Week11 CS832 Doctor Steven Reynold Lesson to LEARN

SYNOPSIS OF CONCEPTS LEARNED

IN BUSINESS STRATEGIC AND

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACTION

By

Tai Cleveland

Class CS 832

Doctor Steven Reynolds

Week 10th assignment

Table of Contents
Title Page 1
Table of Contents 2
Basic Perspectives of IT Benchmarking 3
Alignment of IT and Business Goals 4
Strategizing 7
Business Performance 8
Reference List 9


1. Basic Perspectives of IT Benchmarking
In information technology, benchmarking compares certain technological factors of a product or service as opposed to traditional specifications. IT benchmarking presents an outcome that determine an individual or a set of performance indicators (Ambuhl, et. al., 2004). The model IT benchmarking method is based on IT metrics. This method ensures that companies achieve pertinent IT benchmarks at a reasonable cost.
The measurement of value gained from investments in information technology is a guide to decision making regarding a company’s IT portfolio. Measurement involves the quality, productivity and business value of information technology. Consultants Ambhul and Bitterman emphasized the relation of benchmarking to competitive advantage. They wrote:
Building an IT-based competitive advantage has become a necessity. Ongoing benchmarking can ensure that your IT investment is delivering the best value to the organization (2004-2007, 8).

One perspective involving IT benchmarking is measurement of outcome, which addresses the gains accomplished from the implementation of an IT application. Rapidly rising information technology costs, questions about effective IT implementation, and the need for efficient delivery of IT projects have compelled organizations to focus on outcomes research, measurement, and management. Considering that there is no end in sight to escalating IT investment costs, corporations are motivated to zero-in on cost containment methodologies focusing on quality, cost-effective outcomes. As organizations move forward in this quest for more cost-effective IT solutions, it is imperative to adopt outcome information to measure and demonstrate the effectiveness of such solutions.
The measurement of output is another perspective in IT benchmarking. Corporations can no longer justify IT investments in terms of input, that is, in terms of the amount of new money they have provided, or the number of new IT professionals they have employed, or the range of powerful computers they have installed. It has been observed that businesses need to show how they have transformed current and new dollars into realistic results.
Both of the foregoing perspectives have their own application. The application depends on the objectives of the corporation and the kind of corporate culture that is nurturing when it comes to innovation. A casual perusal of literature on benchmarking would show that it has a different meaning depending on the discipline it is applied. For example, benchmarking has a different meaning in healthcare, manufacturing and in distance education, to name a few. It is the duty of the IT professional to exercise his creativity in analyzing which perspective is applicable in his line of business.
2. Alignment of IT and Business Goals
The concept of alignment was borne out of the desire of IT managers to close the gap “between the assumptions at the conception of a project and the reality that becomes visible only during execution” (Strassman, 1998). Corporations seem to jump to IT as the preferred choice in the solution of marketing and operational problems. The behavior is prompted by the desire to address the problems immediately and to formulate the solution early on. In the process, IT managers tend to design specifications that may not work as expected. IT managers appear to be promising the moon; however, this is hardly the case. Strassman pointed out that initial project plans lack specific details since such details will surface only when implementation starts. IT managers must be able to come up with measurable targets that are related to the proposed computer projects. In turn, the measurable targets must result to verifiable performance.
The critical aspects involved in alignment are process disconnects, legacy and entitlement mentality and management roles (Benson, Bugnitz & Walton, 2004). In the planning phase, the critical aspects must be addressed to achieve alignment. According to Benson and his co-authors (2004), affordability and impact are the key elements in making the right decisions for IT alignment. Company resources are limited amidst competing options and in the presence of these conditions, the right decisions are those that advance IT’s bottom-line impact and control IT spending (Benson, et al., 2004).
Benson and his colleagues has pointed out correctly that IT departments are primarily concerned with the deployment of technology. Businesses are giving more attention to the acquisition of computer equipment with the latest features in terms of memory capacity and processor speed. The value chain has changed all this. The Strategy-To-Bottom-Line Value Chain will prove to be the definitive tool in empowering IT departments to support the accomplishment of business objectives.
The use of the Strategy-To-Bottom-Line Value Chain implies that end users must undergo the relevant training to enable them to use the tool effectively. It is envisioned that the training should include workshops for each of the outcomes of the value chain. An expert in the method should guide the training participants to ensure learning of important concepts.
The value chain can only be as effective as the person who is using it. By itself, the workshop can focus on the actual situation as it obtains in the business. After the outcomes are identified, the business must be innovative and aggressive when implementation time arrives. Performance evaluation must be conducted to assess the impact of IT applications. Stepwise improvement may also be adopted to complement the value chain by providing the opportunity to implement improvements as it comes along during performance evaluation.
Alignment balances the IT portfolio across the short-term as well as the long-term vision of the business organization and delivers IT efforts fairly among competing business units. Alignment results to prioritization of IT efforts to encourage common understanding on what the company should do with IT. The absence of alignment would probably cause companies to loose money in prospective costs and wasted investments. Strategic opportunities result from aligning IT initiatives with business goals.
Alignment should also result to reduced cost characterized by innovative ways to maximize the use of resources to accomplish more with less. Harwell Thrasher (2003) identified reduced expense as a result of using IT to increase business benefit to remain competitive. He wrote:
This (reduced expense) is the benefit of IT that first comes to mind for most people. The original IT projects were put in place to “automate” processes in order to reduce cost, often by replacing large numbers of people with a few computers. Reducing expense is still a valid way for an IT project to pay its way, but this is becoming one of the least strategic IT investments. Most companies have already automated the obvious areas for savings long ago.

Still, if your business is not competitive in your industry because of a higher than normal expense level, then this may be the most important way that IT can contribute to your business success.

Most American businesses look at IT as means to reduce cost on business operations. Business operations were streamlined and restructured to meet the objective of reducing cost. In the midst of trying to reduce cost, businesses did not notice that the cost of technology was going haywire while the promised achievements of IT applications were not fully realized. Moreover, the deadline for project implementation had been moved several times already. This situation was given attention in a Computer World article entitled “CFO’s Cite Poor Alignment Between IT and Business”. The expenses for IT Business/IT alignment is an issue that has to be addressed to make IT enabled-business to achieve its goals. In a nutshell, there is business/IT alignment when the IT strategy supports the business strategy; the business strategy supports the IT strategy and the two strategies do not contradict each other (Thrasher, 2008).
3. Strategizing
Intuitively, our idea of strategy derives from military operations or business planning. One might be tempted to reach for the dictionary to get the meaning of strategy but this meaning is tentative at best. Nickols (2008) observed that “strategy means so many things to so many people that it is difficult to have a meaningful conversation about strategy unless you define your terms”.
Corporations also get a notion of strategy through certain formulas, such as, Citicorp Interaction Analysis, Boston Consulting Group matrix, Blue Ocean Strategy, General Electric/McKinsey Matrix. An examination of these strategy development methods might reveal that they are not attuned to the demands of information technology. The foregoing discussion highlighted that benchmarking and alignment are the important concepts in the management of IT resources. It should follow that IT strategy must address the concerns of benchmarking and alignment. Said differently, IT managers should base their strategy on the situation. The intense competition brought about by globalization and the current economic slowdown will continue to provide a challenging environment to American enterprise. Since risk cannot be avoided, strategic thinkers must adopt a strategy consistent with the principles of IT benchmarking and alignment of business and IT goals.
As corporations employ strategy to obtain value from IT investments, the limitations on strategizing must not be forgotten. Pukszta stressed that strategy may be limited by “unforeseen changes that are stimulated by the actions of competitors, customers, and suppliers” (Pukszta, 1998).
4. Business Perfomance
Wallgum reported that in “a survey of 158 organizations in February and March 2009, (…) Nearly 65 percent of respondents reported declines in employee productivity up from 58 percent in the 2008 survey” (Wallgum, 2009). Wallgum proceeded to report adverse effects on customer satisfaction and the company’s brand as a result of poor application performance from among the organizations in the survey.
The survey results should serve to emphasize the importance of business performance as an indicator of effective IT application performance.
Business performance can be evaluated in terms of IT benchmarking, alignment of IT and business goals and strategy. Planners must take into consideration those concepts as an integrated approach to understanding and aiming for excellent performance. The IT concepts could not be considered independently from each other. Following the foregoing precepts will result to better than expected performance. Taken together, the principles of IT action will justify the investment in IT to accomplish business goals.
The foregoing discussion gave more ground to benchmarking and alignment as these two concepts are considered the foundation of a robust IT philosophy. The formulation of strategy is the starting point that sets IT projects in motion. Strategy need not be fixed but must allow some flexibility to consider risk and unpredictable business environment. The role of business performance is to provide feedback on whether the IT project is on track or not.


















References

Ambuhl, Charles and Bitterman, Michael. (2003-2007). IT Benchmarking: A Baseline For Improving Performance. Retrieved on August 31, 2009, from: http://www.rfgonline.com/events/highperformance.pdf


Benson, R. J., Bugnitz, T. L., & Walton, W. (2004). From Business Strategy to IT Action. John Wiley an Sons. Retrieved on August 31, 2009, from: http:books.google.com/books?id=2wYZbaKzuwAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=From+Business+Strategy+to+IT+Action

Nickols, Fred. (2008). Strategy is Execution. Retrieved on August 31, 2009, from: http://home.att.net/~nickols/strategy_is.htm

Pukszta, Helen. (1998). Limitations of Strategizing.
Retrieved on September 1, 2009 from: http://www.informationweek.com/712/12uwhp.htm;jsessionid=SXAYYPFUORYZ5QE1GHOSKH4ATMY32JVN

Wallgum, Thomas. (2009). Business to IT: Poor App Performance is Killing Us. Retrieved on August 31, 2009, from: http://advice.cio.com/thomas_wailgum/business_to_it_poor_app_performance_is_killing_us

CS832 Doctor Steven Reynolds Final Project

IT STRATEGIC PLAN

By

Tai Cleveland

Class CS 832

Doctor Steven Reynolds

Week 11th assignment

Small businesses to large corporations prepare strategic plans to provide a workable

approach to the accomplishment of their vision and mission statements. Strategic plans

usually cover a time horizon as small as five years or as long as twenty years. Whatever

time horizon is covered, the aim is to identify the goals that a business will accomplish in

the next few years or the next several years. IT planners should ever be mindful that the

‘strategic’ part of the planning process is the continual attention to present changes in the

organization and its external environment, and how these could influence the future of the

organization (McNamara, 1997-2008, Introduction).

It appears that the trend in strategic planning is to identify a few outcome-oriented goals in order to provide focus and flexibility and to achieve better results. Outcome-oriented goals provide focus on achieving measurable results particularly on critical functions. It will be beneficial to the business to include related concerns in their strategic plans. Related concerns refer to strengthening partnerships and improved customer relations, improving accountability, improving performance and efficiency measures, resource assessment, to name a few examples.
Betz (2001) relates strategic plan to strategic vision as an approach applicable to information technology. He explained his idea in the following manner:
Strategy is used to mean change in direction, strategic vision to mean direction, and strategic plan to mean steps-in-a-direction. We need next to look carefully both at the concept of vision and the concept of plan. A strategic plan implements a strategy based upon a strategic vision (p. 222).

In the foregoing statement, strategic planning cannot exist by itself. It has to be coupled with strategic vision to have any meaning at all. Strategic vision will give life to the strategic plans since it provides direction. This is relevant during the implementation phase.
In information technology, strategic planning occupies a central thrust and would spell the difference between success and failure considering the typical huge investment accompanying technological innovation. The importance of strategic planning is underscored by the following vision of the Government of Jamaica (2002) in its five-year strategic information technology plan for the country:
Technology has transformed the traditional concept of value from that which is tangible, to that which is intangible. Information and knowledge are the currency of today’s economy. Rapid advances in telecommunications technology, giving rise to the “virtual office” mean that firms can outsource services anywhere in the world, as distances and time differences are now meaningless (Executive Summary, p. 8).

The foregoing quotation demonstrates the transformation of technology as a driver of economic progress. If nations show their reliance on information technology to chart their progress, no business, no matter how small, can leave their progress to mere chance. Management must exert their best effort to identify doable and measurable objectives.
Right from the start, the company should ensure broad representation in selecting members to the IT strategic planning team. The duty of the team is to develop vision, principles and goals for technology to help the company achieve its goals and a near perfect assessment of its technological capabilities. The strategic plan must provide a mechanism for identifying progress in the accomplishment of goals and for reflecting changes in the internal and external environment.
The National States Geographic Information (NSGI) Council (2006) pointed out that goal identification and formulation should also build partnerships to achieve common goals. This observation is relevant to information technology. The Council wrote:
A good strategic plan should provide a clear explanation of how one or more strategic goals are to be achieved by an organization or program. It typically outlines long-term goals and details the specific strategies and programmatic goals that are to be pursued.… Strategic planning is a critical element for articulating a shared vision, and for building the partnerships that are necessary for disparate organizations to work together on common goals. (p. 3)

The NSGI Council (2006) identified the key elements of the strategic plan. These are strategic goals, long term goals, details of strategies and building partnerships. The efforts of the Strategic Planning Team must be directed to the formulation of goals that are reflective of their information technology initiatives.
Having identified preliminary ideas on the need to formulate a strategic plan, the next step concerns just how strategic planning is conducted. There are several models available for the use of the planning team. One popular model used in planning is called SWOT Analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The analysis involves the identification and recording of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, available and potential opportunities and threats from such sources as competitors, equipment obsolescence, environmental conditions and the like. Strengths and weaknesses are related to the internal resources of the company while opportunities and threats consider factors external to the company. (Philipo, n.d.)
The classification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats should be related to particular objectives and the vision-mission statement of the business. The first order of the day is for the team to formulate the objectives for the business. If objectives are already identified beforehand, the team should revisit and review the objectives to see if it can be adopted as such or revised. The team should also revisit the company’s mission-vision statement.
The team leader assigns specific tasks to the members and the latter are advised to focus on IT related concerns. The team should also allocate time to gather research information, such as, the current inventory of computer equipment and IT personnel. It is advised that the conduct of SWOT analysis is better done under a workshop atmosphere than the usual office meeting. It would help if the team will be assisted by a facilitator. The facilitator will not be assigned any task like the other team members. His tasks are to assist the team members to be creative in their generation of ideas and to promote systematic documentation of the planning procedure.
It will be idealistic to presume that the planning will go smoothly. To be realistic, seldom does planning go along without any hitches. Planning consultants Strategic Plantool (2001-2009) suggests business planners to be on the lookout for causes of planning problems. It explained:
The underlying causes of strategic planning problems are seldom technical deficiencies in the planning process or the analytical approaches used. Instead, they are human and administrative in nature. (…) Managers tend to focus on short-term issues with near-term financial consequences rather than on the longer-term issues that should be addressed by strategic planning (para. 1).

The team leaders should always be on the lookout for complacency among team members. They should strive to address the first signs of planning problems as described above. In the end, the planning process will be efficient when planning problems are brought under control and minimized accordingly.
The writing of the IT strategic plan comes next and should occupy the same importance as the other planning activities. It would be a mistake if the writing activity would be relegated to some secondary function. It must be remembered that it is the written plan that gets to be read by the stakeholders and other concerned parties. The written plan serves to provide guidance as the business implements various IT projects. McNamara (1997-2008) suggests that the team leader designate a small number of people to write the draft. He discourages the use of an external facilitator or consultant to do the plan writing in behalf of the team members. The draft should be presented to the board of directors or senior management for review and approval. (McNamara, 2007-2008)
Heathfield (2009) wrote that strategic planning implementation is at the heart of how to make change of any kind happen in your organization (para 2). Heathfield also identified keys to successful implementation. These keys are:
► Full and active executive support
► Effective communication
► Employee involvement
► Thorough organizational planning and competitive analysis
► Widespread perceived need for the strategic planning

IT planners should consider these keys as early as the planning stage. These keys will give planners what they should prepare for when implementation time comes. The keys tell that strategic planning should involve everyone in the organization. Strategic planning cannot be the sole responsibility of one department or of management alone. There should be a culture of shared responsibility. The culture of shared responsibility is important during the implementation stage considering that it is everyone in the enterprise who is tasked to execute the strategic plans.
The statement of Betz (2001) on the connection of strategy to implementation is convincing. He wrote:
Strategy is about change in direction; and implementing strategy is about how to create change in that direction (…) Strategic changes require different kinds of strategic vision and the initiative to implement a vision. For implementation of strategy, a strategic vision can be expressed as a strategic initiative identifying the direction of change (p. 48).

Betz (2001) counsels that implementation should be done with a measure of strategy. In other words, the activities of strategic planning should be approached by explicit identification of the direction of change.
IT strategic planners should generate an implementation timeline to follow through on the planned change. The timeline need not be some complicated instrument. It could be as simple as enumerating the activities to be undertaken under a several time periods. Persons and specific teams who will implement the plan should be identified and their responsibilities fixed. There should also be back-up personnel just in case the assigned person will not be able to do his assigned task.
To be effective, management should create teams that will provide the needed expertise during implementation phase. A coordination team will ensure that strategic objectives are carried out by the several assigned persons and/or teams. A monitoring team can also be created that will have the task of assessing performance against the strategic plans. An effective reporting system must also be in place in order that deviations from plans can be detected early before it balloons to a difficult problem. There is also a need for a documentation officer who will be tasked to keep pertinent records of the implementation phase. The audit team can be utilized to check conformance of transactions to standards of performance. We can create such teams or assign such persons to meet the needs of the implementation phase; however, prudence should be exercised in the creation of teams as more teams might tax the span of control of management and hamper the implementation phase.
The foregoing discussion demonstrates that IT strategic planning could be completed successfully through the use of simple to understand principles that do not require any substantial financial exposure.


References

Betz, Frederick. (2001). Executive Strategy: Strategic Management and Information Technology. New York, U.S.A.: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Government of Jamaica. (March 2002). A 5-year strategic information technology plan for Jamaica. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://www.mct.gov.jm/GOJ%20IT%20Plan%20-%20Revised%20Version%20March%2020021.pdf

Heathfield, Susan, M. (2009). Make Strategic Planning Implementation Work. About.com. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/strategicplanning1/a/implement_plan.htm

McNamara, Carter. (1997-2008). Developing your Strategic Plan. Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://managementhelp.org/fp_progs/sp_mod/str_plan.htm

National States Geographic Information Council. (2006). Strategic Plan Template. Federal Geographic Data Committee. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://www.nsgic.org/hottopics/strategic_plan_template.pdf

Philipo. (n.d) How to Analyze Business Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Hub Pages, Inc. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Analyze-Business-Strengths--Weaknesses--Opportunities-and-Threats

Strategic Plantool. (2001-2009). Strategic Plan: Major Steps, Traditional Planning Problems. Strategic Plan Builder, LLC. Retrieved on September 2, 2009, from: http://www.strategicplantool.com/Planning_Problems.htm

Week3 CS832 Doctor Steven Reynolds

ALIGN YOURSELF TODAY
By
Tai Cleveland
Class CS832
Doctor Steven Reynolds
Due August 08th, 2009










TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1
Table of Contents 2
Align Yourself Today 3-5
Reference List 6

















The continuing development of Information Technology (IT) within the concept of business and IT alignment is indeed a constant theme among business organizations. IT needs a special alignment with business as it serves as concealment for advertising products, consultancies, services, and analysis that afford a small value to the organization.
While it might be fitting to jump on the business competition, the truth is that IT does indeed need alignment with the business for other reasons. Making the right decisions and strategic planning are all part of the alignment bandwagon (R.J. Benson, et.al, 2004). No other function of the business in sales, finance, marketing, human resources, and manufacturing can so straightforwardly get out of a bind than IT. However, the business cannot verbalize the tongue of technology, and thus, alignment can be a problem. With the right decisions, a business is capable of meeting its technology-driven requirements with little or no delay and with as much accuracy as possible. Business managers apply strategic intentions in prioritization to provide benefit and boost competitiveness fast with as little latency as possible. The more an organization aligns itself, the more it will act in a harmonized fashion. In other words, application development services and more specifically, the functioning of application development and upkeep is very important for the success of any business unit.
Alignment will make it much simpler for the management team to thrust the organization in the path that is intended. In many cases, several organizations, even in this time of technology and management tools, are still trying to plot the course of change of change without a proper guidance system. Developing a plan, through the merged efforts of all apprehensive stakeholders, will present management with a crucial alignment tool it needs to have a successful alignment between organization goals and technological resources within the organization. The chief role of management will be to put across this plan in such a way that those drawn in not only fully realize the task at hand, but also to fully accept it (J. Stephenson).
It is generally considered that the general strategy has to be aligned with functions such as human resources management and information technology (J. Stephenson). This can entail a technology policy, depending on the organization’s needs. It is evident that even though IT has developed from its customary direction of managerial support, toward a more strategic role within an organization, there is still a deep-seated lack of established structures within which to recognize the potential of IT for future organizations. As a result, a vital factor for achieving the dynamic potential necessary in today's challenging business environment is not a particular set of complicated technological functionality but the organizational and management capabilities to control technology to build client confidence in the organization as well as distinguish it from competitors.
Indeed, alignment approaches may vary to solve the daily business challenges. Several of these approaches pivot on searching the most favorable way to appropriately characterize the needs of the business and promptly execute those needs such that results can easily be measured. Looking at this perspective, the role of IT alignment facilitates the problem solving concerns with technology-driven capabilities. To the degree that businesses are continuously shifting business needs, the endeavor is to assist alignment by removing the slow activities of development that basically gets in the way. This is also where making the right decisions come in. A proficient IT alignment set-up along with the right decisions will not only control on constructing and amplifying competency as the main focus, but will also help in giving more detailed solutions to detailed concerns.
Alignment should be an ongoing management issue. The ideal IT alignment should be about bringing into play the same rules for any management area. That means applying the basic principles for both business management and IT management with prioritization (R.J. Benson, et.al, 2004).
Also, business IT issues usually has a long term impact. Even if a business organization is entirely aligned at the moment, the business could have a problem later on. Systems and people follow the same sort of rules, but act differently. When businesses are dealing with an alignment issue, they should communicate the differences of different type of resources. Making the right decisions is all about communication and mutual acceptance. Decisions about managing the proper resources determine strongly how much should be used up in projects and lights-on (R.J. Benson, et.al, 2004).
When tackling the right decisions and prioritization plans, realizing the alignment of IT and business comes into play. Every computer project scheme should exhibit the economical cash flow of its planned business upgrading. A display of the ranges in risks will improve the integrity of the proposed endeavor. Executives must grasp that computer-related change in business processes are risky (P. Strassman, 1998).
IT alignment brings together the major forces of information technology and the visionary potential of top management. Business organizations can now “build strategic plans that will aid performance in the short run and build success for the long term” (J. Stephenson).

REFERENCES
Benson, R.J., Bugnitz, T. L. & Walton, W. (2004). From Business Strategy To IT Action.
John Wiley and Sons. Retrieved August 01, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=2wYZbaKzuwAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=From+Business+Strategy+to+IT+Action.

Brown, C. V. & Topi, H. (2003). IS Management Handbook. CRC Press.
Retrieved August 02, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=SS-K7RB3ZlcC&pg=PA2&dq=IT+alignment.

Lovelace, Herbert W. (1998 November 02). Align Yourself Today. Information Week.
Retrieved August 02, 2009, from
http://www.informationweek.com/707/07uwhl.htm;jsessionid=KXVZCJQ0GRXI3QE1GHPSKHWATMY32JVN.

Stephenson, J. Strategic Alignment - An Evolving Process. Ezine Articles.
Retrieved August 01, 2009, from
http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1443822.
Strassman, P. A. (1998 August). Alignment is The Delivery of the Required Results. The
Squandered Computer. Cutter IT Journal. Retrieved August 01, 2009, from
http://www.strassmann.com/pubs/alignment/.

WEEK4 Doctor Steven Reynolds

FIVE STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC PLAN
By
Tai Cleveland
Class CS832
Doctor Steven Reynolds
Resubmit Week 4 assignment















TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1
Table of Contents 2
Five Steps to an Effective Strategic Plan 3-6
Reference List 7



















Strategic planning processes are made to establish which forms of support an organization requires to meet its future needs. Indeed, most technologists convey doubt about anyone's capacity to exactly estimate which types of technology will be required ahead of the next two or three years. The impetus for strategic technology planning include aligning technology with other institutional priorities, disseminating knowledge about technology needs and constraints, building alliances with key decision-makers, lobbying for (and obtaining) financial and other resources, addressing existing technology needs, and keeping an eye on the leading edge (M. Ringle, et al., 1998).
Aligning technology with other institutional priorities
When strategic plans fail, organizations point fingers on the failure to tie technology to institutional mission and priorities, failure to get the right people on board, excessive focus on technical detail, or lack of suitable leadership (Ringle, et al., 1998).
In fact there are five steps in having an effective strategic plan. First of all, start with the organization’s planning vision. However, reading an organization’s strategic plans is not sufficient enough for strategizing. Having business authorities partaking in the planning process guarantees that security is headed towards the right course. Also, it helps a business get some knowledgeable and financial backing for their program. In reality, businesses have tight budgets and constraints on what they can and cannot do. An organization needs to goad these business folks that a security improvement is really in the best interest of the business, and that they are accepting to pay for it.
By viewing at the enhancements an organization wants to make over the next couple of years, they may be able to get business leaders to make a long-term investment to a particular project. If a certain department does not have budget to fund the project during the next year, a business organization possibly might be able to drag the group for the following year (S. Scalet, 2005).
Secondly, an organization should often do a risk assessment. As soon as an organization realizes what its priorities are, then they can determine which security risks might hinder the business in meeting important targets. Business authorities have to be coordinated in the planning process. Though sometimes it takes a security expert to truly secure and evaluate a risk assessment.
This security know-how can come in handy especially in the external affairs associated with a security department's strategic planning. In fact, those companies that long to be successful in the global marketplace have to be more cunning about handling all types of risks ranging from computer crashes, military coups to epidemics
The third step to an effective strategic plan is setting measurable goals for a team in the organization, to keep all the important plans sorted out and grounded. Once the management has done its research, it is time to begin combining the business risks and goals. Plus, an organization needs its strategy by merging the risks and company goals.
The company’s objectives should be priority and they can be simple as any as an organization would like it to. Some simple objectives are to improve security, decrease costs, and apply security to ascertain competitive advantage.
The strategy is merely the approach that an organization shall accomplish pertaining to those missions over the coming years. The further the plan goes, the less detailed it becomes. In addition, an organization may opt to divide a less-detailed strategy with the board of directors and have a more specific plan that they move within the security department. The ploy is looking beyond one’s business tactics for the next year and detailing out the important goals for the coming years.
However, there are things to make a business strategy work. One is that an organization has to ensure that every penny they are spending links with one of their objectives. In fact, it all boils down to a budget and a set of priorities and detailing the program that an organization is going to carry out in a given year (Scalet, 2005).
The other thing is that an organization has to find their IT metrics that can measure how well they meet their objectives over time. Yet, business leaders do not usually intimidate as easily as they used to.
The fourth step is recognizing that there is no correct time frame. There is always an argument about how far should a strategic plan look and executed. Actually, it depends that at least two years may be the outer limits of clear vision, especially during the preliminary phase of getting out of response mode.
There are certain factors why a business should not delve too much on time frames. An organization really cannot plan for everything since regulations can change legal requirements quickly, potential threats can emerge, and key vendors could be obtained.
To cope with these situations, an organization should set as much of a plan as possible for the next two years which contain specific goals and ways to achieve them. A business should also keep in mind the two-to-four-year time frame. Beyond that, though, it is wise to have the most high-level goals in mind.
Lastly, an organization should stay flexible at all costs. Actually, what's more important than how far out a company’s plan reaches is how flexible it can be in running it.
It can be difficult to make those preliminary steps to get a plan really off the ground, when an organization is attempting to keep on top of everything. But over time, the strategic planning process will get easier. Once the management gets it going, the plan only has to be rationalized, not formulated. It is all a part of the job.
And the more an organization shifts into a strategic mode, the more it buys itself time to concentrate on what is really necessary like building business value. In fact, there is often going to be some response, but by doing more planning up front, the management is going to set aside time to assist the business and do some of the things that they want to do.
Without strategic planning, an organization is on the hazy side of lurching from one challenge to another without a specific goal. Getting burdened by lengthy, complicated, and confused technology planning is one of the more costly and likely self-defeating practice an organization can undertake. It is tremendously easy to lose sight of the most significant objectives and become entangled in useless arguments about certain vendors, micro-standards, and platforms. However, there is an alternative. It is simply to make optimal use of time, energy, and resources for better understanding of the important differences between long-term strategic technology planning and short-term operational technology planning. It is essential to focus on process rather than document, and to devise mechanisms that enable funding, staffing, and other assets to be readily allocated and re-allocated, as circumstances require (Scalet, 2005).
REFERENCES
Allison, M. J. & Kaye, J. (2005). Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A
Practical Guide and Workbook. John Wiley and Sons.
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=0qSKfnIVLYC&pg=PA1&dq=startegic+planning#v=onepage&q=&f=false.

Bryson, J. M. & Alston, F. K. (2005). Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan.
John Wiley and Sons. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=wJA1jzIAwb0C&dq=what+is+strategic+planning%3F&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=qEKRSs3sH4yTkQW66dm7Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=13#v=onepage&q=&f=false.

Goodstein, L. D., Nolan, T. M. & Pfeiffer, J. W. (1993). Applied Strategic Planning: A
Comprehensive Guide. McGraw-Hill Professional.
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=pYaqjHZHYNUC&pg=PA1&dq=startegic+planning#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
Ringle, M. & Updegrove, D. (1998). Is Strategic Planning for Technology an Oxymoron? Cause and Effect Journal. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem/cem98/cem9814.html.
Scalet, S. D. (2005, July 01). Five Steps to an Effective Strategic Plan. CSO
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://www.csoonline.com/article/220459/Five_Steps_to_an_Effective_Strategic_Plan?page=1.

Update CS832 Doctor Steven Reynolds

IT BENCHMARKING AND IT BENCHMARKING

PERSPECTIVES

By
Tai Cleveland
Class CS832
Doctor Steven Reynolds
Resubmit Week2 assignment

























TABLE OF CONTENTS



Title Page 1

Table of Contents 2

IT Benchmarking and IT Benchmarking Perspectives 3-6

Reference List 7

































A benchmark is referred to a standard that can be measured or judged (W. M. Lankford). When it comes to IT (Information Technology) benchmarking, however, it compares certain technological factors of a product or service as opposed to traditional specifications. IT benchmarking presents a contained, repeatable outcome that determine an individual or a set of performance indicators (C. Ambuhl, et al., 2004).
The model IT benchmarking method is to systematize a group of companies in an industry to divide its data based on IT metrics. This method makes certain that companies achieve exact and extremely pertinent IT benchmarks at a reasonable cost. However, IT benchmarking is not an easy feat, particularly to organizations that are at a loss about how incorporate IT to benchmarking.
One perspective of IT benchmarking is the measurement of outcome, which addresses the gains accomplished from the implementation of a technology or an IT application. The capability to enhance an IT organization through determining and sustaining a performance baseline can offer momentous business results. These results include the cost savings, cost spending efficiency, recognizing the IT weaknesses and means to boost productivity, making the organization remain competitive, prioritizing IT opportunities for organizational growth, and developing practical IT goals and keeping track to fulfill these goals.
Indeed, an organization evolves in its own together with the annual plans, strategies, metrics, and everything else, as changes relate to different types of business. Having the aggressive benchmarking edge these days will compel an organization to its target without plummeting.
Basically, having an execution measurement through an organization’s scorecard would create its business plans to occur, and not stay as one measly dream (Ambuhl, et al., 2004).
Execution measurement of the outcome makes the companies pursue their chance factors in business. It applies both internal and external viable benchmarking and exploits a fitting flowing technique for goal execution and setting. This scorecard can now distinguish the accomplishments in the real setting, not in just the yearly business review. In measuring the outcome, the data measured must be accurate and current or timely Mard, M. J., 2004). The validity of the measurement is based on its ease and the issues ought to be tractable to their original causes. The whole database of the garnered outcomes or data is fundamentally basic to simply preserve their integrity. So, if a organization’s management team is in an objective scorecard advance and they partake in a considerable goal setting activity, the execution measurement can now prompt them to take on a higher achievement objective thus, outpacing the profit and evolution expectations.
The measurement of outcome in benchmarking is now an integral part of the established execution management advance. Still, an unclear management notion, measurement of outcome simply are the accomplishments of an IT implemented process that measures services, solutions, and other business practices as opposed to the most intricate competition. One of the perspectives of competitive benchmarking incorporates the building of other people's ideas to boost future execution with an IT application.
An organization can anticipate significant improvements when they compare their developments into having fine benchmarking practices. Prior to proceeding to the external competitive benchmarking, an organization should have considered the internal operations methodically with a proficient internal measurement system that is fully conclusively proved.
IT benchmarking perspectives are essential if an organization is facing increased competition in its industry sector. With higher demands on IT to align with the business, this type of perspective addresses the necessity to display economic value and the need to realize how competitive IT services are to optimize the delivery of IT services. Constructing an IT-based competitive advantage has become a major requirement. Ongoing IT benchmarking can guarantee that an organization’s IT investment is bringing the best value to the organization.
The IT benchmark has definitely progressed from just some comprehensive technology to a whole view of IT performance. The organization can be focused in one or a number of areas. These areas include peer and industry comparisons, customer satisfaction, business–IT process, IT effectiveness and value, and IT efficiency and cost (Ambuhl, et al., 2004).
Furthermore, when the measurement of outcome proves to be successful especially when incorporated with IT functions, cost and performance in benchmarking are easily managed IT. It enables an IT organization to evaluate their performance and costs to similar tasks or identifies opportunities for management improvement.
An organization’s level of effort will certainly rely on its measurement of outcome. They will notice how well organized the data is due to its IT implementation. Organizations that are well-ordered should not spend over two days per technology application for data collection and automated data entry (Ambuhl, et al., 2004).
The gains accomplished from having an IT application in business enable the company to have a more thorough understanding of their IT costs structure. There will be knowledge of which specific areas of performance to focus on in order to achieve the greatest gain. It also includes an establishment of critical key performance indicators that can be tracked in the future.
In fact, benchmarking does not only pertain to databases and number crunching. IT benchmarkers should be conscious of IT executive and staff time constraints (Ambuhl, et al., 2004). Compliance in data collection approaches is essential to total an exact benchmarking breakdown with low distraction to the organization. Indeed, IT benchmark perspectives go further than the relative tables that demonstrate many benchmarks. A successful IT benchmark is distinguished by litigable references to produce instant and long-term improvements.
The measurement of outcome calls for having a room for organizational improvement. If the demand for IT services continues to grow, the costs should also be taken into account. This IT benchmark perspective signifies the value of having an IT application within the organization which sparks a continuous effort undertaking. Indeed, aligning business with IT-based solutions has a potential impact to a thriving business.
IT benchmarking proves beneficial to a company. Even if benchmarking can be quite complex or simple, it supplies informative management solutions and promotes a spirit of collaboration and participation among employees and from indirect competitors. When an organization looks at IT benchmarking and its measurement of outcome, they go beyond their standard processes. IT benchmarking is crucial for organizations to center on anything that will impact its performance quality and value.
REFERENCES
Ambuhl, C. & Bitterman, M. (2004). IT Benchmarking A Baseline For
Improving Performance. Robert Frances Group and Experture.
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:UFQOQNN7cNIJ:www.rfgonline.com/events/highperformance.pdf+IT+Benchmarking&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk.

Lankford, W. M. Benchmarking: Understanding the Basics. The Coastal Business
Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2009, from
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:s7cwuE4MvzkJ:www.coastal.edu/business/cbj/pdfs/benchmark.pdf+strategic+benchmarking&hl=en.

Mard, M. J., Dunne, R. R. & Osborne, E. (2004). Driving Your Company's Value:
Strategic Benchmarking For Value. John Wiley and Sons.
Retrieved August 21, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=frqSKIgoJwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=strategic+benchmarking#v=onepage&q=&f=false.

McManus, L. & Eloff, J.H.P. Using IT Benchmarking Principles To Design
Information Security Benchmark Model. ICSA Research Group.
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:6PTvtFZiwDYJ:icsa.cs.up.ac.za/issa/2006/Proceedings/Full/100_Paper.pdf+IT+Benchmarking&hl=en

Obloj, K., Cushman, D. P. & Kozm, A. K. (1995). Winning: Continuous Improvement
Theory in High-performance Organizations. SUNY Press.
Retrieved August 22, 2009, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=3HNS0eDmF38C&pg=PA115&dq=strategic+benchmarking&lr=#v=onepage&q=strategic%20benchmarking&f=false.

Class CS822 Doctor Lance

Systems Analysis and Design

Tai Cleveland


In planning a system project for an entire enterprise or for a small departmental system, both cases include basic considerations. Planning an enterprise-wide system project, however, is different from planning a small departmental system in terms of additional factors as discussed in the following. The basic considerations include: (a) the specific data that need to be migrated into the new system; (b) the duration as well as the specific dates when data needs to be migrated into the new system; (c) the process by which data templates are to be developed; (d) how to “freeze” the current tools during migration of data; (e) technologies and other structures necessary to support the migration into the new system; and (f) the process of archiving data as it is transferred into the new system. Other considerations include the resources available for the system projects, as well as the personnel availability and proficiency in using the new system (Monk & Wagner, 2009).
In the case of an enterprise-wide system project, it is important to note that entire organization would involve a variety of units, with each unit having its own needs, capacities and limits. For instance, the HR department would need functionality that would address its needs in managing human resources or employees, as well as in recruitment processes. The HR department would have the capacity to have high proficiency and flexibility in adopting the new system, but would be limited in terms of actual know-how in using the new system and related technologies. In contrast, the IT department would need functionality that is highly suitable to technology proficient members. In relation, the IT department would have the capacity to readily accommodate the new system because of the knowledge and high proficiency of the department in using technologies. However, the IT department would be limited in terms of management of human resources as the department shifts or migrates towards using the new system. In this regard, the differences between departments would determine how the enterprise-wide system is to be planned and implemented. More importantly, in planning for an enterprise-wide system project, another major consideration is the way the various organizational units are connected with each other. This pertains to the structure of the organization. For instance, each department would be connected to other departments in a unique way. This means that the channels through which communications or data transfers are made between departments vary, depending on the departments involved. As a result, planning for an enterprise-wide system would require examination of the relationships among entities within the organization.
On the other hand, in planning for a smaller departmental system, the major considerations are limited to the basic consideration enumerated earlier. Aside from this, planning for a smaller departmental system does not require consideration of the differences among organizational units. It also does not require much consideration of how organizational units are interconnected, since the system would be limited within the bounds of the department. In addition, an aspect that makes the smaller departmental system significantly different from the enterprise-wide system is the availability of resources. It should be noted that, while the enterprise-wide system can be supported by resources of the entire organization, the smaller departmental system can be supported only by the limited resources of the department. In some cases, the department may be provided additional resources, but only after much deliberation by other organizational units, such as the Finance Department.
Overall, the depth and complexity of planning an enterprise-wide system project is considerably different from a simpler and more focused smaller departmental system. Planning for an enterprise-wide system requires examination of the needs, capacities and limits of the entire organization, while planning for a smaller departmental system requires focused consideration of the department only.

References
Monk, E., & Wagner, B. (2009). Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Course Technology Cengage Learning.

Week3

Review and Summary 1

REVIEW AND SUMMARY





















Review and Summary

In APA Style

Tai Cleveland

















Review and Summary 2


Tai Cleveland 25 January 2009

Authors: Tom L. Roberts Jr., Michael L. Gibson, Kent T. Fields, and R. Kelly Rainer Jr.

Title: Factors that Impact Implementing a System Development Methodology

Source: 640 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, VOL. 24, NO. 8,
AUGUST 1998

Keywords: information systems (IS), systems development manager (SDM), Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE), business modeling

Key Points:
• Importance of SDM in Organizations

• The Survey Questionnaire and Analysis of Information Gathered

• Five Factors in Implementing SDM

Detailed Overview: This article presents the outcomes of a study of more than sixty existing companies in the U.S. in order to distinguish the aspects that would affect application of a system development methodology (SDM). Moreover, this research utilizes a survey tool that can identify the implementation factors of SDM. The concentration of this survey is on the how functional managers, information system managers, system personnel, and external consultants view this subject matter. A thorough analysis of five essential factors in SDM application that were results of the survey/study was implemented. The outcomes are significant for all researches and practitioners of SDM.
SDM are the answer to the problem that IS managers are facing. It is difficult to offer a concise and sure definition for SDM since there are too many as there are kinds of them. Support tools have cropped up to aid in the application and implementation of SDM and articles written about them are more aimed at informing rather than being intensely methodical. Researchers and
Review and Summary 3

practitioners alike have been using SDM extensively and majority of reports say that it has improved entities greatly by addressing internal problems and conflicts.
Furthermore, this article talks about how a study was conducted among experts in the field and whose outcomes and information gathered were used to design the survey tools. Over-all, the article describes how the five essential factors in implementing SDM came about. Using the survey results, the authors were able to produce a concise description of the methodologies and the instruments that paved the way in making viable conclusions.
Entities who are implementing SDMs find the transition from the old to the new burdensome yet those who persevere always reap a good harvest, so to speak. This study is very useful for organizations that are still planning to implement and SDM or just starting up with one. This is a very effective guideline as many questions that would be raised are being addressed here. More importantly, this study proves to contain all the basic information that are needed to start and nurture existing SDMs.

What didn't the paper say or include? Although the paper was very thorough and concise in its presentation of the procedures in coming to a conclusive report, it would have been more interesting to know the historical background or the propagators of SDM. Readers might want to know of its origins and its evolution (if there is any).
How would you rate the paper?
Readability 7
Quantity and Quality of references 9
Contribution to the field 8
Personal Interest 7

If you could ask the author(s) one question, what would you ask?

If SDM proves to be advantageous to any organization, why are some not implementing any?
Reference

Roberts Jr, T. L., Gibson, M. L., Rainer Jr, R. K., & Fields, K. T. (1998). Factors that Impact Implementing a System Development Methodology. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. 24 (8), 640.

Week5






Article Summary and Review




Tai Cleveland







,

Professor: _ _ _ _ _

January 27, 2009

Tai Cleveland
January 27, 2009
Author(s): Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V.
Title: ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables.
Source: Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.
Date of Publication: June, 2006
Keywords: enterprise resource planning; ERP; business value; planning system; IT system; information systems; business information system; business impact; business IT project; system project; project scope; IT investment; IT business value; business value.
Key Points:
• Through an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects, and through options thinking logic, ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level.
• Variation in potential advantage is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
• ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• Negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope.
• Other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
Detailed Overview:
The article discusses the effects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects on business organizations. The study examines the cases of actual companies that have implemented ERP projects. The authors, Ranganathan and Brown, indicate that the study is important because it contributes to existing literature on the importance of ERP projects in business. It is important to note that the study’s main focus is the firm level, where the effects of ERP investments are examined. The authors used an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects. The authors also used options thinking logic in examining the value of ERP. Through this logic, the authors argue that the ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level. Such variation is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
The authors examined 116 cases of ERP investments, as announced by US-based 116 companies in the period 1997 through 2001. Upon analysis, it is shown that (a) ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns; and (b) ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns. The authors indicate that functional scope includes such aspects as supply chains, while physical scopes include the number of sites at which the investment is made within the organization. Aside from this, it is also shown that negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope. Also, other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
The authors conclude that the benefits of ERP systems in organizations can vary, depending on decisions made regarding such aspects as functional scope and physical scope. Also, complementary investments can increase the returns of ERP investments. Overall, at the firm level, the impact of ERP investments varies depending on such factors.
The paper did not include discussions on the limits and possible errors made in the study. These could have provided for a more realistic view the study. I would rate the paper as follows.
• Readability: 8
• Quantity and Quality of references: 8
• Contribution to the field: 9
• Personal Interest: 8
If given the chance, I would ask the author this: How extensive is the negative impact of contemporary investments on ERP investments?

Reference
Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V. (2006, June). ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables. Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.






Article Summary and Review




Tai Cleveland







,

Professor: _ _ _ _ _

January 27, 2009

Tai Cleveland
January 27, 2009
Author(s): Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V.
Title: ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables.
Source: Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.
Date of Publication: June, 2006
Keywords: enterprise resource planning; ERP; business value; planning system; IT system; information systems; business information system; business impact; business IT project; system project; project scope; IT investment; IT business value; business value.
Key Points:
• Through an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects, and through options thinking logic, ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level.
• Variation in potential advantage is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
• ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• Negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope.
• Other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
Detailed Overview:
The article discusses the effects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects on business organizations. The study examines the cases of actual companies that have implemented ERP projects. The authors, Ranganathan and Brown, indicate that the study is important because it contributes to existing literature on the importance of ERP projects in business. It is important to note that the study’s main focus is the firm level, where the effects of ERP investments are examined. The authors used an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects. The authors also used options thinking logic in examining the value of ERP. Through this logic, the authors argue that the ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level. Such variation is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
The authors examined 116 cases of ERP investments, as announced by US-based 116 companies in the period 1997 through 2001. Upon analysis, it is shown that (a) ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns; and (b) ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns. The authors indicate that functional scope includes such aspects as supply chains, while physical scopes include the number of sites at which the investment is made within the organization. Aside from this, it is also shown that negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope. Also, other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
The authors conclude that the benefits of ERP systems in organizations can vary, depending on decisions made regarding such aspects as functional scope and physical scope. Also, complementary investments can increase the returns of ERP investments. Overall, at the firm level, the impact of ERP investments varies depending on such factors.
The paper did not include discussions on the limits and possible errors made in the study. These could have provided for a more realistic view the study. I would rate the paper as follows.
• Readability: 8
• Quantity and Quality of references: 8
• Contribution to the field: 9
• Personal Interest: 8
If given the chance, I would ask the author this: How extensive is the negative impact of contemporary investments on ERP investments?

Reference
Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V. (2006, June). ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables. Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.

Week6

Running Head: Interactions between IS Professionals


Interaction quality between IS professionals and users:
Impacting Conflict and Project Performance


Your Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________
Authors: Eric T. G. Wang, Henry H.G. Chen, James J. Jiang, Gary Klein
Title: Interaction quality between IS professionals and users: impacting conflict and project performance
Source: Wang, E., Chen, H. Jiang, J. et. al., (2005). Interaction quality between IS professionals and users: impacting conflict and project performance. Journal of Information Science, 31 (nd), 273-282. doi: 10.1177/0165551505054169.
Keywords: interaction, information system, project management, stakeholders’ working relationships
Keypoints:
• The link between the IS professional and the user of the system does not imply the success of the project
• Conflicts on the external and internal relationship in the system matter, and this is found to be affecting the interaction quality is such a negative way.
• In order to address the effects of this conflict, the organization should look up to these conflicts, so as to attain project goals.
Detailed Overview:
The paper discusses the effects of conflict on the IS professionals and its end users. a good number of studies were done in order to deduce facts that lead them to the conclusion. at the end of the study, the authors of the study found out that the interaction between he IS system and the user of the plan does not dictate the success of the project. Conflicts are regarded as independent entities which have nothing to do with the results. Likewise, the conflicts experienced by the project team leaders are independent to that of the users' and the project team members. Having the idea that these conflicts are mutually exclusive; the organization should find it vital to monitor interactions and stakeholders' relationship within different projects, since this will contribute to the success rate of the development project.
What didn’t the paper say or include?
The authors of the article have included a lot of concept discussing management of the people in the workplace, as well as the roots of the possible conflicts that may arise.
May I suggest that the author include psychological explanations of the mentioned conflicts? The concept of psychoanalysis will facilitate the more effective management of the team members, the leaders and the users as well. It is in the study of the dynamics of the brain that the managers can very well motivate the workers to work and result to effective development plans. Given that psychology is the study of how the brain works, how the human thinks, it is always included in the introduction to management course back in the undergraduate curriculum.
Rating: 7 (It has very well expounded the ideas regarding the topic)
Readability: 8 (it is quite of high bracket, which is just appropriate since it targets the graduate studies)
Quantity and Quality of references 7
Contribution to the field 8
Personal Interest 7 (I really am into this field of study. This is kind of a fresh topic that had attracted my attention)
Questions for the author:
1. What brought you to the idea of the topic? Any experience? Field of interest? Or line of job you are into?
2. What have you found interesting upon accomplishing this article?
3. Are you on a further research to improve the currently available information about this topic?

References:
Wang, E., Chen, H. Jiang, J. et. al., (2005). Interaction quality between IS professionals and users: impacting conflict and project performance. Journal of Information Science, 31 (nd), 273-282. doi: 10.1177/0165551505054169.

Week 8


Week8_Testing and Documentation

Testing Tips for Controls 2X – Version 2

These suggestions are for completing BSA Testing for Controls 2.X and do not include all possible scenarios.

Control 2.1

General notes: For mainframe access, supply your high level application code (aka tech guide prefix, e.g. FL*, OI*, etc.) and the production frame to Information Security (Tim Mathis) and request a RACF listing of entities with WRITE or ALTER access to your program code, files, databases and other objects your application owns on the frame.

Test Step A Part 1: Review the listing(s) you receive, and note all generic or group sign-on ids with access to your objects, such as CRIS, OPER, NGL2, or any APA IDs. Document all of the people and/or processes which can log on to these userids. This will be part of your testing evidence.

Your evidence sheets also should include part or all of this listing and a written explanation. If it is too many pages (more than 25), you can include the first couple of pages and an excerpt showing some of your objects.

Make it easy on yourself -- make sure you circle, underline and label the appropriate call-outs. Remember that your evidence sheets will ultimately be reviewed by non-IT, non-JCPenney people, and they must be able to clearly understand exactly what they are reading.

Test Step A Part 2: If you use Endevor to store your source code, link to http://jweb.jcpenney.com/infosys/infosc/compliance/soxaudit.htm and scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see two links for Endevor Information. The first link contains a master listing of Endevor libraries, and the second link contains tips on reading the Endevor listing and locating the access listing for your application. Your testing show follow the same pattern as you used in Part 1, and your evidence sheets should be similar as well.

Test Step B: From a listing of members in your own security group (you can find this through SANS), randomly select five (5) individuals, and verify that they are current associates or contractors. You can verify their status either through Associate Lookup or through SANS. A screen print of each associate’s information will serve as sufficient evidence.

Control 2.2

General notes: Most applications authenticate using MPAS and/or NSP, which enforce the password security policies located at http://jweb/infosys/infosc/polpronew/gen/pass-s.html. These policies require a password to be a minimum length, contain both alpha and numeric characters, and be changed every 45 days.

Test Step A: This test step is mostly related to server access and database access by IT developers “outside” of the application; it does not include a test of the access a user has. If your application is on a server for which your group does not have administrative access, state so on your testing template, and indicate who does have administrative access. If your servers are maintained by Tech Services, for example, include a reference to the Tech Services Control Roadmap for further information regarding server administration. “Administrative access” means that you have access to the server or database under an administrative id other than your own userid.

Do you have administrative access to a server or database through an administrative id that is not your own userid? Do you have a database (SQL or other) which has its own security? Do you have access to a UNIX server? AS400? Tandem? These are authentication situations which are not handled through MPAS or NSP. Do you maintain your own table of developers who can access and modify your application code or objects? How do you authenticate? If you operate on a platform that is not provisioned through MPAS, how do you enforce the password change policies? Do you have unique userids that can be traced to an individual?

If your application uses only userids and passwords administered through MPAS or NSP, indicate that on your response.

Test Step B: This test step relates to application access. As with Test Step A, this test is for “IT developer only” access to the application on production or staging platforms/servers/frames. This test has no concern whatsoever for the user’s access. Can you change production or staging data, application code, objects from outside the application? Ask the same questions from Test Step A, and document your answers.

Control 2.3

Test Step A is directed toward the issue of developers being in very large security groups which support a broad array of resources, resulting in developers having base (or default) access to resources not required for their job function.

Test Step B attempts to verify that access permission was granted by the resource owner when access to that resource was not granted as a default.

These instructions assume that access to your resource is managed through the SANS system. Due to the variation in systems design within the Company, these steps may not be suitable for your application.

**NEW** For this control your sample group should be limited to associates who transferred into your security group during fiscal 2006. If your resource is managed by SANS, you will be able to retrieve the SANS request; however, SANS is not the only method of requesting/granting access.

Test Step A: To complete this step, access SANS and select the help screen that lists BASE access for your security group. Locate the resource item(s) for your application. Then access the help screen that lists Security Group members, and get the list for your security group (do not limit it to a specific AOR or unit). Randomly select five (5) users and verify that they should, in fact, have access to your resource.

Test Step B: Contact Information Security (Tim Mathis) to request a listing of all users with “on-request” access to your resource items(s); this/these will be the same item(s) you used in Test Step A. Choose 5 users randomly from the list and locate documentation that permission was granted by the resource owner for those users to have access to that resource. Permissions documentation may be in the form of an email you sent, or which may have been sent to you through the SANS system. Recent SANS requests have an audit trail; contact Information Security to request a copy of the approval documentation for each of the 5 individuals.

Control 2.4

This control is specifically testing system administrator privileges (related to operating system access). Does anyone in your group have this type of privilege on the mainframe? Unix? AS400? Tandem? Servers? Others? Document all individuals who do and what level of access they have. Verify that this type of access is necessary and appropriate for each individual listed. If your servers are administered by Tech Services, your response should note that fact and should reference their Control Roadmap.

This control is different than Control 2.2A and 2.2B, which reviewed the password security policies for access. This control reviews the validity of the users’ access.

Control 2.5

This control is similar to Control 2.4, except that it refers to developers with powerful administrative access to databases and applications. Mainframe access to DB2-type resources will be limited to Stan Mann’s group, and your documentation can reflect the fact that you do not have access to any high-level SYSADM-type ids. Other platforms, such as Oracle, are frequently maintained by the developers, and individuals with this type of access should be documented in a list and reviewed to determine whether or not access is still appropriate. Any limitations or controls that are in place to restrict access or use of these ids should also be documented.

Week 7

Week 7
Tai Cleveland Date: February 22nd, 2009
Authors: Mark I. Hwanga, Ron G. Thorn
Title: The effect of user engagement on system success: A meta-analytical
integration of research findings
Source: Elsevier Science B.V

Keywords: User involvement; User participation; System success; Meta-analysis; Organizational impact; Information System; Controversial areas in information system; User engagement;

Key Points:
• There are quite a number of studies that focused on the involvement of user engagement to system success, but empirical results have been found controversial and inconsistent.
• Inconsistencies lie on the theoretical foundation of system success and user involvement and participation, and on the methodologies that were used in the research studies.
• Meta-analysis is commonly used to integrate the results of two or more studies. This method also reduces sampling errors that were made in the studies in order to give a more accurate summary of the literature. Meta-analysis is used in this research to show the effect of user engagement on system success.
• User engagement is positively correlated with system success.

Detailed Review:
This study aims to find out the effect of user engagement on system success. There are numerous studies already that focus on this subject, but the authors find the results of independent researches inconsistent with one another. With this problem at hand, the researchers try to give more accurate results by using meta-analysis, a method that is used to integrate the results of several studies. Reviews have been made to point out the differences between the empirical results of the researches that deal with user engagement and system success. The biggest contribution that this study could offer is that it intends to make sense of the inconsistencies that are revealed in the previous literature.
The process of meta-analysis brings the outcome of a number of researches together, and gives a more concrete picture how user participation and user involvement can affect system success. Results show that the user engagement is definitely positively correlated with system success, despite the apparent differences of individual studies involved. However, there are still many untapped areas in this subject, and it is recommended that further researches look into the moderation of different variables used in the study.

What didn't the paper say or include?
The paper did not give a clear picture of the theoretical foundations of user engagement in the context of system success, which may confuse the first-time reader of what the study is all about. The methodological parts used in the paper were not given in detail as well. The authors could have given the scope of their study. Although meta-analysis sounds attractive as a tool of integrating the results of several studies, the authors were not able to justify why they picked the studies that they used, and how is it possible to correlate the results of different studies given that they have different theoretical background.


How would you rate the paper?
Readability 8
Quantity and Quality of references 7
Contribution to the field 6
Personal Interest 6
Overall, I find the paper easy to read. It can be easily understood by someone who would read it the first time. However, I don’t feel that the paper gave justification to their conclusions, hence the relatively low scores in contributions to the field.

If you could ask the author(s) one question, what would you ask?
What are the criteria that you used in choosing the studies that you involve in your research?

Week8 Article Review

Week8 Article Review
Tai Cleveland Date: March 01st, 2009
Authors: Jane Coughlan, Mark Lycett, Robert D. Macredie
Title: Communication issues in requirements elicitation: a content analysis
of stakeholder experiences
Source: Elsevier Science B.V. 2003

Keywords: Communication; Requirements elicitation; Content analysis; Stakeholder experiences; System development; Stakeholder participation;

Key Points:
• This is a pioneer study grounded upon the theoretical foundation of communication concerns in the gathering of stakeholder requirements
• Requirements elicitation among stakeholders exists in a highly complex social/technical environment which leads it to become a very communicative process. Communication issues are built upon this type of environment.
• This study is an offshoot of previous research studies that were made to analyze the communication process within a social context. It adapts the four-dimensional framework that used previously to present and analyze their data
• The study is limited to a small number of sample size, and the framework used is still in its infancy
• Each dimension (i.e. stakeholder selection and participation, stakeholder interaction, communication activities, techniques) of communication has an equal importance in the process of communication in requirements eliciting
Detailed Review:

Requirements elicitation (RE) among stakeholders is both continuous and crucial in system development. It involves a very complex communication process, the nature of which is highly vulnerable to errors. This is due to the fact that stakeholders are subject to both the behavioral and technical aspects of requirement elicitation, and therefore must maintain the balance between the two. Having the need to undergo a complex process, the users involved in requirement elicitation must then be subject to a communicative and continuous process, which could then become a strong foundation of the repetitive RE process. The purpose of this paper is to point out highly problematic areas involved in the communications process.
The researchers used interview to acquire data from business consultants and project managers of several companies. The questions cover a broad area of the communication process in RE. Then they categorized the information that they gathered, and presented it in a four-dimensional framework: Dimension 1: Stakeholder1 participation and selection; Dimension 2: Stakeholder interaction; Dimension 3: Communication activities; and Dimension 4: Techniques. These comprise the dedicated structure of activities performed during the requirements process as part of engaging stakeholders in the design process.
The researchers used a highly qualitative approach to their study, which they claimed made up for the lack of a large number of participants. They claimed that this approach gave a more in-depth insight to the issue. The results of this study show that communication process is highly thematic, and themes can be further grouped into different categories. Each of these categories, however, is of equal importance to the entire process itself.

What didn't the paper say or include?
The paper is highly theoretical and qualitative. It lacks empirical data to support the conclusions and interpretations of the data. Also, the paper is limited to the small sample size, which I think is not representative of the entire population.


How would you rate the paper?
Readability 6
Quantity and Quality of references 7
Contribution to the field 7
Personal Interest 6
The paper is a bit draggy and confusing, especially in the first part. It does not immediately point out the problem.

If you could ask the author(s) one question, what would you ask?
I understand that this study breaks down the communication issues in different categories so that it can easily point out problematic areas. Given that, how can you translate your results to one concrete problem that may be looked upon in future research studies?


Week 9 Article

Week 9
Tai Cleveland Date: March 08th, 2009
Author(s): Steven J. Simon, Varun Grover, James T. C. Teng, Kathleen Whitcomb
Title: The Relationship of Information System Training Methods and Cognitive Ability to
End-user Satisfaction, Comprehension, and Skill Transfer: A Longitudinal Field Study
Source: Simon, S. J., Grover, V., Teng, J.T.C., & Whitcomb, K. (1996). The Relationship of Information System Training Methods and Cognitive Ability to End-user Satisfaction, Comprehension, and Skill Transfer: A Longitudinal Field Study. Information Systems Research. Vol. 7, No. 4, Series 471
Keywords: Lewin Experimental Leaming Model, Kolb's Learning Model, traditional and nontraditional training techniques
Key Points:
 Comparison of traditional and nontraditional training techniques in computer related training
 Analysis of trainees’ performance outcomes, end-user satisfaction, cognitive ability and system use on both traditional and nontraditional training techniques
Detailed Overview:
As an essential factor for the success of decision support systems, the effectiveness of training techniques can greatly augment the maximum outcome performance of the trainees. Using the Lewin Experimental Learning Model and Kolb's Learning Model as framework, a field experiment was conducted to two hundred members of active duty U.S. Naval Construction Battalion to compare the effectivity of traditional and nontraditional training techniques
with regard to computer related training. The experiment also aimed to determine which of the two training methods provided maximum trainee's retention of material and transfer
of learning.
The trainees underwent lectures/instructions, independent study or exploration and behavior modeling as nontraditional technique being an enhanced combination of the other two methods. To test the effectivity of the two training methods, the trainees were evaluated prior to training, immediately after the training and four weeks after the training in terms of performance outcomes, end user satisfaction. The study utilized cognitive ability and system use as covariates.
Results of the experiment revealed that trainees who underwent hands-on training methods particularly behavior modeling have superior knowledge retentions, transfer of learning and end-user satisfaction. Meanwhile, the cognitive ability was not able to properly predict the success of the trainee. However, it can be noted that system use, training methodology and end-user satisfaction has a direct link on the trainees’ performance outcome.
What didn't the paper say or include?
The paper did not include the trainees change in behavior pertaining to computers or computer related anxiety. As novice computer users, there could have been a number of stumbling blocks on the trainees attitudes that they were able to hurdle as they undergo the training process.
How would you rate the paper?
Readability 7
Quantity and Quality of references 8
Contribution to the field 8
Personal Interest 9
If you could ask the author(s) one question, what would you ask?
What extent does traditional and nontraditional training technique affect the trainees’ performance results and computer usage over time?


Week 10 Article

Week10
Tai Cleveland Date: March 15th, 2009
Author(s): Demosthenes Akoumianakis and Constantine Stephanidis
Title: Building Consensus in Human–Computer Interaction Design: Integrated Activity-Oriented
Design Environments
Source: Akoumianakis, D & Stephanidis, C (2005). Building Consensus in Human–Computer Interaction Design: Integrated Activity-Oriented Design Environments. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 18(1), 85–103
Keywords: activity-oriented design environments (AODE), human–computer interaction (HCI), alternative design perspectives
Key Points:
 Prominent designs of human–computer interaction (HCI)
 Activity-oriented design environments (AODE) as proposed design support tools to facilitate increasing complexity of HCI
 Need for integrated design platforms that ensure interoperation between
design perspectives, tools used, and corresponding outcomes.
 Sharing of experience on the Activity-oriented design environments (AODE) proposal
Detailed Overview:
Activity-oriented design environments (AODE) design was proposed to augment the increasingly complex nature of human–computer interaction (HCI) design. The principle of AODE is that there is no specific tool category that will best suit the wide range of design tasks and that there are various tools that can be consolidated in operable manner to augment different tasks. As an integrated design platform of, AODE ensures interoperation between tools used, design perspectives and respective results.
Based on the author’s experience, AODE aimed to facilitate accessible HCI design revealed that such environment should be consolidated systems of interoperable components that served as conduit across different problem-solving schemes, the people that use them and the tools that serve them. Hence, the different data can receive and transmit data from one another to support the gamut of activities via progressive and persistent computational protocol.
Hence, the proposal of AODE and similar proposals should be designed within a wider organization change in perspective to replace the current passive documentation and reproduction design into more active mechanisms.
What didn't the paper say or include?
The paper did not include any setbacks that the authors encountered during their experience with the activity-oriented design environments (AODE) proposal.
How would you rate the paper?
Readability 8
Quantity and Quality of references 7
Contribution to the field 8
Personal Interest 7
If you could ask the author(s) one question, what would you ask?
What quantitative parameters did the author explored in designing the AODE proposal?


Week5 Article

Week5 Article Summary and Review
Tai Cleveland February 08th, 2009
Author(s): Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V.
Title: ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables.
Source: Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.
Date of Publication: June, 2006
Keywords: enterprise resource planning; ERP; business value; planning system; IT system; information systems; business information system; business impact; business IT project; system project; project scope; IT investment; IT business value; business value.
Key Points:
• Through an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects, and through options thinking logic, ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level.
• Variation in potential advantage is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
• ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns.
• Negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope.
• Other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
Detailed Overview:
The article discusses the effects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects on business organizations. The study examines the cases of actual companies that have implemented ERP projects. The authors, Ranganathan and Brown, indicate that the study is important because it contributes to existing literature on the importance of ERP projects in business. It is important to note that the study’s main focus is the firm level, where the effects of ERP investments are examined. The authors used an organization integration lens that examines not just ERP projects made by the companies, but also other related investments complementary to the ERP projects. The authors also used options thinking logic in examining the value of ERP. Through this logic, the authors argue that the ERP investments have varying potential advantage to business at the firm level. Such variation is mainly because of differences in decisions on the ERP projects within the organizational context at the time the investment was made.
The authors examined 116 cases of ERP investments, as announced by US-based 116 companies in the period 1997 through 2001. Upon analysis, it is shown that (a) ERP investments with higher functional scope lead to positive and higher returns; and (b) ERP investments with high physical scope lead to positive and higher returns. The authors indicate that functional scope includes such aspects as supply chains, while physical scopes include the number of sites at which the investment is made within the organization. Aside from this, it is also shown that negative returns were actually observable in ERP investments that have lower functional scope or lower physical scope. Also, other investments can positively contribute to the positive impact of ERP projects.
The authors conclude that the benefits of ERP systems in organizations can vary, depending on decisions made regarding such aspects as functional scope and physical scope. Also, complementary investments can increase the returns of ERP investments. Overall, at the firm level, the impact of ERP investments varies depending on such factors.
The paper did not include discussions on the limits and possible errors made in the study. These could have provided for a more realistic view the study. I would rate the paper as follows.
• Readability: 8
• Quantity and Quality of references: 8
• Contribution to the field: 9
• Personal Interest: 8
How extensive is the negative impact of contemporary investments on ERP investments?

Reference
Ranganathan, C., & Brown, C. V. (2006, June). ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables. Information Systems Research, 17, (2), pp. 145-161.