COMP1679 Strategic IT Assignment Sample
Module Code And Title : COMP1679 Strategic IT Assignment Sample
Introduction
More than three decades have passed since CGS began collaborating with clients on the development and implementation of innovative solutions that have benefited them in growing their businesses and establishing a competitive edge in their respective areas of expertise. It is a wise decision to invest in CGS since it has a track record of success to support its claims. For a number of tasks, such as filling a talent or experience gap in your team, obtaining advise on how to effectively expand your infrastructure, purchasing resources to boost your technological stack, or completing a speedy, secure, and easy shift to the cloud, we can provide support (Al-Emran,2018).
The development of an information technology (IT) strategy will take place in the future.
The majority of information technology (IT) teams find it difficult to connect their IT infrastructure with current and future business requirements, owing to the fact that most IT teams are underfunded and overloaded. Because teams are so preoccupied with providing assistance to users and putting out fires, they don’t have time to think about or keep an eye on the technical environment, which is quite acceptable. CGS has a great deal of knowledge and expertise in this industry (Asatiani,2019).
In addition, we can assist you with anything from IT roadmaps and strategic planning to modernising your technology stack, as well as putting together the right team and bringing in fresh perspectives, among other things. What was the end consequence of the scenario if you had to guess? A proactive, cost-effective, and scalable information technology strategy that is meant to be executed over an extended period of time is required (Pankowska,2019).
Our BlueCherry® Enterprise Suite includes modules for enterprise resource planning (ERP), product lifecycle management (PLM), shop floor control, business-to-business eCommerce, warehouse management, and other important functions. Our clients may use this comprehensive array of technologies to run their core business processes.
The consumer lifestyle products industry, which includes enterprises in the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail sectors, commonly recognises this document as the de facto industry standard. It is built into our solutions, which are tailored to the requirements of high-growth organisations, to address the requirements of all core management, planning and product development needs, as well as manufacturing and logistics requirements. Our solutions are backed by our Managed Cloud and Cybersecurity capabilities, as well as our Managed Services.
Preparation are essential when it comes to cloud computing.
As a novice to the Cloud, you’ll require the assistance of an industry expert who is well-versed in the technology. The use of cloud computing professionals who are well-versed in the field of cloud computing is essential for the efficient management, migration, and expansion of cloud infrastructure. Our team has performed more than 200 cloud migration projects for medium-sized enterprises as part of their previous work, which has allowed them to gain essential cloud migration skills. You will save time and money by collaborating with us rather than having to go through the time-consuming (and expensive) process of learning everything from the beginning on your own.
Recent outsourcing case study
We will work together on a number of initiatives, starting with the formulation of a cloud strategy for your company and moving forward. Examine your cloud strategy to verify that it is in line with the goals of your organisation and that it is effective. As a consequence, we’ll assess your organization’s readiness for the cloud, determine which data should be transferred, and develop a project plan that is suited to your unique requirements and goals. Finally, as part of the last stage, we will supervise the physical deployment and set up any extra services that may be necessary as a result of the deployment.
Our Enterprise Learning business, which serves many of the world’s most active organisations, delivers innovative, tailored learning solutions that are crucial to the expansion of their people, processes, and overall performance. CGS provides a broad range of specialised professional development solutions, ranging from engaging game-based eLearning to groundbreaking technology rollouts. Contact us now for more information. The goal of each solution is to assist clients in preserving the strength of their employee-related business foundations in today’s continuously changing corporate environment, according to the company.
A cloud-based strategy increases the security of communications while simultaneously minimising the amount of money spent on hardware and other related infrastructure. As a result, you will be able to provide your clients with a greater amount of secure, compliant data storage space.
Cloud-based applications will be better able to interact with one another, and duplicate hardware will be reduced or removed. Advances in technology have made it possible for people to access email, video conferencing, and human resource management systems from anywhere at any time on both desktop and mobile devices these days.
Because of its favourable assessment, both the TCE and the resource-based theories may be used as complimentary explanatory methods to selective information system outsourcing, according to this study (Mohamed, 2019).
Note No. 2 on the matter is attached. Regardless of their differences in terms of their logical or experience-based approaches to management, both theories put a considerable focus on the pursuit of financial gains or profits, regardless of their differences in terms of their ways of achieving these goals. As has been seen in the past, the decision to outsource information technology (IT) is not necessarily founded on a strictly rational decision-making process.
Heinrich pushed from the outset of his career for the inclusion of non-quantifiable goals such as an increase in power when comparing the benefits and drawbacks of internal vs external IS sources (Mohamed, 2019). According to Mohamed, (2019), the influence of power in the decision to outsource information technology (IT) services was shown via a large number of case studies. The researchers discovered some evidence in support of the theory of power in the context of information technology outsourcing when they applied it to the decision-making process.)
Implementation of an Information System
Environmental and behavioural uncertainty, as well as the notion of human asset specialisation, are all taken from the theory of contingent outcomes, which is a kind of risk management. In accordance with this notion, the decision of whether or not to supply services internally or externally (market versus hierarchy) is determined by taking into account the sum of transaction and production costs .
The sum of the expenditures involved with planning, changing, and monitoring the execution of tasks inside certain information systems functions under different forms of governance are defined as transaction costs for the sake of this research. The following is how we define transaction costs: (). The degree of environmental and behavioural unpredictability, as well as the uniqueness of a product, are all elements taken into account when estimating these costs, among other things.
The solutions we give to many of the world’s most well-known firms, including global retailers and healthcare providers, technology and telecommunications providers, and international hotel chains, are provided via our outsourcing company. Technical assistance, customer service, outbound telesales, channel enablement, and back office administration are just a few of the business process outsourcing (BPO) services provided by CGS.
Retrospective
As defined by Williamson, asset specificity is the amount to which an organization’s assets are unable to generate as much extra value outside of the organization’s boundaries as they are able to accomplish inside the organization’s borders (Williamson 1990, p. 142). Information technology refers to a wide range of physical or “tangible” assets, which may include everything from hardware to computer networks to information and communication technology infrastructures to commercial software that is freely accessible on the internet.
With the usage of these assets, the degree of specificity that may be attained is often rather low. Other organisations may, in most cases, utilise them in the same or similar ways as they do in order to accomplish their objectives. As a result, there is no evidence that they are unique to a certain company in and of themselves (Ikumapayi2019).
Current
In contrast, the degree to which human information technology assets are specialised might vary significantly across and within organisations. According to Wolverton, there are two kinds of human asset specialisation (2019, p. 563). The first category includes those that are absolutely necessary, while the second category includes those that are sufficient.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in information systems, you may either self-learn the necessary skills or enrol in formal education and training to get the necessary credentials. However, despite the fact that they are targeted at a certain company, they are not sufficiently specialised to be of use in the supply of information technology services. (Awe, 2018)
Prospective
In order to determine whether or not a competence is a suitable criteria for a certain organization, it is defined by how unique and valuable the skill is to that organization (von Bary,2018). This is often the case for information technology (IT) professionals who have obtained their knowledge and talents by “learning-by-doing” inside the organizations in which they work, rather than through formal education (Wei, 2019, p. 563).
In order to be successful in this role as a member of the information systems function, it is essential to recognize the cross-sectional nature of the task. Information systems (IS) are now widely acknowledged as a critical component of almost every business operation, and they are used in virtually every sector. A fundamental understanding of the business processes that information technology professionals are responsible for supporting is thus expected of them as a result of the above. Consider how much knowledge an information systems expert needs have about business processes and particular user requirements in order to execute their job tasks properly.
This is an example of measuring the specificity of human assets. To be successful, it is not required to understand individual business processes; rather, it is important to understand the flow of information and the logic of inter-organizational activities in order to be successful (Yan, 2018, p. 280 ff). Examine, for example, how often cross-functional teams and projects are established and completed from a business standpoint, and how often they fail (Yan, 2018, p. 243 ff).
Implementation process, from initiation to termination
The argument that the start-up and adaptation costs of an external provider of information technology services are more than the expenses of the firm itself is feasible if the external provider is needed to have a high degree of human capital specialisation is also plausible in this situation.
Before beginning work with a client firm, it is essential for an external service provider to get aware with the intricate network of linkages and interdependencies that exists inside the organisation. If an external supplier incurs initial expenditures that will prohibit them from realising the advantages of economies of scale in the long run, as previously indicated, they are unlikely to be interested in doing so (Mousavi,2021).
The money is secure as long as he has custody of the money from his customer since he would behave responsibly and take advantage of every opportunity to make up for the losses he has already experienced in the goal of recouping his losses. Putting a stop to this kind of behaviour would take a significant lot of effort and money on our part. Because of this, the following proposition has been put up (Poleto,2021).
Theory
Also according to TCE theory, while making the decision to “make or buy,” ambiguity has a substantial impact on the decision. With limited resources, it will be difficult to account for all potential outcomes in the case of a contract between an external service provider and a rational decision maker. Given the quick rate of technological innovation and economic change, it is difficult to forecast how the requirements for the contract’s object (the information technology service or product) will grow in the future (environmental uncertainty).
The unexpected nature of future demands on information technology operations, which will be significantly influenced by technological development and innovation, according to some experts, will make it impossible to communicate effectively in contracts. Contract design uncertainty leads to ambiguity, which finally results in post-contractual adaptation costs that must be met by the contracting party (Oshri, et al. 2018). There are many other external events that may have an influence on the behaviour of a contractual agreement that cannot be foreseen in advance, such as the ones listed above.
The amount of behavioural uncertainty associated with an external provider represents the degree to which that source will take advantage of market conditions. As a consequence of this progress, it is possible to put out the following theory (Bui,2019).
However, it was discovered that the amount of money spent on outsourcing as a proportion of the entire budget for the relevant information technology function was, by far, the most significant dependent variable in the study (Kumar,2019).
Strategic impact
With the exception of one variable, all independent variables were investigated via the use of individual construct-based questions and indicators (i.e., indicators) (uncertainty). This was done using the formative approach because of the complexity of the idea of “behavioural and environmental ambiguity” . According to the assumptions of the model, it is envisaged that different indicators will be held accountable for the various repercussions of the idea in this model. Accountability for individual indicators is meant to be enforced.
If you are using an independent measurement model, it is expected that each of the indicators in the model is unaffected by the indicators in the model that are used to measure the other indicators. Each of the five information systems roles should be evaluated based on factors such as (1) the number of eligible external providers; (2) the number of future requirements revisions; and (3) the difficulty in monitoring job performance.
As part of our effort to get a better understanding of our sample, we looked at four key demographic variables among those who took part in the research. In order to determine the size of the firm, it was essential to add together the total number of sales and the total number of workers from all sources.
Information on the size of the Information System (IS) was determined by looking at the amounts allotted to it and the number of information system staff. The percentile share of the total information system budget for each information system function was computed for each information system function in order to examine the relative financial importance of each information system function (Zhang,2021). One’s own internal resistance to change is addressed in Component Five of the Transformation Model. When it comes to outsourcing projects, they are often transitional times that must be managed successfully with suitable communication tactics in order to minimise resistance.
Finally, component six is concerned with the suppliers’ lack of expertise about the company’s products and services. An important issue in the outsourcing of certain types of services is the lack of business expertise on behalf of the vendor, which can have a negative impact on the performance and quality of the services provided. One of the most significant issues in the outsourcing of certain types of services is the lack of business expertise on the part of the vendor.
According to the facts, at least when it comes to the growth of the reasons for and hazards associated with information technology outsourcing over time, this seems to be true, at least in the case of information technology outsourcing. More emphasis is placed on the improvement made possible by outsourcing, which enables a company to have access to better information technology services and more up-to-date technology, i.e. the emphasis is on strategic reasons that have little to do with cost savings alone, rather than cost savings alone, when it comes to the reasons for outsourcing.
However, it seems that the situation has only somewhat but significantly improved in the case of hazards over the previous few years, despite the fact that the situation has improved in other areas as well. With regard to outsourcing, the majority of businesses are concerned about their own deficiencies, such as being too dependent on the provider or losing critical information technology knowledge items. Despite the fact that an increasing number of organisations are concerned about the dangers connected with the provider, they are especially concerned about the provider’s lack of certification or inability to comply with current legislation and regulations.
According to the results, an in-depth study of the degree of outsourcing in different information technology jobs reveals that a high level of outsourcing in SMEs may not be the most acceptable explanation for a shortage of human resources in information technology. Indeed, outsourcing accounts for just a tiny share of total employment, ranging from 6 percent to 31 percent of total employment in various industries (see Tab. 3).
Among the most frequently outsourced functions are application development and maintenance (with a mean of 31 percent), telecommunications and networks (with a mean of 28 percent), system and data centre operations, user support, and information systems planning and management (with a mean of 28 percent), and information systems planning and management (with a mean of 28 percent) (IS planning). When we examine the expenditures connected with each information technology function, we can see that system operations account for 30 percent of overall information technology spending, which is a significant amount.
The next most costly categories are application services (which account for 27 percent of total expenditures), telecommunications and networks (18 percent of total expenditures), and information systems management (which accounts for 15 percent of total expenditures)
Implementation on the operational / structural / cultural / economic / legal and other identified facets of the organisation;
For a better knowledge of small and medium-sized enterprises systems environments, a study was done to determine the types and extents of standard software usage in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). When I realised how much standard software was being used by people who were not involved with the firm, I was shocked. In particular, when it comes to administrative work, this is true.
In instance, the SAP R/3 package and Siemens’ COMET accounting software are both preferred by 76 percent of the organisations that took part in the survey in the finance and accounting sectors, according to the results. Logistics (32 percent), people (29 percent), and people and payroll (29 percent) were the three sectors where standard software was employed by the lowest number of organisations (32 percent ).
The second component is mostly concerned with unanticipated costs and expenditures. These costs can be explicit, such as expenses associated with contract administration that were not considered when the outsourcing decision was made, or they can be implicit, such as challenges created by cultural barriers that were not addressed when the outsourcing decision was made. These costs can be either explicit or implicit, depending on the situation.
Finally, it is vital to take into account the provider’s exposure to the risk of supply chain instability as well. When a corporation outsources a significant percentage of its service needs, the organisation may find itself becoming more dependent on the vendor’s performance, at least to a point.
Any issues that a vendor faces may result in a reduction in the quality of their services, which may have a detrimental influence on the client organisation. The fourth component is concerned with the deterioration in the level of service. This is a potentially dangerous as well as a useful problem that has been raised by client companies on a number of occasions.
Various causes may lead to a decrease in service quality provided by suppliers, but the bulk of the time it is due to the excessive use of resources by the vendors, who do not prepare their structures to react effectively to spikes in demand when they occur. In other circumstances, the use of lower-cost employees who have less knowledge in the accounts of “less important” customers leads in a decline in the overall quality of the service provided to them.
The findings of the model testing provide a solution to the second research question, which concerns the variables that influence the selection of information systems for outsourced operations and services (also known as outsourcing operations and services).
Make sure that each block of indicators consistently measures what it is intended to measure before going on to the structural model. In this method, the three formative indicators of environmental and behavioral uncertainty are related to the construct in part by changing weights and orientations, and the aggregated model as well as each of the five individual models for each IS function are evaluated at the same time.
Taking into consideration their ambiguity, it is proposed that they may not only indicate multiple distinct degrees of uncertainty, but that they may also have unique theoretical implications for outsourcing, which will be discussed in greater detail later on. In order to better explain and understand the three components of uncertainty, the basic model was updated in an exploratory manner after the three components of uncertainty were identified. For the purpose of examining the relationships between the items, a simple regression analysis was performed, with each item considered as a separate construct with a single measurement item for each item.
When asked about risks, most respondents responded that they were most worried about the lack of qualification among the personnel of their service providers, the potential for noncompliance with contractual obligations, and their capacity to keep up with new technology.
Our results are consistent with previous research, which, for example has demonstrated that the great majority of outsourcing difficulties are caused by the workers who are engaging in the projects, and our findings are compatible with this earlier study. Following the decision to outsource, the next critical step involves the selection of a suitable provider who, in addition to being able to meet the expectations of the organisation, is dependable, possesses the necessary technological know-how, and possesses a sound financial foundation, among other characteristics.
During the period 2001-2006, there has been no change in the opinions of information technology managers about the benefits and risks of outsourcing information technology.
Assessment of the implementation
It was discovered that the uniqueness of human assets had a significant impact on the strategic value of each information systems role, which was a particularly noteworthy finding. It is critical to understand the specialised operations of each business unit within a company, as well as the cross-functional activities that are involved in their implementation and operation, in order to reap the benefits of information systems.
proposition for the future IS Strategy of the firm
In the case of application services, system operations, and the help desk function, a common argument for outsourcing is that small and medium-sized enterprises like CGS do so despite the fact that there is a limited number of suitable information technology service providers available because the risk of resource dependence on an information technology service provider outweighs the benefit of eliminating resource shortages by relying on external suppliers to provide these services.
One explanation for this “about face” in the assessment of these causes for concern is the experience gained by client organisations in the practise of outsourcing, as they become more familiar with their service providers and in particular with their potential inadequacies, according to some analysts. While many of the causes and hazards revealed in this study are difficult to quantify , it is vital to identify and analyse them so that they may be taken into account and serve as a guide for managers in future outsourcing operations.
Although this research provides a thorough account of the causes and risks, it also reveals that they are considered significant by the firms that took part in the survey, which is a welcome development. Another element that allows for the detection of specific patterns is the ability to make comparisons between the reality of outsourcing now and the reality of outsourcing in five years’ time.
The majority of the research has focused on the motivations for and dangers associated with outsourcing from the perspective of the customer, with little consideration given to risks associated with outsourcing from the perspective of the supplier or the provider’s customers.
Despite this, the increased dynamism of the information technology outsourcing sector will result in a significant portion of the risks and responsibilities associated with outsourcing falling on the provider’s shoulders . As it turns out, this is the result of a flaw in the study, which may be corrected by conducting more studies from the perspective of the service provider
One possible explanation for why certain jobs are outsourced more often than others is an organization’s incapacity to assess the performance of its outsourced information technology tasks (application services, systems operations, and user support). In most cases, an external service provider will be able to resolve the measurement challenges that the firm is encountering more effectively than the organisation itself.
According to the results of the research, the need for improved information technology monitoring and control, which was identified as a primary motive in the study, is a key driver for spinning off information technology. It is the notion that the risk of opportunistic behaviour can be better (that is, more effectively) avoided within an organisation through the use of authority and internal control systems that concerns opponents of TCE. They believe that this notion is false and that authority and internal control systems should be used instead (Ghoshal and Insead 1996).
Conclusion
In addition, rather than having a negative effect on the amount to which outsourcing was affected, the overall strength of the information system was demonstrated to have a positive effect on the degree to which outsourcing was impacted. Simply said, greater power always leads to more duties being outsourced. The findings of this research are most likely connected to the particular circumstances of small and medium-sized company owners.
The loss of control and the loss of intellectual capital, both of which are intertwined, are the most significant components of the first component, which is also the most complex. Companies are worried about the possibility of losing some critical internal assets if they choose to outsource specific services to third-party vendors. There are a number of contract characteristics, especially long-term ones, that might make it difficult for a company to react, with the effect that it loses control over vital business activities or loses control over information technology management or strategy.
References
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