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The
Strategic Use of Information Technology
This is the title of a two-day course which I presented several times at
the University of Auckland
Business School. It is also a focus of my consulting work
Course
Summary
Information Technology drives the business
strategy of many companies, but unless we understand the dynamics of information
technology, we can find ourselves wasting time and money building IT systems to
win yesterday’s game. In the meantime our competitors are redefining the
game’s rules.
Through a mixture of presentation and case study this workshop
examines the drivers of IT change, the new rules of competition, and some tools
to assist in determining the value of IT investments. This workshop is designed
to provide managers, both from general business disciplines and from within the
IT sector, with the knowledge, skills and tools to deal effectively with a range
of issues in the business management of information technology.
Its objectives are: -
 | To
show the way in which IT is used within business, and the reasons for
investing in IT. To look only at simple cost/benefit misses the real
point. The existence of a computer system does more than change the
economics of a business - it offers new information, and with it, new ways
of doing business. These strategic effects are much more important than
the basic profitability improvements.
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teach the use of tools which go beyond the basic principles of discounted
cash flow, (still the foundation for any valuation) to be able to evaluate
non-financial factors and assess the strategic value of an IT proposal
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examine the drivers of the "Digital Economy". Do companies like
Amazon.com represent the future of retailing, or is the Internet just
another channel? How will the Internet change your business?
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has to happen for E-Commerce to really take off? Who will be the players?
Who will be the survivors?
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| To
examine a number of cases in which innovative use of IT have allowed their
originators to build thriving businesses by defining new rules of
engagement in their field of business.
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Course
Outline and Presentations
The presentations can be viewed on-line, although if you have
a slow connection they may take a little time to download.
| Contents |
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Introduction
What this course is about.
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Presentation
(82K) |
What
is a Strategic IT System
Why do companies invest in IT?
Strategic IT Systems. Some examples and case studies
Characteristics of Strategic Systems
Organizational Change, Trends in Corporate Software, and the need for
new metrics.
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Presentation
(114K) |
Preparing
the Business Case
Calculating Cost/Benefit.
Beyond NPV and ROI – assessing strategic benefits.
A methodology for handling "intangible" benefits and costs.
Assessing risk
|
Presentation
(171K) |
Digital
Economics
What is driving the rapid pace of innovation in
Information Technology?
The dynamics of IT innovation and marketing.
What implications does this have for the competitive marketplace for IT
vendors?
What implications does it have for users of IT?
|
Presentation
(272K) |
Information
Systems
Relational Databases, Enterprise Systems, and Data
Warehouses
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Presentation
(135K) |
The
Network Age
Intranets, Extranets, and the Internet.
The Internet – what is it, how does it work?
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Presentation
(501K) |
Electronic
Commerce and Electronic Business
What are E-Commerce and E-Business?
Partners and Competitors in Electronic Business
What is needed for E-Business to be successful?
Internet revenue models. What can you sell over the Internet?
Customised Mass Marketing, and Communities of Interest. The players in
the Internet Economy.
Eight Critical Success Factors
The Economics of E-Retailing.
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Presentation
(326K) |
The
Future
Trends and expectations.
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Presentation
(346K) |
The Reading
List is a list of references used through the course, and suggestions for
further reading.
Comment:
“I found this course to be an
excellent match for my requirements in this area. It not only provided a breadth
of background and related information, but these were reinforced by the
excellent industry presentations made during the course. I now understand this
whole area much better and feel I can offer my organisation significant
advantages in evaluating our strategic plans and progress against these.”
John Keay - Production
Services Manager, A.M.P. New Zealand Ltd
Please contact me if you'd like to discuss an in-house
presentation based on this course, or if you'd like me to present this course
out of Auckland.
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Phone - (64) (9) 418 4415
(or just 418 4415 if you are phoning from Auckland, New Zealand)
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