n
James D. McKeen
Queen’s University
Heather A. Smith
21. does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark
ownership rights in such trademarks, nor does the
use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with or
endorsement of this book by such owners.
ISBN 10: 1-292-08026-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-292-08026-0
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Typeset in 10/12 Palatino LT Std by Integra Software Services,
Pvt. Ltd.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Bungay,
Suffolk.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 4 26/11/14 9:32 PM
ConTEnTS
Preface 13
About the Authors 21
Acknowledgments 22
Section I Delivering Value with IT 23
Chapter 1 The IT Value ProPoSITIon 24
Peeling the Onion: Understanding IT Value 25
22. What Is IT Value? 25
Where Is IT Value? 26
Who Delivers IT Value? 27
When Is IT Value Realized? 27
The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition 28
Identification of Potential Value 29
Effective Conversion 30
Realizing Value 31
Five Principles for Delivering Value 32
Principle 1. Have a Clearly Defined Portfolio Value
Management
Process 33
Principle 2. Aim for Chunks of Value 33
Principle 3. Adopt a Holistic Orientation to Technology Value
33
Principle 4. Aim for Joint Ownership of Technology Initiatives
34
Principle 5. Experiment More Often 34
Conclusion 34 • References 35
Chapter 2 DelIVerIng BuSIneSS Value Through
IT STraTegy 37
Business and IT Strategies: Past, Present, and Future 38
Four Critical Success Factors 40
23. The Many Dimensions of IT Strategy 42
Toward an IT Strategy-Development Process 44
Challenges for CIOs 45
Conclusion 47 • References 47
Chapter 3 MakIng IT CounT 49
Business Measurement: An Overview 50
Key Business Metrics for IT 52
5
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6 Contents
Designing Business Metrics for IT 53
Advice to Managers 57
Conclusion 58 • References 58
Chapter 4 effeCTIVe BuSIneSS–IT relaTIonShIPS 60
The Nature of the Business–IT Relationship 61
The Foundation of a Strong Business–IT
Relationship 63
Building Block #1: Competence 64
Building Block #2: Credibility 65
24. Building Block #3: Interpersonal Interaction 66
Building Block #4: Trust 68
Conclusion 70 • References 70
Appendix A The Five IT Value Profiles 72
Appendix B Guidelines for Building a Strong Business–IT
Relationship 73
Chapter 5 BuSIneSS–IT CoMMunICaTIon 74
Communication in the Business–IT Relationship 75
What Is “Good” Communication? 76
Obstacles to Effective Communication 78
“T-Level” Communication Skills for IT Staff 80
Improving Business–IT Communication 82
Conclusion 83 • References 83
Appendix A IT Communication Competencies 85
Chapter 6 effeCTIVe IT leaDerShIP 86
The Changing Role of the IT Leader 87
What Makes a Good IT Leader? 89
How to Build Better IT Leaders 92
Investing in Leadership Development: Articulating the Value
Proposition 95
Conclusion 96 • References 97
25. MInI CaSeS
Delivering Business Value with IT at Hefty Hardware 98
Investing in TUFS 102
IT Planning at ModMeters 104
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 6 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Contents 7
Section II IT governance 109
Chapter 7 effeCTIVe IT ShareD SerVICeS 110
IT Shared Services: An Overview 111
IT Shared Services: Pros and Cons 114
IT Shared Services: Key Organizational Success Factors 115
Identifying Candidate Services 116
An Integrated Model of IT Shared Services 117
Recommmendations for Creating Effective IT
Shared Services 118
Conclusion 121 • References 121
Chapter 8 SuCCeSSful IT SourCIng: MaTurITy MoDel,
SourCIng oPTIonS, anD DeCISIon CrITerIa 122
A Maturity Model for IT Functions 123
IT Sourcing Options: Theory Versus Practice 127
26. The “Real” Decision Criteria 131
Decision Criterion #1: Flexibility 131
Decision Criterion #2: Control 131
Decision Criterion #3: Knowledge Enhancement 132
Decision Criterion #4: Business Exigency 132
A Decision Framework for Sourcing IT Functions 133
Identify Your Core IT Functions 133
Create a “Function Sourcing” Profile 133
Evolve Full-Time IT Personnel 135
Encourage Exploration of the Whole Range
of Sourcing Options 136
Combine Sourcing Options Strategically 136
A Management Framework for Successful
Sourcing 137
Develop a Sourcing Strategy 137
Develop a Risk Mitigation Strategy 137
Develop a Governance Strategy 138
Understand the Cost Structures 138
Conclusion 139 • References 139
27. Chapter 9 BuDgeTIng: PlannIng’S eVIl TwIn 140
Key Concepts in IT Budgeting 141
The Importance of Budgets 143
The IT Planning and Budget Process 145
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8 Contents
Corporate Processes 145
IT Processes 147
Assess Actual IT Spending 148
IT Budgeting Practices That Deliver Value 149
Conclusion 150 • References 151
Chapter 10 rISk ManageMenT In IT 152
A Holistic View of IT-Based Risk 153
Holistic Risk Management: A Portrait 156
Developing a Risk Management Framework 157
Improving Risk Management Capabilities 160
Conclusion 161 • References 162
Appendix A A Selection of Risk Classification
Schemes 163
28. Chapter 11 InforMaTIon ManageMenT:
STageS anD ISSueS 164
Information Management: How Does IT Fit? 165
A Framework For IM 167
Stage One: Develop an IM Policy 167
Stage Two: Articulate the Operational
Components 167
Stage Three: Establish Information Stewardship 168
Stage Four: Build Information Standards 169
Issues In IM 170
Culture and Behavior 170
Information Risk Management 171
Information Value 172
Privacy 172
Knowledge Management 173
The Knowing–Doing Gap 173
Getting Started in IM 173
Conclusion 175 • References 176
Appendix A Elements of IM Operations 177
MInI CaSeS
Building Shared Services at RR Communications 178
29. Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance 182
IT Investment at North American Financial 187
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 8 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Contents 9
Section III IT-enabled Innovation 191
Chapter 12 TeChnology-DrIVen InnoVaTIon 192
The Need for Innovation: An Historical
Perspective 193
The Need for Innovation Now 193
Understanding Innovation 194
The Value of Innovation 196
Innovation Essentials: Motivation, Support,
and Direction 197
Challenges for IT leaders 199
Facilitating Innovation 201
Conclusion 202 • References 203
Chapter 13 when BIg DaTa anD SoCIal CoMPuTIng MeeT 204
The Social Media/Big Data Opportunity 205
Delivering Business Value with Big Data 207
30. Innovating with Big Data 211
Pulling in Two Different Directions: The Challenge
for IT Managers 212
First Steps for IT Leaders 214
Conclusion 215 • References 216
Chapter 14 effeCTIVe CuSToMer exPerIenCe 217
Customer Experience and Business value 218
Many Dimensions of Customer Experience 219
The Role of Technology in Customer Experience 221
Customer Experience Essentials for IT 222
First Steps to Improving Customer Experience 225
Conclusion 226 • References 226
Chapter 15 BuSIneSS InTellIgenCe: an oVerVIew 228
Understanding Business Intelligence 229
The Need for Business Intelligence 230
The Challenge of Business Intelligence 231
The Role of IT in Business Intelligence 233
Improving Business Intelligence 235
Conclusion 238 • References 238
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31. 10 Contents
Chapter 16 TeChnology-enaBleD CollaBoraTIon 240
Why Collaborate? 241
Characteristics of Collaboration 244
Components of Successful Collaboration 247
The Role of IT in Collaboration 249
First Steps for Facilitating Effective Collaboration 251
Conclusion 253 • References 254
MInI CaSeS
Innovation at International Foods 256
Consumerization of Technology at IFG 261
CRM at Minitrex 265
Customer Service at Datatronics 268
Section IV IT Portfolio Development and Management 273
Chapter 17 ManagIng The aPPlICaTIon PorTfolIo 274
The Applications Quagmire 275
The Benefits of a Portfolio Perspective 276
Making APM Happen 278
Capability 1: Strategy and Governance 280
Capability 2: Inventory Management 284
32. Capability 3: Reporting and Rationalization 285
Key Lessons Learned 286
Conclusion 287 • References 287
Appendix A Application Information 288
Chapter 18 IT DeManD ManageMenT: SuPPly ManageMenT
IS noT enough 292
Understanding IT Demand 293
The Economics of Demand Management 295
Three Tools for Demand management 295
Key Organizational Enablers for Effective Demand
Management 296
Strategic Initiative Management 297
Application Portfolio Management 298
Enterprise Architecture 298
Business–IT Partnership 299
Governance and Transparency 301
Conclusion 303 • References 303
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 10 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Contents 11
33. Chapter 19 TeChnology roaDMaP: BenefITS, eleMenTS, anD
PraCTICal STePS 305
What is a Technology Roadmap? 306
The Benefits of a Technology Roadmap 307
External Benefits (Effectiveness) 307
Internal Benefits (Efficiency) 308
Elements of the Technology Roadmap 308
Activity #1: Guiding Principles 309
Activity #2: Assess Current Technology 310
Activity #3: Analyze Gaps 311
Activity #4: Evaluate Technology
Landscape 312
Activity #5: Describe Future Technology 313
Activity #6: Outline Migration Strategy 314
Activity #7: Establish Governance 314
Practical Steps for Developing a Technology
Roadmap 316
Conclusion 317 • References 317
Appendix A Principles to Guide a Migration
Strategy 318
Chapter 20 eMergIng DeVeloPMenT PraCTICeS 319
34. The Problem with System Development 320
Trends in System Development 321
Obstacles to Improving System Development
Productivity 324
Improving System Development Productivity: What we
know that Works 326
Next Steps to Improving System Development
Productivity 328
Conclusion 330 • References 330
Chapter 21 InforMaTIon DelIVery: PaST, PreSenT, anD
fuTure 332
Information and IT: Why Now? 333
Delivering Value Through Information 334
Effective Information Delivery 338
New Information Skills 338
New Information Roles 339
New Information Practices 339
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12 Contents
New Information Strategies 340
35. The Future of Information Delivery 341
Conclusion 343 • References 344
MInI CaSeS
Project Management at MM 346
Working Smarter at Continental Furniture International 350
Managing Technology at Genex Fuels 355
Index 358
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 12 26/11/14 9:32 PM
PrEFACE
Today, with information technology (IT) driving constant
business transformation,
overwhelming organizations with information, enabling 24/7
global operations, and
undermining traditional business models, the challenge for
business leaders is not
simply to manage IT, it is to use IT to deliver business value.
Whereas until fairly recently,
decisions about IT could be safely delegated to technology
specialists after a business
strategy had been developed, IT is now so closely integrated
with business that, as one
CIO explained to us, “We can no longer deliver business
solutions in our company
without using technology so IT and business strategy must
constantly interact with
each other.”
What’s New in This Third Edition?
36. • Six new chapters focusing on current critical issues in
ITmanagement, including
IT shared services; big data and social computing; business
intelligence; manag-
ing IT demand; improving the customer experience; and
enhancing development
productivity.
• Two significantly revised chapters: on delivering IT functions
through different
resourcing options; and innovating with IT.
• Twonewminicasesbasedonrealcompaniesandreal
ITmanagementsituations:
Working Smarter at Continental Furniture and Enterprise
Architecture at Nationstate
Insurance.
•
Arevisedstructurebasedonreaderfeedbackwithsixchaptersandtwo
minicases
from the second edition being moved to the Web site.
All too often, in our efforts to prepare future executives to deal
effectively with
the issues of IT strategy and management, we lead them into a
foreign country where
they encounter a different language, different culture, and
different customs. Acronyms
(e.g., SOA, FTP/IP, SDLC, ITIL, ERP), buzzwords (e.g.,
asymmetric encryption, proxy
servers, agile, enterprise service bus), and the widely adopted
practice of abstraction
(e.g., Is a software monitor a person, place, or thing?) present
formidable “barriers to
37. entry” to the technologically uninitiated, but more important,
they obscure the impor-
tance of teaching students how to make business decisions about
a key organizational
resource. By taking a critical issues perspective, IT Strategy:
Issues and Practices treats IT
as a tool to be leveraged to save and/or make money or
transform an organization—not
as a study by itself.
As in the first two editions of this book, this third edition
combines the experi-
ences and insights of many senior IT managers from leading-
edge organizations with
thorough academic research to bring important issues in IT
management to life and
demonstrate how IT strategy is put into action in contemporary
businesses. This new
edition has been designed around an enhanced set of critical
real-world issues in IT
management today, such as innovating with IT, working with
big data and social media,
13
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 13 26/11/14 9:32 PM
14 Preface
enhancing customer experience, and designing for business
intelligence and introduces
students to the challenges of making IT decisions that will have
significant impacts on
how businesses function and deliver value to stakeholders.
38. IT Strategy: Issues and Practices focuses on how IT is changing
and will continue to
change organizations as we now know them. However, rather
than learning concepts
“free of context,” students are introduced to the complex
decisions facing real organi-
zations by means of a number of mini cases. These provide an
opportunity to apply
the models/theories/frameworks presented and help students
integrate and assimilate
this material. By the end of the book, students will have the
confidence and ability to
tackle the tough issues regarding IT management and strategy
and a clear understand-
ing of their importance in delivering business value.
Key Features of This Book
• AfocusonITmanagement issues as opposed to technology
issues
• CriticalITissuesexploredwithintheirorganizationalcontexts
•
ReadilyapplicablemodelsandframeworksforimplementingITstrat
egies
•
Minicasestoanimateissuesandfocusclassroomdiscussionsonreal-
worlddeci-
sions, enabling problem-based learning
• Provenstrategiesandbestpracticesfromleading-
edgeorganizations
•
UsefulandpracticaladviceandguidelinesfordeliveringvaluewithIT
• Extensiveteachingnotesforallminicases
39. A Different ApproAch to teAching it StrAtegy
The real world of IT is one of issues—critical issues—such as
the following:
• HowdoweknowifwearegettingvaluefromourITinvestment?
• HowcanweinnovatewithIT?
• WhatspecificITfunctionsshouldweseekfromexternalproviders?
•
HowdowebuildanITleadershipteamthatisatrustedpartnerwiththeb
usiness?
• HowdoweenhanceITcapabilities?
• WhatisIT’sroleincreatinganintelligentbusiness?
•
Howcanwebesttakeadvantageofnewtechnologies,suchasbigdataan
dsocial
media, in our business?
• HowcanwemanageITrisk?
However, the majority of management information systems
(MIS) textbooks are orga-
nized by system category (e.g., supply chain, customer
relationship management, enterprise
resource planning), by system component (e.g., hardware,
software, networks), by system
function (e.g., marketing, financial, human resources), by
system type (e.g., transactional,
decisional, strategic), or by a combination of these.
Unfortunately, such an organization
does not promote an understanding of IT management in
practice.
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices tackles the real-world
challenges of IT manage-
ment. First, it explores a set of the most important issues facing
40. IT managers today, and
second, it provides a series of mini cases that present these
critical IT issues within the
contextofrealorganizations.Byfocusingthetextaswellastheminica
sesontoday’s
critical issues, the book naturally reinforces problem-based
learning.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 14 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Preface 15
IT Strategy: Issues and Practices includes thirteen mini cases—
each based on a real
company presented anonymously.1 Mini cases are not simply
abbreviated versions of
standard, full-length business cases. They differ in two
significant ways:
1. A horizontal perspective. Unlike standard cases that develop
a single issue within
an organizational setting (i.e., a “vertical” slice of
organizational life), mini cases
take a “horizontal” slice through a number of coexistent issues.
Rather than looking
for a solution to a specific problem, as in a standard case,
students analyzing a mini
case must first identify and prioritize the issues embedded
within the case. This mim-
ics real life in organizations where the challenge lies in
“knowing where to start” as
opposed to “solving a predefined problem.”
2. Highly relevant information. Mini cases are densely written.
41. Unlike standard
cases, which intermix irrelevant information, in a mini case,
each sentence exists for
a reason and reflects relevant information. As a result, students
must analyze each
case very carefully so as not to miss critical aspects of the
situation.
Teaching with mini cases is, thus, very different than teaching
with standard cases.
With mini cases, students must determine what is really going
on within the organiza-
tion. What first appears as a straightforward “technology”
problem may in fact be a
political problem or one of five other “technology” problems.
Detective work is, there-
fore, required. The problem identification and prioritization
skills needed are essential
skills for future managers to learn for the simple reason that it
is not possible for organi-
zations to tackle all of their problems concurrently. Mini cases
help teach these skills to
students and can balance the problem-solving skills learned in
other classes. Best of all,
detective work is fun and promotes lively classroom discussion.
To assist instructors, extensive teaching notes are available for
all mini cases. Developed
by the authors and based on “tried and true” in-class experience,
these notes include case
summaries, identify the key issues within each case, present
ancillary information about the
company/industry represented in the case, and offer guidelines
for organizing the class-
room discussion. Because of the structure of these mini cases
and their embedded issues, it
42. is common for teaching notes to exceed the length of the actual
mini case!
This book is most appropriate for MIS courses where the goal is
to understand how
IT delivers organizational value. These courses are frequently
labeled “IT Strategy” or
“IT Management” and are offered within undergraduate as well
as MBA programs. For
undergraduate juniors and seniors in business and commerce
programs, this is usually
the “capstone” MIS course. For MBA students, this course may
be the compulsory core
course in MIS, or it may be an elective course.
Each chapter and mini case in this book has been thoroughly
tested in a variety
ofundergraduate,graduate,andexecutiveprogramsatQueen’sSchoo
lofBusiness.2
1 We are unable to identify these leading-edge companies by
agreements established as part of our overall
research program (described later).
2
Queen’sSchoolofBusinessisoneoftheworld’spremierbusinessscho
ols,withafacultyteamrenowned
for its business experience and academic credentials. The
School has earned international recognition for
its innovative approaches to team-based and experiential
learning. In addition to its highly acclaimed MBA
programs,Queen’sSchoolofBusiness isalsohome
toCanada’smostprestigiousundergraduatebusiness
programandseveraloutstandinggraduateprograms.Aswell,theScho
olisoneoftheworld’slargestand
most respected providers of executive education.
43. A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 15 26/11/14 9:32 PM
16 Preface
These materials have proven highly successful within all
programs because we adapt
how the material is presented according to the level of the
students. Whereas under-
graduate students “learn” about critical business issues from the
book and mini cases
for the first time, graduate students are able to “relate” to these
same critical issues
based on their previous business experience. As a result,
graduate students are able to
introduce personal experiences into the discussion of these
critical IT issues.
orgAnizAtion of thiS Book
One of the advantages of an issues-focused structure is that
chapters can be approached
in any order because they do not build on one another. Chapter
order is immaterial; that
is, one does not need to read the first three chapters to
understand the fourth. This pro-
vides an instructor with maximum flexibility to organize a
course as he or she sees fit.
Thus, within different courses/programs, the order of topics can
be changed to focus on
different IT concepts.
Furthermore, because each mini case includes multiple issues,
they, too, can be
used to serve different purposes. For example, the mini case
44. “Building Shared Services
at RR Communications” can be used to focus on issues of
governance, organizational
structure, and/or change management just as easily as shared
services. The result is a
rich set of instructional materials that lends itself well to a
variety of pedagogical appli-
cations, particularly problem-based learning, and that clearly
illustrates the reality of IT
strategy in action.
The book is organized into four sections, each emphasizing a
key component of
developing and delivering effective IT strategy:
• Section I: Delivering Value with IT is designed to examine the
complex ways that
IT and business value are related. Over the past twenty years,
researchers and prac-
titioners have come to understand that “business value” can
mean many different
things when applied to IT. Chapter 1 (The IT Value Proposition)
explores these con-
cepts in depth. Unlike the simplistic value propositions often
used when imple-
menting IT in organizations, this chapter presents “value” as a
multilayered busi-
ness construct that must be effectively managed at several
levels if technology is
to achieve the benefits expected. Chapter 2 (Delivering
Business Value through IT
Strategy) examines the dynamic interrelationship between
business and IT strat-
egy and looks at the processes and critical success factors used
by organizations to
ensure that both are well aligned. Chapter 3 (Making IT Count)
45. discusses new ways
ofmeasuringIT’seffectivenessthatpromotecloserbusiness–
ITalignmentandhelp
drive greater business value. Chapter 4 (Effective Business–IT
Relationships) exam-
ines the nature of the business–IT relationship and the
characteristics of an effec-
tive relationship that delivers real value to the enterprise.
Chapter 5 (Business–IT
Communication) explores the business and interpersonal
competencies that IT staff
will need in order to do their jobs effectively over the next five
to seven years and
what companies should be doing to develop them. Finally,
Chapter 6 (Effective IT
Leadership) tackles the increasing need for improved leadership
skills in all IT staff
and examines the expectations of the business for strategic and
innovative guid-
ance from IT.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 16 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Preface 17
In the mini cases associated with this section, the concepts of
delivering
value with IT are explored in a number of different ways. We
see business and
IT executives at Hefty Hardware grappling with conflicting
priorities and per-
spectives and howbest towork together to achieve the
company’s strategy. In
“Investing in TUFS,” CIO Martin Drysdale watches as all of the
46. work his IT depart-
ment has put into a major new system fails to deliver value. And
the “IT Planning
atModMeters”mini case followsCIOBrianSmith’s efforts to
createa strategic
IT plan that will align with business strategy, keep IT running,
and not increase
IT’sbudget.
• Section II: IT Governance explores key concepts in how the IT
organization is
structured and managed to effectively deliver IT products and
services to the orga-
nization. Chapter 7 (Effective IT Shared Services) discusses
how IT shared services
should be selected, organized, managed, and governed to
achieve improved organi-
zational performance. Chapter 8 (Successful IT Sourcing:
Maturity Model, Sourcing
Options, and Decision Criteria) examines how organizations are
choosing to source
and deliver different types of IT functions and presents a
framework to guide sourc-
ingdecisions.Chapter9(Budgeting:Planning’sEvilTwin)describes
the“eviltwin”
of IT strategy, discussing how budgeting mechanisms can
significantly undermine
effective business strategies and suggesting practices for
addressing this problem
while maintaining traditional fiscal accountability. Chapter 10
(Risk Management
in IT) describes how many IT organizations have been given the
responsibility of
not only managing risk in their own activities (i.e., project
development, operations,
and delivering business strategy) but also of managing IT-based
47. risk in all company
activities (e.g., mobile computing, file sharing, and online
access to information and
software) and the need for a holistic framework to understand
and deal with risk
effectively. Chapter 11 (Information Management: Stages and
Issues) describes how
new organizational needs for more useful and integrated
information are driving
the development of business-oriented functions within IT that
focus specifically on
information and knowledge, as opposed to applications and
data.
The mini cases in this section examine the difficulties of
managing com-
plex IT issues when they intersect substantially with important
business issues.
In “Building Shared Services at RR Communications,” we see
an IT organiza-
tion in transition from a traditional divisional structure and
governance model
to a more centralized enterprise model, and the long-term
challenges experi-
enced by CIO Vince Patton in changing both business and IT
practices, includ-
ing information management and delivery, to support this new
approach. In
“Enterprise Architecture at Nationstate Insurance,” CIO Jane
Denton endeavors
to make IT more flexible and agile, while incorporating new and
emerging tech-
nologies into its strategy. In “IT Investment at North American
Financial,” we
show the opportunities and challenges involved in prioritizing
and resourcing
48. enterprisewide IT projects and monitoring that anticipated
benefits are being
achieved.
• Section III: IT-Enabled Innovation discusses some of the ways
technology is
being used to transform organizations. Chapter 12 (Technology-
Driven Innovation)
examines the nature and importance of innovation with IT and
describes a typi-
cal innovation life cycle. Chapter 13 (When Big Data and Social
Computing Meet)
discusses how IT leaders are incorporating big data and social
media concepts
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 17 26/11/14 9:32 PM
18 Preface
and technologies to successfully deliver business value in new
ways. Chapter 14
(Effective Customer Experience) explores the IT function’s role
in creating and
improvinganorganization’s customer experiences and the role of
technology in
helping companies to understand and learn from their
customers’ experiences.
Chapter 15 (Business Intelligence: An Overview) looks at the
nature of business
intelligence and its relationship to data, information, and
knowledge and how
IT can be used to build a more intelligent organization. Chapter
16 (Technology-
Enabled Collaboration) identifies the principal forms of
49. collaboration used in orga-
nizations, the primary business drivers involved in them, how
their business value
is measured, and the roles of IT and the business in enabling
collaboration.
The mini cases in this section focus on the key challenges
companies face in
innovating with IT. “Innovation at International Foods”
contrasts the need for pro-
cess and control in corporate IT with the strong push to
innovate with technology
and the difficulties that ensue from the clash of style and
culture. “Consumerization
of Technology at IFG” looks at issues such as “bring your own
device” (BYOD) to
the workplace. In “CRM at Minitrex,” we see some of the
internal technological and
political conflicts that result from a strategic decision to
become more customercen-
tric. Finally, “Customer Service at Datatronics” explores the
importance of present-
ing unified, customer-facing IT to customers.
• Section IV: IT Portfolio Development and Management looks
at how the IT func-
tion must transform itself to be able to deliver business value
effectively in the
future. Chapter 17 (Managing the Application Portfolio)
describes the ongoing
management process of categorizing, assessing, and
rationalizing the IT applica-
tion portfolio. Chapter 18 (IT Demand Management: Supply
Management is Not
Enough) looks at the often neglected issue of demand
management (as opposed
50. to supply management), explores the root causes of the demand
for IT services,
and identifies a number of tools and enablers to facilitate more
effective demand
management. Chapter 19 (Technology Roadmap: Benefits,
Elements, and Practical
Steps) examines the challenges IT managers face in
implementing new infrastruc-
ture, technology standards, and types of technology in their
real-world business and
technical environments, which is composed of a huge variety of
hardware, software,
applications, and other technologies, some of which date back
more than thirty
years. Chapter 20 (Emerging Development Practices) explores
how system develop-
ment practices are changing and how managers can create an
environment to pro-
mote improved development productivity. And Chapter 21
(Information Delivery:
Past, Present, and Future) examines the fresh challenges IT
faces in managing the
exponential growth of data and digital assets; privacy and
accountability concerns;
and new demands for access to information on an anywhere,
anytime basis.
The mini cases associated with this section describe many of
these themes
embedded within real organizational contexts. “Project
Management at MM” mini
case shows how a top-priority, strategic project can take a
wrong turn when proj-
ect management skills are ineffective. “Working Smarter at
Continental Furniture”
minicasefollowsaninitiativetoimprovethecompany’sanalyticssoit
51. canreduce
its environmental impact. And in the mini case “Managing
Technology at Genex
Fuels,” we see CIO Nick Devlin trying to implement
enterprisewide technology for
competitive advantage in an organization that has been limping
along with obscure
and outdated systems.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 18 26/11/14 9:32 PM
Preface 19
SupplementAry mAteriAlS
online instructor resource center
The following supplements are available online to adopting
instructors:
• PowerPointLectureNotes
• ImageLibrary(textart)
• ExtensiveTeachingNotesforallMinicases
•
AdditionalchaptersincludingDevelopingITProfessionalism;ITSo
urcing;Master
Data Management; Developing IT Capabilities; The Identity
Management Challenge;
Social Computing; Managing Perceptions of IT; IT in the New
World of Corporate
Governance Reforms; Enhancing Customer Experiences with
Technology; Creating
Digital Dashboards; and Managing Electronic Communications.
52. •
Additionalminicases,includingITLeadershipatMaxTrade;Creatin
gaProcess-Driven
Organization at Ag-Credit; Information Management at
Homestyle Hotels; Knowledge
Management at Acme Consulting; Desktop Provisioning at
CanCredit; and Leveraging
IT Vendors at SleepSmart.
For detailed descriptions of all of the supplements just listed,
please visit
www.pearsongloableditions.com/McKeen.
courseSmart etextbooks online
CourseSmart* is an exciting new choice for students looking to
save money. As an alter-
native to purchasing the print textbook, students can purchase
an electronic version of
the same content and save up to 50 percent off the suggested list
price of the print text.
With a CourseSmart etextbook, students can search the text,
make notes online, print
out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and
bookmark important pas-
sages for later review. www.coursesmart.co.uk.
* This product may not be available in all markets. For more
details, please visit www.coursesmart.co.uk or
contact your local Pearson representative.
the geneSiS of thiS Book
Since 1990 we have been meeting quarterly with a group of
senior IT managers from a
number of leading-edge organizations (e.g., Eli Lilly, BMO,
Honda, HP, CIBC, IBM, Sears,
53. Bell Canada, MacDonalds, and Sun Life) to identify and discuss
critical IT manage-
ment issues. This focus group represents a wide variety of
industry sectors (e.g., retail,
manufacturing, pharmaceutical, banking, telecommunications,
insurance, media, food
processing, government, and automotive). Originally, it was
established to meet the com-
panies’ needs forwell-balanced, thoughtful, yet practical
information on emerging IT
management topics, about which little or no research was
available. However, we soon
recognized the value of this premise for our own research in the
rapidly evolving field
of IT management. As a result, it quickly became a full-scale
research program in which
we were able to use the focus group as an “early warning
system” to document new IT
management issues, develop case studies around them, and
explore more collaborative
approaches to identifying trends, challenges, and effective
practices in each topic area.3
3 This now includes best practice case studies, field research in
organizations, multidisciplinary qualitative
and quantitative research projects, and participation in
numerous CIO research consortia.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 19 26/11/14 9:32 PM
20 Preface
As we shared our materials with our business students, we
realized that this issues-based
54. approach resonated strongly with them, and we began to
incorporate more of our research
intotheclassroom.Thisbookistheresultofourmanyyears’workwiths
eniorITmanag-
ers, in organizations, and with students in the classroom.
Each issue in this book has been selected collaboratively by the
focus group after
debateanddiscussion.Asfacilitators,ourjobhasbeentokeepthegrou
p’sfocusonIT
management issues, not technology per se. In preparation for
each meeting, focus group
members researched the topic within their own organization,
often involving a number
of members of their senior IT management team as well as
subject matter experts in
the process. To guide them, we provided a series of questions
about the issue, although
members are always free to explore it as they see fit. This
approach provided both struc-
ture for the ensuing discussion and flexibility for those
members whose organizations
are approaching the issue in a different fashion.
The focus group then met in a full-day session, where the
members discussed all
aspects of the issue. Many also shared corporate documents with
the group. We facilitated
the discussion, in particular pushing the group to achieve a
common understanding of
the dimensions of the issue and seeking examples, best
practices, and guidelines for deal-
ing with the challenges involved. Following each session, we
wrote a report based on the
discussion, incorporating relevant academic and practitioner
materials where these were
55. available. (Because some topics are “bleeding edge,” there is
often little traditional IT
research available on them.)
Each report has three parts:
1. A description of the issue and the challenges it presents for
both business and IT
managers
2. Models and concepts derived from the literature to position
the issue within a con-
textual framework
3. Near-term strategies (i.e., those that can be implemented
immediately) that have
proven successful within organizations for dealing with the
specific issue
Each chapter in this book focuses on one of these critical IT
issues. We have learned
over the years that the issues themselves vary little across
industries and organizations,
even in enterprises with unique IT strategies. However, each
organization tackles the
same issue somewhat differently. It is this diversity that
provides the richness of insight
in these chapters. Our collaborative research approach is based
on our belief that when
dealing with complex and leading-edge issues, “everyone has
part of the solution.”
Every focus group, therefore, provides us an opportunity to
explore a topic from a
variety of perspectives and to integrate different experiences
(both successful and oth-
erwise) so that collectively, a thorough understanding of each
56. issue can be developed
and strategies for how it can be managed most successfully can
be identified.
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 20 26/11/14 9:32 PM
AbouT THE AuTHorS
James D.
McKeenisProfessorEmeritusattheQueen’sSchoolofBusiness.Heh
asbeen
working in the IT field for many years as a practitioner,
researcher, and consultant. In
2011, he was named the “IT Educator of the Year” by
ComputerWorld Canada. Jim has
taught at universities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
and the United States.
His research is widely published in a number of leading journals
and he is the coau-
thor (with Heather Smith) of five books on IT management.
Their most recent book—IT
Strategy: Issues and Practices (2nd ed.)—was the best-selling
business book in Canada
(Globe and Mail, April 2012).
Heather A. Smith has been named the most-published researcher
on IT management
issuesintwosuccessivestudies(2006,2009).Aseniorresearchassoci
atewithQueen’s
University School of Business, she is the author of five books,
the most recent being IT
Strategy: Issues and Practices (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012).
She is also a senior research
associatewiththeAmericanSocietyforInformationManagement’sA
57. dvancedPractices
Council. A former senior IT manager, she is codirector of the IT
Management Forum and
the CIO Brief, which facilitate interorganizational learning
among senior IT executives.
In addition, she consults and collaborates with organizations
worldwide.
21
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 21 26/11/14 9:32 PM
ACKnowLEDGMEnTS
The work contained in this book is based on numerous meetings
with many senior IT
managers. We would like to acknowledge our indebtedness to
the following individuals
who willingly shared their insights based on their experiences
“earned the hard way”:
Michael Balenzano, Sergei Beliaev, Matthias Benfey, Nastaran
Bisheban, Peter
Borden, Eduardo Cadena, Dale Castle, Marc Collins, Diane
Cope, Dan Di Salvo,
Ken Dschankilic, Michael East, Nada Farah, Mark Gillard, Gary
Goldsmith, Ian
Graham, Keiko Gutierrez, Maureen Hall, Bruce Harding,
Theresa Harrington,
Tom Hopson, Heather Hutchison, Jim Irich, Zeeshan Khan,
Joanne Lafreniere,
Konstantine Liris, Lisa MacKay, Mark O’Gorman, Amin
Panjwani, Troy Pariag,
Brian Patton, Marius Podaru, Helen Restivo, Pat Sadler, A. F.
58. Salam, Ashish
Saxena, Joanne Scher, Stewart Scott, Andy Secord, Marie Shafi,
Helen Shih, Trudy
Sykes, Bruce Thompson, Raju Uppalapati, Len Van Greuning,
Laurie Schatzberg,
Ted Vincent, and Bond Wetherbe.
Wewouldalso
liketorecognizethecontributionofQueen’sSchoolofBusiness
to this work. The school has facilitated and supported our vision
of better integrat-
ing academic research and practice and has helped make our
collaborative approach
to the study of IT management and strategy an effective model
for interorganizational
learning.
James D. McKeen
Kingston, Ontario
Heather A. Smith
School of Business
June 2014
22
A01_MCKE0260_03_GE_FM.indd 22 26/11/14 9:32 PM
S e c t i o n i
Delivering Value with IT
Chapter 1 The IT Value Proposition
59. Chapter 2 Delivering Business Value through IT Strategy
Chapter 3 Making IT Count
Chapter 4 Effective Business–IT Relationships
Chapter 5 Business–IT Communication
Chapter 6 Effective IT Leadership
Mini Cases
■ Delivering Business Value with IT at Hefty Hardware
■ Investing in TUFS
■ IT Planning at ModMeters
M01_MCKE0260_03_GE_C01.indd 23 12/3/14 8:33 PM
24
C h a p t e r
1 the it Value Proposition1
1 This chapter is based on the authors’ previously published
article, Smith, H. A., and J. D. McKeen.
“Developing and Delivering on the IT Value Proposition.”
Communications of the Association for Information
Systems 11 (April 2003): 438–50. Reproduced by permission of
the Association for Information Systems.
It’s déjà vu all over again. For at least twenty years, business
leaders have been trying to figure out exactly how and where
IT can be of value in their organizations. And IT managers have
been trying to learn how to deliver this value. When IT was
used mainly as a productivity improvement tool in small areas
of a business, this was
a relatively straightforward process. Value was measured by
reduced head counts—
60. usually in clerical areas—and/or the ability to process more
transactions per person.
However, as systems grew in scope and complexity,
unfortunately so did the risks. Very
few companies escaped this period without making at least a
few disastrous invest-
ments in systems that didn’t work or didn’t deliver the bottom-
line benefits executives
thought they would. Naturally, fingers were pointed at IT.
With the advent of the strategic use of IT in business, it became
even more difficult
to isolate and deliver on the IT value proposition. It was often
hard to tell if an invest-
ment had paid off. Who could say how many competitors had
been deterred or how
many customers had been attracted by a particular IT initiative?
Many companies can
tell horror stories of how they have been left with a substantial
investment in new forms
of technology with little to show for it. Although over the years
there have been many
improvements in where and how IT investments are made and
good controls have been
established to limit time and cost overruns, we are still not able
to accurately articulate
and deliver on a value proposition for IT when it comes to
anything other than simple
productivity improvements or cost savings.
Problems in delivering IT value can lie with how a value
proposition is conceived
or in what is done to actually implement an idea—that is,
selecting the right project and
doing the project right (Cooper et al. 2000; McKeen and Smith
2003; Peslak 2012). In
61. addition, although most firms attempt to calculate the expected
payback of an IT invest-
ment before making it, few actually follow up to ensure that
value has been achieved or
to question what needs to be done to make sure that value will
be delivered.
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Chapter1 • TheITValueProposition 25
This chapter first looks at the nature of IT value and “peels the
onion” into its
different layers. Then it examines the three components of
delivering IT value: value
identification, conversion, and value realization. Finally, it
identifies five general
principles for ensuring IT value will be achieved.
Peeling the OniOn: Understanding it ValUe
Thirty years ago the IT value proposition was seen as a simple
equation: Deliver the
right technology to the organization, and financial benefits will
follow (Cronk and
Fitzgerald 1999; Marchand et al. 2000). In the early days of IT,
when computers were
most often used as direct substitutes for people, this equation
was understandable,
even if it rarely worked this simply. It was easy to compute a
bottom-line benefit where
“technology” dollars replaced “salary” dollars.
Problems with this simplistic view quickly arose when
62. technology came to be
used as a productivity support tool and as a strategic tool.
Under these conditions,
managers had to decide if an IT investment was worth making if
it saved people time,
helped them make better decisions, or improved service. Thus,
other factors, such as
how well technology was used by people or how IT and
business processes worked
together, became important considerations in how much value
was realized from an IT
investment. These issues have long confounded our
understanding of the IT value prop-
osition, leading to a plethora of opinions (many negative) about
how and where technol-
ogy has actually contributed to business value. Stephen Roach
(1989) made headlines
with his macroeconomic analysis showing that IT had had
absolutely no impact on pro-
ductivity in the services sector. More recently, research shows
that companies still have a
mixed record in linking IT to organizational performance, user
satisfaction, productivity,
customer experience, and agility (Peslak 2012).
These perceptions, plus ever-increasing IT expenditures, have
meant business
managers are taking a closer look at how and where IT delivers
value to an organization
(Ginzberg 2001; Luftman and Zadeh 2011). As they do this,
they are beginning to change
their understanding of the IT value proposition. Although,
unfortunately, “silver bullet
thinking” (i.e., plug in technology and deliver bottom-line
impact) still predomi-
nates, IT value is increasingly seen as a multilayered concept,
63. far more complex than
it first appeared. This suggests that before an IT value
proposition can be identified
and delivered, it is essential that managers first “peel the
onion” and understand more
about the nature of IT value itself (see Figure 1.1).
What is it Value?
Value is defined as the worth or desirability of a thing (Cronk
and Fitzgerald 1999). It is
a subjective assessment. Although many believe this is not so,
the value of IT depends
very much on how a business and its individual managers
choose to view it. Different
companies and even different executives will define it quite
differently. Strategic posi-
tioning, increased productivity, improved decision making, cost
savings, or improved
service are all ways value could be defined. Today most
businesses define value broadly
and loosely, not simply as a financial concept (Chakravarty et
al. 2013). Ideally, it is tied
to the organization’s business model because adding value with
IT should enable a firm
to do its business better. In the focus group (see the Preface),
one company sees value
M01_MCKE0260_03_GE_C01.indd 25 12/3/14 8:33 PM
26 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
resulting from all parts of the organization having the same
processes; another defines
64. value by return on investment (ROI); still another measures it
by a composite of key
performance indicators. In short, there is no single agreed-on
measure of IT value. As a
result, misunderstandings about the definition of value either
between IT and the busi-
ness or among business managers themselves can lead to
feelings that value has not
been delivered. Therefore, a prerequisite of any IT value
proposition is that everyone
involved in an IT initiative agree on what value they are trying
to deliver and how they
will recognize it.
Where is it Value?
Value may also vary according to where one looks for it
(Davern and Kauffman 2000;
Oliveira and Martins 2011). For example, value to an enterprise
may not be perceived as
value in a work group or by an individual. In fact, delivering
value at one level in an orga-
nization may actually conflict with optimizing value at another
level. Decisions about
IT value are often made to optimize firm or business process
value, even if they cause
difficulties for business units or individuals. As one manager
explained, “At the senior
levels, our bottom-line drivers of value are cost savings, cash
flow, customer satisfaction,
and revenue. These are not always visible at the lower levels of
the organization.” Failure
to consider value implications at all levels can lead to a value
proposition that is coun-
terproductive and may not deliver the value that is anticipated.
Many executives take a
65. hard line with these value conflicts. However, it is far more
desirable to aim for a value
What Value will be
Delivered?
Where will Value be
Delivered?
Who will
Deliver Value?
When will Value
be Delivered?
How will Value
be Delivered?
FigUre 1.1 IT Value Is a Many-Layered Concept
M01_MCKE0260_03_GE_C01.indd 26 12/3/14 8:33 PM
Chapter1 • TheITValueProposition 27
that is not a win–lose proposition but is a win–win at all levels.
This can leverage overall
value many times over (Chan 2000; Grant and Royle 2011).
Who delivers it Value?
Increasingly, managers are realizing that it is the interaction of
people, information, and
technology that delivers value, not IT alone.2 Studies have
confirmed that strong IT
66. practices alone do not deliver superior performance. It is only
the combination of these
IT practices with an organization’s skills at managing
information and people’s behav-
iors and beliefs that leads to real value (Birdsall 2011; Ginzberg
2001; Marchand et al.
2000). In the past, IT has borne most of the responsibility for
delivering IT value. Today,
however, business managers exhibit a growing willingness to
share responsibility with
IT to ensure value is realized from the organization’s
investments in technology. Most
companies now expect to have an executive sponsor for any IT
initiative and some busi-
ness participation in the development team. However, many IT
projects still do not
have the degree of support or commitment from the business
that IT managers feel is
necessary to deliver fully on a value proposition (Peslak 2012).
When is it Value realized?
Value also has a time dimension. It has long been known that
the benefits of technol-
ogy take time to be realized (Chan 2000; Segars and Chatterjee
2010). People must be
trained, organizations and processes must adapt to new ways of
working, information
must be compiled, and customers must realize what new
products and services are
being offered. Companies are often unprepared for the time it
takes an investment to
pay off. Typically, full payback can take between three and five
years and can have at
least two spikes as a business adapts to the deployment of
technology. Figure 1.2 shows
67. this “W” effect, named for the way the chart looks, for a single
IT project.
Initially, companies spend a considerable amount in deploying a
new technology.
During this twelve-to-sixteen-month period, no benefits occur.
Following implementa-
tion, some value is realized as companies achieve initial
efficiencies. This period lasts
for about six months. However, as use increases, complexities
also grow. Information
overload can occur and costs increase. At this stage, many can
lose faith in the initia-
tive. This is a dangerous period. The final set of benefits can
occur only by making the
business simpler and applying technology, information, and
people more effectively. If
a business can manage to do this, it can achieve sustainable,
long-term value from its IT
investment (Segars and Chatterjee 2010). If it can’t, value from
technology can be offset
by increased complexity.
Time also changes perceptions of value. Many IT managers can
tell stories of
how an initiative is vilified as having little or no value when
first implemented, only
to have people say they couldn’t imagine running the business
without it a few years
later. Similarly, most managers can identify projects where time
has led to a clearer
2 These interactions in a structured form are known as
processes. Processes are often the focus of much orga-
nizational effort in the belief that streamlining and
reengineering them will deliver value. In fact, research
68. shows that without attention to information and people, very
little value is delivered (Segars and Chatterjee
2010). In addition, attention to processes in organizations often
ignores the informal processes that contribute
to value.
M01_MCKE0260_03_GE_C01.indd 27 12/3/14 8:33 PM
28 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
understanding of the potential value of a project. Unfortunately,
in cases where antici-
pated value declines or disappears, projects don’t always get
killed (Cooper et al. 2000).
Clarifying and agreeing on these different layers of IT value is
the first step involved
in developing and delivering on the IT value proposition. All
too often, this work is for-
gotten or given short shrift in the organization’s haste to answer
this question: How will
IT value be delivered? (See next section.) As a result,
misunderstandings arise and tech-
nology projects do not fulfill their expected promises. It will be
next to impossible to do a
good job developing and delivering IT value unless and until
the concepts involved in IT
value are clearly understood and agreed on by both business and
IT managers.
the three COmPOnents OF the it ValUe PrOPOsitiOn
Developing and delivering an IT value proposition involves
addressing three compo-
69. nents. First, potential opportunities for adding value must be
identified. Second, these
opportunities must be converted into effective applications of
technology. Finally, value
12–16 Months
EVA
Time
Get the House
in Order
Harvest Low-
Hanging Fruit
Make the
Business
Complex
Make Business
Simpler
16–22 Months 22–38 Months 3–5 Years
FigUre 1.2 The ‘W’ Effect in Delivering IT Value (Segars &
Chatterjee, 2010)
Best Practices in Understanding IT Value
• LinkITvaluedirectlytoyourbusinessmodel.
•
Recognizevalueissubjective,andmanageperceptionsaccordingly.
• Aimforavalue“win–
win”acrossprocesses,workunits,andindividuals.
70. • SeekbusinesscommitmenttoallITprojects.
• Managevalueovertime.
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Chapter1 • TheITValueProposition 29
must be realized by the organization. Together, these
components comprise the funda-
mentals of any value proposition (see Figure 1.3).
identification of Potential Value
Identifying opportunities for making IT investments has
typically been a fairly
informal activity in most organizations. Very few companies
have a well-organized
means of doing research into new technologies or strategizing
about where these tech-
nologies can be used (McKeen and Smith 2010). More
companies have mechanisms
for identifying opportunities within business units. Sometimes a
senior IT manager
will be designated as a “relationship manager” for a particular
unit with responsi-
bility for working with business management to identify
opportunities where IT
could add value (Agarwal and Sambamurthy 2002; Peslak
2012). Many other com-
panies, however, still leave it up to business managers to
identify where they want
to use IT. There is growing evidence that relegating the IT
organization to a passive
role in developing systems according to business instructions is
71. unlikely to lead to
high IT value. Research shows that involving IT in business
planning can have a direct
and positive influence on the development of successful
business strategies using IT
(Ginzberg 2001; Marchand et al. 2000). This suggests that
organizations should estab-
lish joint business–IT mechanisms to identify and evaluate both
business and technical
opportunities where IT can add value.
Once opportunities have been identified, companies must then
make decisions
about where they want to focus their dollars to achieve optimal
value. Selecting the
right projects for an organization always involves balancing
three fundamental factors:
cash, timing, and risk (Luehrman 1997). In principle, every
company wants to under-
take only high-return projects. In reality, project selection is
based on many different
factors. For example, pet or political projects or those mandated
by the government or
competitors are often part of a company’s IT portfolio (Carte et
al. 2001). Disagreement
at senior levels about which projects to undertake can arise
because of a lack of a coher-
ent and consistent mechanism for assessing project value. All
organizations need some
formal mechanism for prioritizing projects. Without one, it is
very likely that project
selection will become highly politicized and, hence, ineffective
at delivering value.
There are a variety of means to do this, ranging from using
strictly bottom-line metrics,
to comparing balanced scorecards, to adopting a formal value-
72. assessment methodology.
However, although these methods help to weed out higher cost–
lower return projects,
they do not constitute a foolproof means of selecting the right
projects for an organiza-
tion. Using strict financial selection criteria, for example, can
exclude potentially high-
value strategic projects that have less well-defined returns,
longer payback periods,
and more risk (Cooper et al. 2000; DeSouza 2011). Similarly, it
can be difficult getting
Identification Conversion Realization
IT
Value
FigUre 1.3 The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition
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30 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
important infrastructure initiatives funded even though these
may be fundamental to
improving organizational capabilities (Byrd 2001).
Therefore, organizations are increasingly taking a portfolio
approach to project
selection. This approach allocates resources and funding to
different types of projects,
enabling each type of opportunity to be evaluated according to
different criteria (McKeen
and Smith 2003; Smith and McKeen 2010). One company has
73. identified three different
classes of IT—infrastructure, common systems, and business
unit applications—and
funds them in different proportions. In other companies,
funding for strategic initia-
tives is allocated in stages so their potential value can be
reassessed as more information
about them becomes known. Almost all companies have found it
necessary to justify
infrastructure initiatives differently than more business-oriented
projects. In fact, some
remove these types of projects from the selection process
altogether and fund them with
a “tax” on all other development (McKeen and Smith 2003).
Other companies allocate a
fixed percentage of their IT budgets to a technology renewal
fund.
Organizations have come a long way in formalizing where and
how they choose to
invest their IT dollars. Nevertheless, there is still considerable
room for judgment based
on solid business and technical knowledge. It is, therefore,
essential that all executives
involved have the ability to think strategically and
systematically as well as financially
about project identification and selection.
effective Conversion
“Conversion” from idea/opportunity to reality has been what IT
organizations have
been all about since their inception. A huge amount of effort
has gone into this central
component of the IT value proposition. As a result, many IT
organizations have become
74. very good at developing and delivering projects on time and on
budget. Excellent
project management, effective execution, and reliable
operations are a critical part of
IT value. However, they are not, in and of themselves,
sufficient to convert a good idea
into value or to deliver value to an organization.
Today managers and researchers are both recognizing that more
is involved in
effective conversion than good IT practices. Organizations can
set themselves up for
failure by not providing adequate and qualified resources. Many
companies start more
projects than they can effectively deliver with the resources
they have available. Not
having enough time or resources to do the job means that people
are spread too thin
and end up taking shortcuts that are potentially damaging to
value (Cooper et al. 2000).
Resource limitations on the business side of a project team can
be as damaging to con-
version as a lack of technical resources. “[Value is about] far
more than just sophisticated
managerial visions. . . . Training and other efforts . . . to obtain
value from IT investments
Best Practices in Identifying Potential Value
• Jointbusiness–
ITstructurestorecognizeandevaluateopportunities
• Ameansofcomparingvalueacrossprojects
• Aportfolioapproachtoprojectselection
• Afundingmechanismforinfrastructure
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75. Chapter1 • TheITValueProposition 31
are often hamstrung by insufficient resources” (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000). Inadequate
business resources can lead to poor communication and
ineffective problem solving on
a project (Ginzberg 2001). Companies are beginning to
recognize that the number and
quality of the staff assigned to an IT project can make a
difference to its eventual out-
come. They are insisting that the organization’s best IT and
businesspeople be assigned
to critical projects.
Other significant barriers to conversion that are becoming more
apparent now
that IT has improved its own internal practices include the
following:
• Organizational barriers. The effective implementation of IT
frequently requires
the extensive redesign of current business processes (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000).
However, organizations are often reluctant to make the difficult
complementary
business changes and investments that are required (Carte et al.
2001). “When
new IT is implemented, everyone expects to see costs come
down,” explained one
manager. “However, most projects involve both business and IT
deliverables. We,
therefore, need to take a multifunctional approach to driving
business value.” In
76. recognition of this fact, some companies are beginning to put
formal change man-
agement programs in place to help businesses prepare for the
changes involved
with IT projects and to adapt and simplify as they learn how to
take advantage of
new technology.
• Knowledge barriers. Most often new technology and processes
require employ-
ees to work differently, learn new skills, and have new
understanding of how and
where information, people, and technologies fit together (Chircu
and Kauffman
2000; Perez-Lopez and Alegre 2012). Although training has
long been part of new
IT implementations, more recently businesses are recognizing
that delivering value
from technology requires a broader and more coordinated
learning effort (Smith
and McKeen 2002). Lasting value comes from people and
technology working
together as a system rather than as discrete entities. Research
confirms that high-
performing organizations not only have strong IT practices but
also have people
who have good information management practices and who are
able to effectively
use the information they receive (Beath et al. 2012; Marchand et
al. 2000).
realizing Value
The final component of the IT value proposition has been the
most frequently ignored.
This is the work involved in actually realizing value after
77. technology has been imple-
mented. Value realization is a proactive and long-term process
for any major initiative.
All too often, after an intense implementation period, a
development team is disbanded
to work on other projects, and the business areas affected by
new technology are left to
Best Practices in Conversion
• AvailabilityofadequateandqualifiedITandbusinessresources
• Traininginbusinessgoalsandprocesses
• Multifunctionalchangemanagement
• Emphasisonhigher-levellearningandknowledgemanagement
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32 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
sink or swim. As a result, a project’s benefits can be
imperfectly realized. Technology
must be used extensively if it is to deliver value. Poorly
designed technology can lead
to high levels of frustration, resistance to change, and low
levels of use (Chircu and
Kauffman 2000; Sun et al., 2012).
Resistance to change can have its root cause in an assumption or
an action that
doesn’t make sense in the everyday work people do. Sometimes
this means challeng-
ing workers’ understanding of work expectations or information
flows. At other times
it means doing better analysis of where and how a new process
78. is causing bottlenecks,
overwork, or overload. As one manager put it, “If value is not
being delivered, we
need to understand the root causes and do something about it.”
His company takes
the unusual position that it is important to keep a team working
on a project until the
expected benefits have been realized. This approach is ideal but
can also be very costly
and, therefore, must be carefully managed. Some companies try
to short-circuit the
value management process by simply taking anticipated cost
savings out of a business
unit’s budget once technology has been implemented, thereby
forcing it to do more
with less whether or not the technology has been as beneficial
as anticipated. However,
most often organizations do little or no follow-up to determine
whether or not benefits
have been achieved.
Measurement is a key component of value realization (Thorp
1999). After imple-
mentation, it is essential that all stakeholders systematically
compare outcomes against
expected value and take appropriate actions to achieve benefits.
In addition to monitor-
ing metrics, a thorough and ongoing assessment of value and
information flows must
also be undertaken at all levels of analysis: individual, team,
work unit, and enterprise.
Efforts must be taken to understand and improve aspects of
process, information, and
technology that are acting as barriers to achieving value.
A significant problem with not paying attention to value
79. recognition is that areas
of unexpected value or opportunity are also ignored. This is
unfortunate because it is
only after technology has been installed that many
businesspeople can see how it could
be leveraged in other parts of their work. Realizing value
should, therefore, also include
provisions to evaluate new opportunities arising through
serendipity.
FiVe PrinCiPles FOr deliVering ValUe
In addition to clearly understanding what value means in a
particular organization and
ensuring that the three components of the IT value proposition
are addressed by every
project, five principles have been identified that are central to
developing and deliver-
ing value in every organization.
Best Practices in Realizing Value
• Planavalue-realizationphaseforallITprojects.
• Measureoutcomesagainstexpectedresults.
• Lookforandeliminaterootcausesofproblems.
• Assessvaluerealizationatalllevelsintheorganization.
• Haveprovisionsforactingonnewopportunitiestoleveragevalue.
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Chapter1 • TheITValueProposition 33
Principle 1. have a Clearly defined Portfolio
Value management Process
80. Every organization should have a common process for managing
the overall value
being delivered to the organization from its IT portfolio. This
would begin as a means of
identifying and prioritizing IT opportunities by potential value
relative to each other. It
would also include mechanisms to optimize enterprise value
(e.g., through tactical, stra-
tegic, and infrastructure projects) according to a rubric of how
the organization wants
to allocate its resources.
A portfolio value management process should continue to track
projects as they
are being developed. It should ensure not only that projects are
meeting schedule and
budget milestones but also that other elements of conversion
effectiveness are being
addressed (e.g., business process redesign, training, change
management, informa-
tion management, and usability). A key barrier to achieving
value can be an organiza-
tion’s unwillingness to revisit the decisions made about its
portfolio (Carte et al. 2001).
Yet this is critically important for strategic and infrastructure
initiatives in particular.
Companies may have to approve investments in these types of
projects based on imper-
fect information in an uncertain environment. As they develop,
improved information
can lead to better decision making about an investment. In some
cases this might lead to
a decision to kill a project; in others, to speed it up or to
reshape it as a value proposition
becomes clearer.
81. Finally, a portfolio value management process should include an
ongoing means
of ensuring that value is realized from an investment.
Management must monitor
expected outcomes at appropriate times following
implementation and hold someone
in the organization accountable for delivering benefits (Smith
and McKeen 2010).
Principle 2. aim for Chunks of Value
Much value can be frittered away by dissipating IT investments
on too many projects
(Cho et al. 2013; Marchand et al. 2000). Focusing on a few key
areas and designing a set
of complementary projects that will really make a difference is
one way companies are
trying to address this concern. Many companies are undertaking
larger and larger tech-
nology initiatives that will have a significant transformational
and/or strategic impact
on the organization. However, unlike earlier efforts, which
often took years to complete
and ended up having questionable value, these initiatives are
aiming to deliver major
value through a series of small, focused projects that, linked
together, will result in both
immediate short-term impact and long-term strategic value. For
example, one company
has about three hundred to four hundred projects underway
linked to one of a dozen
major initiatives.
Principle 3. adopt a holistic Orientation to technology Value
82. Because value comes from the effective interaction of people,
information, and tech-
nology, it is critical that organizations aim to optimize their
ability to manage and use
them together (Marchand et al. 2000). Adopting a systemic
approach to value, where
technology is not viewed in isolation and interactions and
impacts are anticipated and
planned, has been demonstrated to contribute to perceived
business value (Ginzberg
2001). Managers should aim to incorporate technology as an
integral part of an overall
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34 SectionI • DeliveringValuewithIT
program of business change rather than dealing with people and
information manage-
ment as afterthoughts to technology (Beath et al. 2012). One
company has done this by
taking a single business objective (e.g., “increase market
penetration by 15 percent over
five years”) and designing a program around it that includes a
number of bundled tech-
nology projects.
Principle 4. aim for Joint Ownership of technology initiatives
This principle covers a lot of territory. It includes the necessity
for strong executive
sponsorship of all IT projects. “Without an executive sponsor
for a project, we simply
won’t start it,” explained one manager. It also emphasizes that