Showing papers in "Mis Quarterly Executive in 2003"

Creating a Strategic IT Architecture Competency: Learning in Stages

Abstract: IT architecture is often assumed to follow business strategy, to align IT with the business's strategic objectives Increasingly, though, many business strategies depend on specific underlying IT capabilities To develop a synergy between business strategy and IT architecture, firms must develop organizational competencies in IT architecture My research has identified four IT architectural stages, each with its own requisite competencies The "application silo architecture stage" consists of IT architectures of individual applications The "standardized technology architecture stage" has an enterprise-wide IT architecture that provides efficiencies through technology standardization The "rationalized data architecture stage" extends the enterprise-wide IT standards to data and processes And the "modular architecture stage" builds onto enterprise-wide global standards with loosely coupled IT components to preserve the global standards while enabling local differences Each stage demands different organizational competencies to implement the architecture and prepare the firm to move to the next stage

Managing the Next Wave of Enterprise Systems: Leveraging Lessons from ERP

Abstract: Highly complex enterprise software packages have become a standard way of competing in many industries. By the late 1990s, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems had enabled Fortune 500 firms to present one face to their customers via integrated cross-functional business processes, centralized databases, and point-and-click access to real-time operational data across the business. Today, enterprise systems for supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM) are following in the steps of ERP, and, in many cases, providing a foundation for e-business. Supplier relationship management systems are on the horizon. Based on our ERP research, we have identified five factors for successful implementation: (1) top management is engaged in the project, not just involved; (2) project leaders are veterans, and team members are decision makers; (3) third parties fill gaps in expertise and transfer their knowledge; (4) change management goes hand-in-hand with project planning; (5) A satisficing mindset prevails. Furthermore, we found that a projects position on the maturity curve (early adopter, early majority, or late majority) can influence the implementation route. These five success factors and three maturity curve positions are illustrated in three anonymous cases. The result is lessons for managing the complexities of the next wave of enterprise systems.

IT-Enabled Business Change: An Approach to Understanding and Managing Risk

Abstract: IT projects aimed at enabling business change have become larger and more critical in recent years. But despite improved technical functionality and reliability there are persistent project overruns, delays and downright failure. A recent summary estimated that 30 to 70% of IT projects aimed at process improvement do not live up to expectations. This echoes early research on IT project implementation. With major IT-enabled process changes, involved in ERP, CRM, and SCM projects, major delays and overruns can result in missing revenue and profit targets for firms. Over the years the stakes have grown but business still has problems in managing IT-enabled projects. This paper addresses why and what can be done. It is argued that the problem stems from senior and project management failing to take three steps: (1) assessing the risks of the change up front (the most serious are the changes needed in the business, not the changes in the technology; (2) mitigating the causes of highest risk at the front end and as the project progresses; and (3) adjusting the method of project management to minimize the remaining risks. This assess-mitigate-adjust approach aims to minimize the risks over a project's lifecycle and thereby increase the changes of success.

A Post-Merger IT Integration Success Story: Sallie Mae

Abstract: The public goals for the merger were to reduce costs by 40 percent and reduce headcount by 25 percent, while attaining double-digit growth. Nine customer service centers would be reduced to six, and four data centers would be consolidated into one. Of the 1,700 job cuts, 1,400 would come from customer servicing and information technology (IT). The remaining 300 would come from administration and headquarters. Between the two companies, about 500 hardware, A POST-MERGER IT INTEGRATION SUCCESS STORY: SALLIE MAE