Question

consumerization of technology at IFG mini case in detail in APA format

Answer 1

Consumerization of Technology at IFG

Introduction

            The case study entitled “Consumerization of Technology at IFG” extracted from McKeen and Smith’s IT Strategy illustrates the process of a company seeking collaborative efforts between IT and Business Intelligence. In this case we see the dealings of several managers between various departments that will begin the action of sorting through their muddled processes of acquiring, analyzing, delivering information in an ordered and practical fashion.

            After coming together, the consensus between managers called for dramatic changes in a couple key areas. The first is the need to gravitate towards using analytics as the preeminent guide to their work, business intelligence execs wants access to more trustworthy information to run the company. The other step is coming to the realization that everyone in business is a consumer of technology. Thus, when employees have access to high-quality devices and applications in business and their personal lives, it helps the company to increase output, relate and think more along the lines of their consumers.

Linking IT Strategy

            The issues highlighted in this case study allow us to see the importance of integrating the wise, yet seemingly remote minds of IT in the strategic schemes of business intelligence. Talks begin to examine the issues, but moving forward there are steps towards facilitating effective collaboration.

            The vision starts as IT manager Josh, speaks with Mark, Business intelligence (BI) head, about the lack of organized and practical data for strategic management. Because of the lengthy process of securing IT innovation, Mark and John realize that more people need to be involved. Among a myriad of issues concerning the abundance of data and dated technology, it will take a collective effort to tackle the most important issues to do to see growth. Mark will need to a assemble a joint team to work amid IT to understand business data on a deeper level.

            Developing a vision is imperative for business and IT to collaborate effectively, according to McKeen and Smith (2015), “It is essential that such a vision begin with understanding the organization’s values, legal requirements, and core intellectual property”(p.229). The goal of creating a logical vision is to foster an internal working environment that will allow dynamic and fruitful collaboration to materialize. This vision needs to be achieved through forming a cross-functional governance. This authority will manage control and define data, establish how regulatory matters are dealt with, determine what is core and noncore data, and shape what is acceptable risk, privacy and security for IFG (2015, p.214).

            The next step for IFG to cultivate innovation is to tweak the processes with production which would involve John Ahern, CIO, to sign-off on broad changes to the department’s policy and structure. McKeen and Smith talk about organizations that boast “flexing skills”, or the ability for business to cope with rapid development of collaboration and its associated technology (p.230). It is vital for IFG to create methods for understanding what is and what isn’t working within their IT-Business relationship and then establishing means for addressing and assessing how to resolve those issues. This will likely take place in collaborative workspaces where parts of IT and business are working alongside each other. At that time, IFG should form a master data board to direct workers to focus on their core structured data. Functions of the board will modernize its data stores to decrease duplicate data and re-examine their data warehouse strategy and existing technology seeking ways to enhance value (McKeen & Smith, 2015).

            Lastly, treating and gifting employees appropriately, as they are stakeholders and they should be viewed as internal consumers. The technology at IFG should be on par or ahead of what end users have. Acquiring new tools will be required to help IFG form, understand, and to present information in an easily comprehendible manner to solve business problems and make knowledgeable decisions (McKeen & Smith, 2015).

Conclusion

            This case gives us an example of how and why IT and BI ought to pool resources. This affiliation will govern and guides strategic decision making throughout an entire organization and it equips business managers with key information that will serve as the foundation of everyday proceedings. BI cannot be implemented on any scale without technology and IT sectors are still coming to terms with the extent and intricacy of the issues involved in creating universal data, managing it efficiently, and conveying it to multiple functions and layers within the organization.

References

McKeen, J. D., & Smith, H. A. (2015). IT Strategy: Issues and practices. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.