Week 1 - Information Systems Strategy Triangle Business Strategy Elements Organizational Strategy Elements Information Strategy Elements Impacts between the elements: Industry Strategy Elements Industry Organizational Strategy Elements Industry Strategy Elements Similarities and differences: : Recommended actions and decisions: Step 1: Create lists of case details that fit each side of the triangle. Step 2: Then look at each item and think about how that item affects the other sides of the triangle. Step 3: Take a look at the industry. Make a list of triangle attributes you find. Compare the industry items with the case company items. Information Strategy Organizational Strategy Business Strategy Zara Case Situation You are a member of a Zara employee taskforce. The taskforce has been asked to make recommendations on selecting a new point-of-sale device for all of their retail locations. The team has narrowed the choices down to three products. The first product allows for access to the internet for both store use and sending sales transactions reporting, email, customer data collection and lookup, and full inventory functions (in-stock, location, reduction information). The second product has the same functions as the first but with limited in-store only inventory functions (search only). The third product has no inventory functions and access to the internet is limited to sales reporting to corporate. Based on your knowledge of Zara’s business and process management, explain which POS product you would recommend. Support your opinion with the case information. Step 4: How would evaluate the options? What criteria would you use? How do the triangle sides impact the options? Step 5: What decisions and actions would you recommend to the case company? What data supports your conclusions? Why should the case company take your advice? CMBA SuperStar Panther ID: 007 Information Systems Strategy Triangle Business Strategy Elements Organizational Strategy Elements Information Strategy Elements Differentiation focuses of Orders-of-magnitude improvements in logistics and services, reducing the cycle time and ensure consistent delivery of quality products and services. Improve visibility of the service business performance to management, enabling it to provide more effective quality service to customers. Centralized customer service systems to dispatch service mechanics. OTISLINE customer service centers. Goal to be a recognized leader in service excellence among all companies, streamlined manufacturing operations. OTISLINE produces “excess” callback reports for various levels of management. Information from multiple Otis data sources, rapid response as an important design element. Institutionalized customer service, standard of work, process flows, and metrics to govern every customer interaction and every internal activity. Involvement with district manager, regional v.

1. Week 1 - Information Systems Strategy Triangle
Business Strategy Elements
Organizational Strategy Elements
Information Strategy Elements
Impacts between the elements:
Industry Strategy Elements
Industry Organizational Strategy Elements
Industry Strategy Elements

2. Similarities and differences:
:
Recommended actions and decisions:
Step 1: Create lists of case details that fit each side of the
triangle.
Step 2: Then look at each item and think about how that item
affects the other sides of the triangle.
Step 3: Take a look at the industry. Make a list of triangle
attributes you find. Compare the industry items with the case
company items.
Information Strategy
Organizational Strategy
Business Strategy

3. Zara Case Situation
You are a member of a Zara employee taskforce. The taskforce
has been asked to make recommendations on selecting a new
point-of-sale device for all of their retail locations. The team
has narrowed the choices down to three products. The first
product allows for access to the internet for both store use and
sending sales transactions reporting, email, customer data
collection and lookup, and full inventory functions (in-stock,
location, reduction information). The second product has the
same functions as the first but with limited in-store only
inventory functions (search only). The third product has no
inventory functions and access to the internet is limited to sales
reporting to corporate. Based on your knowledge of Zara’s
business and process management, explain which POS product
you would recommend. Support your opinion with the case
information.
Step 4: How would evaluate the options? What criteria would
you use? How do the triangle sides impact the options?
Step 5: What decisions and actions would you recommend to the
case company? What data supports your conclusions? Why
should the case company take your advice?
CMBA SuperStar
Panther ID: 007

4. Information Systems Strategy Triangle
Business Strategy Elements
Organizational Strategy Elements
Information Strategy Elements
Differentiation focuses of Orders-of-magnitude improvements
in logistics and services, reducing the cycle time and ensure
consistent delivery of quality products and services.
Improve visibility of the service business performance to
management, enabling it to provide more effective quality
service to customers.
Centralized customer service systems to dispatch service
mechanics. OTISLINE customer service centers.
Goal to be a recognized leader in service excellence among all
companies, streamlined manufacturing operations.
OTISLINE produces “excess” callback reports for various levels
of management.
Information from multiple Otis data sources, rapid response as
an important design element.
Institutionalized customer service, standard of work, process
flows, and metrics to govern every customer interaction and
every internal activity.
Involvement with district manager, regional vice president, and
president of the regional business to better reduce maintenance
contract cancellations.
Elevator monitoring application enabled by a microprocessor-
based elevator to monitor its control systems and log
performance statics, directly onto a distant computer. Linked to
the computers at headquarters
Design for sourcing to manufacture new equipment, installation,
and maintenance; needed to run with a customer-focused mind
Restructuring the company by eliminating several layers of
management and speeding communication between field

5. mechanics, customers and company management.
SIMBA program, standard interface, modular –based
architecture defining modules and subsystems, standard
terminology.
Regional driven product strategy to International market
placement, streamline lead-time in the supply chain to
manufacturing to the field on a global basis.
SIP (Sales and Installation Process), subject matter experts in
the areas of sales, field and order management and utilization of
a steering committee.
E*Logistics information transformation project, with CLC
regional contract logistics centers and subsystems integrators
(SSI), network technologies (intranets and the internet)
UTC proprietary program, ACE Achieving Competitive
Excellence,
Impacts between the Elements
OTIS used technology to change their business toward the
customer service side. They implemented multiple technology
programs to better align their business goals across all
strategies. They were able to implement this change with the
use of technology systems introduced that opened up the lines
of communication. Managers, presidents, team leaders and
customers were all able to talk to each other to provide the
services needed. The strategies had in-depth reporting
mechanisms in place to reach the customer. They focused on
keeping up with the latest trends and evaluating such decision
in customer service with the utilization of technology. All sides
of the triangle are in line with their initial directive, where one
side does not outweigh the other.
Industry Business Strategy Elements
Industry Organizational Strategy Elements
Industry Technology Strategy Elements
Integrated, centralized, and consolidated, steady demand, low
barriers to entry and high profitability

6. Limited channel for communication, all working together
instead of separate fragments.
IT integration computation
Multifunctional across geographical dispersed units and
prioritized view of goals across the enterprise
Emphasizing on the Enterprise not the System, by providing the
best customer service and functionality
Once Common Interface/decision making processor, all built in
the same code, using the same technology
Emphasis on value-chain, forecasting, having predictive powers,
adaptable to best fit the customers’ needs
Decision making process involving contractor, architect and
building owner, property manager
IT and IS Multifunctional systems in place to be utilized by
multiple departments/users
Build relationships between departments and different outlets to
better interact and conduct business, relying on internal
resources to reduce costs.
Workflow, Demand Evaluation, Enterprise information system
in place
Cost of service major importance, discounting and bundling.
Stable sales directly correlated with building cycles.
Institutionalized Customer Service and developed metrics of
govern customer interaction
Similarities
OTIS wanted to implement technology systems that provided
increased customer service. It would be integrated and globally
disperse so that all stakeholders are involved. Its main goal
was to provide better customer service directives for the
organization with the current behaviors of the industry

7. environment. Most of the things OTIS was doing were in line
with the common practices of the industry. Most of the things
listed above were taken into consideration and/or guided
management to move their strategies in that direction.
Differences:
OTIS saw that they could use technology to their advantage for
service excellence amongst the company. It was important for
them to focus highly on implementing technology since service
was historically accounted for as much higher portion of profits
than new unit sales. In the industry you won’t see many
companies switch directions as OTIS did (producer to servicer)
due to the risks. By making these switches they were more
profitable, without technology they may have not been as
successful. The biggest difference compared to industry is
that most companies would have not made this switch.
Main Issues:
OTIS regionally managed many of their processes which made
redundancy, overall inefficiency and process complexity. Otis
needed to implement integrated systems and reorganize its
global functions. Otis had to figure out whether or not to
produce components in its value chain and decide where/how to
centralize their efforts. There was concern with organizing the
supply chain to become the coordinators of multiple global
suppliers located in various parts of the world. They needed to
consolidate the investing and business priorities process;
streamlining it into more efficient procedures. They needed to
develop a system that reflected best practices and best means
for their customers, by transforming the decision-making
process and making it more transparent.
Recommendation and Decisions:
The company needed to focus on the customer and how they
could best accommodate their needs. Once that is established
they need to decide what IT processes need to be implemented
to best fit those needs. The goal was to become the leader in

8. service excellence to do so by consolidation of technical
elements and centralized the business strategy decisions. They
need to make business decisions with that goal in mind and IT
investment to support customer service successfully. As long
as it is in line with the business and organizational strategies by
benefiting the customers, they have made the correct decision.
Business Strategy
Information Strategy
Organizational Strategy
Step 1: Create lists of case details that fit each side of the
triangle.
Step 2: Then look at each item and think about how that item
affects the other sides of the triangle.
Step 3: Take a look at the industry. Make a list of triangle
attributes you find. Compare the industry items with the case
company items.