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Strategic Uses of Information Technology Lecture 18 Summary of Previous Lecture   In the previous lecture we have learnt about, Information System Job Concepts  Old role versus new role  IT head responsibilities  Information System management Framework  Terminologies  Escalating   benefits of IT Waves of innovation SABRE system international, a case study  Traditions functions of IS Summary of Previous Lecture IS LITE, a new concept  CIO responsibilities  CIO roles   Leading  Governing  Investing  Managing  CIO Office Today’s Lecture  Strategic uses of IT, Historical overview  Whither  the internet revolution? Cheap Revolution  Profitability of IT revolution  GRAINGER Case Study Definitions review  E-Business Drivers  Does IT Still Matter? Nicholas Carr  Today’s Lecture  How IT still matters  Working inward  Working outward  Working Across  Working Inward  B2E, Intranet  Intranet Applications  General Electric Case Study Today’s Lecture  Fostering  a sense of belonging Working Outward  B2C  Electronic Tenders  Getting closer to customers  Amazon.com web example  Problems and Advantages of Working outward  The E-Business Model Today’s Lecture  Working Across  B2B model  Coordinating with co-suppliers  Levels of system integration  What is a Value chain?  DELL Computer case Example  Summary Introduction  Use of the Internet by businesses in mid/late ’90s set off a revolution in the use of IT  Utilizing the Internet to conduct business became the strategic use of IT • Strategic = having a significant, long-term impact on a firm’s growth, industry and $$ Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  1st edition  Mid 1980s, hot topic = end user computing (working inward) • Personal computers were invented. • Organizations were helping employees learn about PCs. • In this sense they were “Working Inward” to gain advantages. Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  2nd edition  Late ’80s strategic use focused outward to gain competitive advantage PC has became a common among organizations.  Organizations worked to improve their customer relationship using a computer.  Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  3rd & 4th editions (1990s)  Strategic use attention turned inward to reengineering business processes • Intent = not to automate existing processes but to totally redesign how the enterprise operated Good idea but many failed as they were not working plans.  Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were introduced.  Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  3rd & 4th editions (1990s) cont.  Internet’s potential becoming obvious • Dot-coms = looked at its outward use to gain a competitive advantage • Most established firms initially used the Internet technology internally, building intranets to improve company processes Publishing e-forms  Accompanying workflow processes  Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  5th edition (late ’90s)  Use of the Internet for business underway Organizations invested too much in WEB based stock market, which later crashed, this resulted Bursting of the dot com bubble  E-Business has become more reality based • Integration of the Internet with the working of companies started.  Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  6th edition (early ’00s)  Theme = leveraging traditional operations by using the Internet to work more closely with others  Innovations of the dot-coms created competitive challenges for ‘bricks and mortar’ firms  A type of business model that includes both online and offline operations, which typically include a website and a physical store are bricks and mortar. Introduction Strategic Uses of IT -- Short History  7th edition (2005)  IT has become absolutely necessary for competitive parity.  Being used strategically: Inward  Outward  Across  Strategic uses of Information Systems Figure 3-1 Strategic Uses of Information Systems Introduction Whither the Internet Revolution?   Internet frenzy peaked in 2000 By the burst of dot com bubble we can not say that information revolution is dead.  Not if history is any guide  British Railway Revolution – mid 1800s  10 fold increase after the boom    During boom = great excitement and small companies flourished After = glamour gone. Business became serious and full of hard work Industry became orderly and profits began to reflect real returns  Connecting industries  Race for space followed by the ‘real deal’ Introduction Whither the Internet Revolution? cont.  We are now in a period where organizations are re-architecting themselves around Internet technologies  Tearing  down old structures as they go Real gains will come when Internet technology adapts to organizations and people  When the technology disappears and becomes part of life. Introduction The Cheap Revolution  CIOs are shifting from buying expensive proprietary products to buying cheap generic products   “Cheap Tech” Cost savings are compelling  Google = runs on 100,000 cheap servers  One breaks = discards   “Dellification”   Avoids expensive service contracts and in-house staff Moved from selling PCs to also selling servers, printers, storage devices…. “Cheap” is also occurring elsewhere:     Labor – outsourcing to other countries Film production – camcorders etc. Software – Linux Vs. Microsoft Telecommunications – Voice-over-IP… Introduction Episode Two: Profitability Strikes Back    Dot-coms became dot-bombs because they couldn’t generate profits Episode One: The Dot-Com Menace Episode Two: Profitability Strikes Back   Whilst it has taken these so-called “old economy firms” longer to utilize the Web they realize that they must do so in a profit-making manner Use the Internet to complement your strategy, not replace your past way of serving customers nor disintermediate your channels GRAINGER Case example: Using the Internet to complement your strategy  Distributes non-production products to companies through stocking locations all over the U.S.  Customers who purchase on their website also purchase through traditional channels • Physical sites make its online presence more valuable  • Customers who want fast delivery Ordering is less expensive and shipping is cheaper in bulk to stocking locations Vs. individual small shipments  Continue • publishing its paper catalogs It receives a surge of online orders every time it issues its paper catalog GRAINGER: Web Portal Definitions - Review ‘e’ = electronic  e-business   Conducting business using telecommunications networks esp. Internet  Involves more than buying and selling  e-commerce  Conducting commerce (buying and selling) electronically using the Internet  Note: IT definitions ‘evolve’ E-Business Drivers • Key Components that have accelerated the rapid growth and acceptance of ebusiness: – Wide access to a public network – – Standard communication protocol Standard user interface E-Business drivers • E-business applications run over the Internet, drastically reducing access and communications costs • With standardized communication protocols and user interfaces, implementation and training costs are far lower • As a result, a much broader set of users and firms has access to the systems, allowing rapid growth Does IT Still Matter?  “IT Doesn’t Matter” – article by Nicholas Carr in Harvard Business Review May 2003  Controversial topic and now available in book form.  Bottom line = IT doesn’t matter anymore, at least not strategically Nicholas Carr – Harvard Business Review  IT is an infrastructure technology, like rail, electricity, telephone etc.   Such technology can create a strategic advantage for an individual firm at the beginning of its life cycle when it is expensive and risky Carr writes, IT is now at the end of build out and is neither proprietary or expensive  = A commodity which is available to anyone and won’t give any individual firm a competitive advantage Does IT Still Matter? Nicholas Carr  Reached the end of its build out: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Power of IT now outstrips the needs of business IT prices have dropped = now affordable Capacity of Internet has caught up with demand (fibre surplus) Many vendors want to be seen as utilities Investment bubble has burst  When an infrastructure technology reaches the end of its buildout, it simply becomes a cost of doing business  Although IT is necessary for competitiveness, Competitive advantage comes from the firm’s business model Does IT Still Matter? Nicholas Carr .  Management of IT should become “boring” focussing on: 1. Manage the risks – 2. Focus on vulnerabilities (which are more common with open systems) rather than opportunities Keep costs down – Overspending is the greatest risk, so only pay for use and limit upgrading • Don’t update PCs when not needed Does IT Still Matter? Nicholas Carr . 3. Stay behind the technology leaders – But not too far behind! • Delay investments until there are standards and best practices and prices drop • Only innovate when risks are low Working Inward How IT still Matter? Working Inward: Business-to-Employee Building an Intranet • The primary e-business way to reach employees is via ‘Intranets’  Remember: Intranets are private company networks that use Internet technologies and protocols, and possibly the Internet itself Working inward • Benefits of using intranets:  Wider access to company information  More efficient and less expensive systems development  Decreased training (due to browser interface)  By using an intranet’s open-system architecture, companies can significantly decrease the cost of providing companywide information and connectivity Working Inward: Business-to-Employee Building an Intranet cont. • Benefits cont.  Because an intranet uses the browser interface (and internet ‘protocols’ /technology), users do not need extensive training on different products  Companies only need to record information in one place, where it can be kept up-to-date for access by all employees no matter where in the world they are located WORKING INWARD: Business to Employee Intranet Applications  Organizations can create a corporate portal to act as the gateway to the firm’s internal resources, information, and Internet services Examples: Microsoft, Dell etc.  Develop separate departmental or divisional portals, such as sales, Human Resource, operations, and finance portals which are linked to form a corporate portal General Electric POWER SYSTEMS Case example: Building an Intranet  Chairman surveyed sales force (2001)  Found they were spending more time in the office searching for information than they were out with their customers  GE Power Systems answered the challenge by building a Web-based sales portal for its sales-people  Main  data feeds from existing Oracle etc. systems Sales, parts, pricing, inventory, customers etc.  Also had a news feed from outside  Flexible to include more types of information and access to more applications  Single point of entry Working Inward: Business-to-Employee Fostering a Sense of Belonging  Intranets are evolving into very important enterprise structures  In some enterprises, the intranet is seen as the enterprise  Videos of executives – vision and mission  Internal forms, rules and processes  Need to file an expense report?  Can provide the foundation for creating a sense of belonging by giving a means of communicating and creating communities  Care of employees is one of the most important things enterprises do! Working Outward Working Outward: Business-to-Customer  In most industries companies need sophisticated computer systems to compete   For example, in Airlines, hotels, rental car companies, a sophisticated reservation system is a must Similar ‘musts’ in other industries    As industry leaders increase the sophistication of their systems to improve   In wholesale business automated order entry and distribution In Finance, ATMs., trading and settlement… Quality, service innovation and speed Competitors must do the same or find themselves at a disadvantage Working Outward: Business-to-Customer The Emergence of “Electronic Tenders”  Initially IT has been embedded in products and services for its computational capabilities  e.g. in cars and elevators to make them operate more efficiently The Emergence of “Electronic Tenders”  Now IT allows product/service to be “tended” i.e. cared for, attended to, or kept track of by another computer  e.g. vehicle diagnostics monitored by car dealer  Packages / luggage etc. with bar codes = able to be tracked  Potential uses are endless and we are just at the beginning  Options are endless but the goal is still to get closer to the customer Working Outward: Business-to-Customer Getting Closer to Customers  Business-to-consumer e-business is the most widely reported form of business.  Nearly every type of product can now be purchased online: books, CDs, flowers etc.  Success is not easily achieved:  Amazon.com a long time had its business viability questioned for Amazon.com– Working Outward WORKING OUTWARD: Business to Customer Advantages WORKING OUTWARD: Business to Customer Problems Working Outward: Business-to-Customer Getting Closer to Customers cont. Use of the Internet has grown more sophisticated  Customer Relationship Management (CRM)   Involves using IT to know more about customers (and non-customers?)  Whether you visit their website, call them (home, office, mobile) or buy something – the firm is often keeping track and combining that information to create a profile of you. Working Outward: Business-to-Customer Getting Closer to Customers cont.  Successful selling over the Internet entails much more than just setting up a Web site and taking orders –It involves organizing the entire value chain around the Internet Know Your Customers Getting Closer to Customers  The E-Business Model – Redefining Customer Value  “On-demand”: reduces the time it takes to respond to customer requests  Convenience: one stop shopping plus single point of contact. Online business allows gathering and managing customer information (to serve the customer)  Access to a wide range of competitive prices and sellers for products  Note: as in the ‘real world’; the highest volume sellers do not always have the lowest price: • Prices are offset by branding, awareness and customer trust Working Outward: Business-to-Customer Getting Closer to Customers cont.  The Internet is not only used to sell to customers online. It is also used to provide services to companies –  Sometimes it is can be difficult to know which is more valuable – the product or the service The current focus is on staying in closer contact with customers, understanding them better, and eventually, becoming customer driven by delivering personalized products and service Working Across Working Across: Business-to-Business  Streamlining processes that cross company boundaries is the next big management challenge  Companies have spent a lot of time and effort streamlining their internal processes, but their efficiencies often stop at their corporate walls Working Across  Working across business takes many forms including: 1. Working with ‘co-suppliers’ 2. Working with customers in a close mutually dependent relationship 3. Building a virtual enterprise, in fact, one that might evolve into an e-marketplace Working Across: Business-to-Business Businesses have long used IT to reduce costs and time of inter-organizational transactions, for example:  – Inter-organizational Systems (IOS)  Reservation systems •  Electronic funds transfer systems • – Sabre (American Airlines) Online transaction from one bank to another Electronic Data Interchange Systems (EDI)  Transmission, in standard syntax, of data for business transactions between computers of independent organizations Working Across: Business-to-Business Coordinating with Co-suppliers    Collaborating with non-competitors is a type of working across Example – two food manufacturers might have the same customers (supermarkets and other retailers) but do not compete with each other Lack of convenient ways to share information quickly and easily has prevented co-suppliers from working together  Internet solve this problem Working Across: Business-to-Business Establishing Close and Tight Relationships  Strategic use of IT and the Internet has moved to the most difficult area = working across companies  Having relationships with various players in one’s business ecosystem   Banks, advertising agencies, suppliers, distributors, retailers, even competitors Such relationships often have accompanying linking information systems Working Across: Business-to-Business Establishing Close and Tight Relationships  cont. Need to determine what level of systems integration they want:  Loose = provide ad hoc access to internal information  Business processes remain distinct  Such limited integration requires little risk or cost Levels of System Integration…  Close = two parties exchange information in a formal manner    Leads to greater benefits, so there is greater force to make the relationship work Risks increase because confidentialities are shared Costs are also higher  Tight = two parties share at least one business process   Most risky – business critical and the most costly to integrate Critical question is, “Where does one organizational boundary begin and the other end”? WORKING OUTWARD: Business to Business Working Across: Business-to-Business Becoming a Customer-Centric Value Chain  A company’s value chain consists of:  Upstream supply chain   Working with its suppliers of raw materials and parts Downstream demand chain  Working with its distributors and retailers to sell its products and services to end customers Value Chain  Traditionally most companies make-to-stock.  build products / create services and then “push” them to customers  This is called Supply-Push world  Today, we are seeing the rise of the reverse a demand-pull world where a customer’s order triggers the creation of a customized product or service the customer has defined DELL COMPUTER Case Example: Demand - Pull  Dell is the foremost example of the demand-pull business model  Customers configure their PCs on Dell’s Website, and once an order is initiated, Dell’s suppliers can see the ordering information and production schedule on Dell’s extranet  In fact, their production systems grab this information automatically; as a result, Dell’s extranet has become a private exchange  Dell is even working to give suppliers two tiers down access to customer order information, so they can react to changes even faster DELL Computer Portal Summary  Over the years a few innovative companies have used IT for strategic advantage –Their exists ‘Models’ but many companies did not have the resources or skills to follow their example –With the growth of the Internet and development of e-business, IT has become a strategic tool in every industry Summary Organizational information and resources can be structured and shared using Intranet and Portals.  Increasingly customer centric approach has been adopted in Working Across   Value chains are looking to shift from supplypush to demand-pull  As IT continues to evolve, so do its strategic uses.