Strategic Management

Strategic Management

With the new evolving approaches, there are still various challenges that organizations face in using the technology to partake their activities of functions. This paper discuses various issues affecting IT departments in their quest to provide better services to customers.

Question one

Many organizations are facing challenges while using their technologies. This has made many of the medium level companies to come up with their own business operations while others allowing customers to use their own technological resources of to meet their needs (Spasic & Markovic, 2013). An understanding of the diversity of these service portfolios is something that is lacking and this poses challenge. As a consultant, I would therefore advise the managing directors of this business to use IT but adapt to ITSM practices by working alongside the traditional enterprise strategic approaches to ensure success. One challenge to be overcome is ignorance regarding the integration of diversity technologies to the IT organizations and therefore, this causes misunderstanding in provision of services. Many users are now using their mobile phones and laptops to get services from various organizations and this is a challenge (Spasic & Markovic, 2013). The managers should integrate these systems with the IT department in the organization to ensure that the customers can still access to their services.

Culture is yet another issue that should be considered in this integration. Culture is central in ensuring the success of implementation or integration of traditional to ITMS practices. People live in different set ups and have different preferences therefore seeking to meet these needs is important in ensuring that the business succeeds. Challenges should be well managed to ensure that systems are well implemented to provide better services to the clients. They should for instance embrace new technologies such as ITL V3 techniques and Enterprise Architecture approach that are more cost effective and efficient.

Leadership is yet important aspect in ensuring that these challenges are well addressed. The leadership should provide support and direction to ensure that the changes are well implemented. Risk management is another important strategic approach to be considered to ensure that the diverse technologies are well implemented to ensure that the standards and IT management approaches work to the benefits of the organization.

When it comes to financial management techniques, all costs associated with service provisions in the organization should be well managed putting resources into sufficient use required to meet the requirements of enhancing consumer relationships.

Demand Management techniques are also important to be considered. Demand is improved with provision of better and more efficient services. Customers will be able to increase if they have a platform that is sufficient enough to access services through multiple or diverse technological options available such as mobile phones. Services are a function and not a process. A central point should be established to enhance contact between the users and IT department to promote services delivery (Allen et al. 2013). The IT department should also put in place risk management team to ensure that in case of an interruption there is a back system to avoid interrupting of service delivery. Furthermore, the IT department can embrace own devices in the organization by changing from being process focused to service focused. It should transform and use software applications that are compatible to other technologies to enhance their service delivery.

Question three

In nonprofit organizations, it is prudent for IT to be improved to enhance further development in order to provide confidence to extend to other markets. These organizations have a challenge in ensuring that value created is transparent. Because the reporting structure of this organization is strict and the accountability level is strict. This can be alleviated by putting in place better IT system incorporating ITSM practices. To achieve this, the IT system practices should work alongside it. The customers should be able to enjoy the services provided by the IT departments. Performance should be one of the major issues of concern to ensure that all the customers are satisfied and get value from the IT (ITSM, 2013). This is because, the customers do not buy consumables through the IT but rather add value to their organizations through their use, there is need to invest more on the efficiently of services. This requires good governance and leadership to ensure that services are well managed to ensure that the customers are properly attended to. Every organization has its own culture. The culture of the organization is based on service provisions, and expansion to other areas. The first strategy is to consider the costs of the system. If the cost is affordable then it can be implemented. The ITIL compatible tools should be used to enhance interaction with various partners. Risk management and control should also be well managed to ensure that the project operates as planned (Chun et al. 2011).

Regulatory mechanisms are also essential to ensure that other people do not exploit IT service to their own advantages. Laws and regulations must be set on how the strategy will play to ensure that the organization is not affected negatively (Marrone, 2011). The IT Department must ensure that it provides better service and set up risk management unit to help solve any problems with the system that might compromise its effective operations. Because charities reports to Charities Commissions and involves money transfers to overseas, it will require that the IT system is well programmed to ensure that no frauds can be done. Utility and warranty aspect are also vital in ensuring that the organization as they determine the value of an IT system. Utility is the functionality provided by service or product to meet a particular need while warranty is guarantee or promise that a product will be able to meet its requirement or agreed objectives. The IT systems must therefore integrate ITSM practices to ensure that the system provides expected services to serve consumers effectively.

Question four

Third party suppliers commonly known as cloud computing are gaining popularity among many companies. Most of the companies adopting this technology cite benefits of costs saving, as they are able to store their materials or resources on these virtual servers (Madhavaiah & Bashir & Shafi, 2012). This kind of IT impacts the running of business and has various aspects that need to addressed to ensure that the processes are effective and meet the needs of their users (Aljabre, 2012). Though most of the champions of cloud computing site cost saving, this technology should focus more on value creation. The organization that employs this technology should not only be constrained to the cost but rather approach this as an avenue that is fundamental to change the perception of those people that are narrow minded that the needs of the organizations should be put into consideration and the sensitivity of information (Kalyvas et al. 2013). Organization should be able to establish other parallel mechanisms to store their information especially confidential to ensure that in case of any service interruptions the organization is able to retrieve it information and continue with their services.

This requires better decision making and thus new leadership approaches are salient while integration of program and project management is also essential to arriving at appropriate solutions to ensure that the IT system and cloud-computing providers is effective and efficient.

Agility in the design of IT services should be given priority. The system should be designed in a manner that enhances service delivery. It should be able to improve and maintain the level of service provided in the organization (Nkhoma et al. (2013). The system should manage problems well by diagnosing the root causes of incidents to eliminate and manage risks. Capacity management should also be in place to allow the organization an opportunity to tactically manage the resources and plan strategically for future resources requirements. This will help to enhance service delivery and also enhance cloud computing.

References

Aljabre, A. (2012). Cloud Computing for Increased Business Value, International Journal of Business & Social Science, 3(1): 234-239

Allen, D et al. (2013). How should technology-mediated organizational change be explained? a comparison of the contributions of critical realism and activity theory, MIS Quarterly, 37(3): 835-854.

Chun, S et al. (2011). Whole-of-government approach to information technology strategy management: Building a sustainable collaborative technology environment in government, Information Polity: The International Journal of Government & Democracy in the Information Age, 16(3): 233-250.

Hui, K., Hui, W., & Yue, T. (2012). Information Security Outsourcing with System Interdependency and Mandatory Security Requirement, Journal of Management Information Systems, 29(3): 117-156.

ITSM . (2013). IT service management. Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.itsm.info/ITSM.htm

Kalyvas, J et al. (2013). Cloud Computing: A Practical Framework for Managing Cloud Computing Risk–Part I, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 25(3): 7-18.

Madhavaiah, C., & Bashir, I., & Shafi, S. (2012). Defining Cloud Computing in Business Perspective: A Review of Research, Vision (09722629), 16(3):163-173.

Marrone, M. ( 2011). Impact of IT Service Management Frameworks on the IT Organization, Business & Information Systems Engineering, 391):1-12.

Nkhoma, M. et al. (2013). Contributing Factors of Cloud Computing Adoption: a Technology- Organisation-Environment Framework Approach, Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Management & Evaluation. 180-188

Spasic, B., & Markovic, A. (2013). Information and Communication Technology Unit Service Management in a Non-profit Organization Using ITIL Standards, Management (1820- 0222). 66: 39-70.