An Analysis of Historical Transformation of an IT Giant Based on Sound Strategic Vision

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a dominant player in the growing information technology industry. IBM went through a rough patch in the initial part of the ‘90s when sales were declining. In a span of two year, IBM lost a staggering $16 billion. This case investigates the problems that IBM was facing during the time, and the strategic decisions it took to help it transform this position. Through the change of leadership, IBM started giving importance to customer-relationship management to better cater to the need of its clients. It also realized the need to have a strategic vision and reorganized as “One IBM”. Reengineering Global Functions and Processes across different departments improved IBM’s cost structures. The management unified strategic vision served as a platform to reignite growth and industry leadership. The case details this transformation and concludes with lessons learnt that would benefit companies in a similar dilemma in today\u27s competitive IT market

Strategic Integration of IT and Business Service Management

BMC Software, Inc., a leading global provider of enterprise management solutions helps companies to automate their Information Technology (IT) and align it to the needs of the business, pioneered the concept of Business Service Management (BSM). This case investigates how BMC provides products and services to help IT organizations incorporate Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) and BSM into business processes. The implementation of this strategy has made BMC a leader in BSM solutions. As a result of its business strategy, between 2002 and 2007, BMC revenue increased from $1,289 to$1,580 (in millions); stock value increased from $11.50 to$36.92

Piloting Service Oriented Architecture—A Case Study in the Oil Industry

The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) paradigm introduced a few years back has already become the driving force behind enterprise systems. It is also a force behind most cutting edge technologies today. Although much is written about SOA, empirical studies on its implementation are next to none. This exploratory case study examines a pilot implementation at an oil-drilling equipment manufacturing company to understand the process and issues involved in SOA adoption. The study depicts the implementation methodology and the roadmap adopted by this organization to help connect its disparate systems using enterprise SOA. This paper can help researcher better understand SOA implementation and help them further explore the managerial issues involved in implementing this new technology

ASODAT : una plataforma de información sobre el teatro clásico español a partir de bases de datos federadas

Se presenta en este artículo la primera versión en red de ASODAT, una federación de bases de datos sobre el teatro clásico español y su práctica escénica. Se analizan los pasos necesarios para la creación de este sistema federado de bases de datos, sus objetivos y los resultados conseguidos hasta el momento, así como las perspectivas de continuidad que esta plataforma abre para la integración de investigadores y nuevos proyectos. En su estado actual, ASODAT aporta información sobre obras y autores, manuscritos, censuras y canciones relacionados con textos teatrales. In this article we present the first version of the online database ASODAT, a federation of four databases on different aspects of early modern Spanish theater and its performance. We explain the steps that we followed to create this federated system of databases, its objectives, and our preliminary results, as well as the perspectives of continuity and integration that this platform offers to researchers and new projects. In its current state, ASODAT provides information about plays and authors, manuscripts, censorship and songs related to theatrical texts

A model for it practitioners’ participation in it governance initiatives

Information Technology (IT) governance has received increasing attention in the recent years. However, participation of IT practitioners continues to be the weakest link in IT governance. The objectives of the research are to assess the current situation of IT governance from the perspective of IT practitioners, to develop a model that identifies the relationship between attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, participation and perceived IT governance effectiveness, to identify differences in perceived IT governance effectiveness between groups of IT practitioners having differences in job function, education level, education area of specialisation, certification and experience level, and to measure the influence on their participation in IT governance initiatives and perceived IT governance effectiveness. To achieve these objectives, this study employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, in which the quantitative approach guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was followed by a qualitative inquiry. Quantitative data were gathered through on-line survey among IT practitioners in Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status companies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among IT practitioners in one IT end-user organisation to explain findings from the quantitative inquiry. The results showed that there was a difference in the perceived IT governance effectiveness for job function, but not for education level, certification or experience level. Subjective norms and perceived behavioural control resulted in greater participation in IT governance initiatives. Conversely, attitudes did not insignificantly influence participation in IT governance initiatives. Participation in IT governance initiatives resulted in higher perceived IT governance effectiveness. The qualitative inquiry study suggested three emergent themes, which are the IT practitioners’ self, peers and the environment, constraints that discourage bad behaviours, and constraints that encourage good behaviours in IT governance. These themes reconciled with the subjective norms and perceived behavioural controls in TPB. The research contributes to knowledge with the development of a model of IT practitioners’ participation in IT governance initiatives based on TPB. Practically, the research findings help the top management of IT to focus on the most important factors which are awareness, perceived importance, organisational processes, structures, and reward system to increase effectiveness of IT governance. Methodologically, the mixed methods approach complements the objectivity of the quantitative findings with richer understanding of the IT practitioners’ perspective to IT governance

Análisis y estudio sobre el gobierno y gestión de los servicios de TI en el mercado español

Este proyecto es un informe completo sobre la investigación realizada con el objeto de conocer cuál es la situación en la investigación, difusión del conocimiento, e implantación en las organizaciones que operan en España, con respecto a diferentes protocolos, buenas prácticas y normativas relacionadas con Gobierno y Gestión de Servicios TI (GyGS TI). Para la mejor visualización y comprensión de este documento se ha dejado en el mismo formato en el que se entregará a los participantes en los cuestionarios, a los socios de itSMF, y a otro amplio grupo de personas que han mostrado interés en este Observatorio. De manera que, en el anexo, encontrarán el documento “An{lisis y Estudio sobre el Gobierno y Gestión de los Servicios TI en el Mercado Español” en su formato original. Este Observatorio ha sido realizado durante los años 2008 y 2010, el cual analiza la situación pasada sobre el Gobierno y Gestión de los Servicios de TI (GyGSTI) entre las empresas que operan en España, este análisis se realiza a través de los resultados del cuestionario realizado en 2008, y prepara un segundo cuestionario para la conocer la situación en el 2010. Al mismo tiempo, realiza un estudio sobre el conocimiento existente en torno al Gobierno y Gestión de Servicios TI, a través de estudiar los libros más representativos sobre GyGS TI, las publicaciones académicas de investigación de GyGS, las principales empresas de análisis TI, y la situación sobre la difusión en el mercado español sobre GyGS TI a través de las revistas especializadas. Igualmente, el estudio ofrecerá una visión de la implantación de GyGS TI para que las empresas de cualquier tamaño puedan tener acceso, y realizar una comparativa (benchmarking) sobre su estado frente a sus iguales. Para finalmente ofrecer una visión de la evolución temporal del 2008 al 2010 y unas tendencias futuras. El objetivo es, entonces, analizar el estado y la implantación del GyGS TI entre las empresas que operan en España, e igualmente analizar la creación y difusión del conocimiento sobre esta misma área. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This project is a comprehensive report on the investigation in order to know what the situation in the research, knowledge dissemination, and implementation in organizations operating in Spain, with respect to different protocols, best practices and regulations related to IT Governance and Service Management (IT G&SM). For best viewing and understanding the final document is left in the same format as that given to participants in the questionnaires, itSMF members, and another large group of people who have shown interest in this Observatory. So, in the Annex, will find the “Analysis and Study on the IT Government and Service Management in the Spanish Market” in its original format. This final document is the result of the Observatory carried out during the years 2008 and 2010, which analyzes the past situation on the Governance and Service Management of IT Services (IT G&SM) between companies operating in Spain, this analysis is performed through the results the survey conducted in 2008, and prepares a second questionnaire to ascertain the situation in 2010. At the same time, it is also carried out a study on the existing knowledge about IT Government and IT Service Management, by studying the most representative books on these fields, publications academic research, major IT analyst firms, and the situation on the IT GSM Spanish market through specialized magazines. As well as, the study will provide for companies of any size an overview of the implementation of IT GSM Spanish implantation, thus these companies will be able to benchmark theirselves with their peers. Finally, this document gives an overview of the temporal evolution from 2008 to 2010 and some future trends. The aim is, then, to analyze the status and implementation of IT GSM among companies operating in Spain, and also to discuss about the creation and dissemination of knowledge on this same area.Ingeniería de Telecomunicació

Når best practice konflikter med kulturen. Løsning af implementeringsproblemer gennem anvendelse af kendte CSF i et aktionsforskningsforløb

The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) fremhæves ofte som et IT-governance best practice framework, men det er tilsyneladende vanskeligt at implementere. ”Many organizations that decide to implement ITIL fail completely [...]” (Pereira og da Silva 2010). Dette vurderes som et væsentligt IS-forskningsproblem. ITIL-litteraturen anviser bl.a. Critical Success Factors (CSF) som en løsning. Baseret på et identificeret litteraturgap blev det besluttet at undersøge, om kendte CSF kunne løse problemet. På den baggrund er der gennemført et aktionsforskningsprojekt, hvor ITILimplementeringsproblemet søges løs ved hjælp af kendte CSF. Der blev udvalgt en egnet caseorganisation, og det blev besluttet at fokusere på ITILs Change Management proces. Et et stigende pres fra IT-revisionen medførte et behov for succesfuld ITIL-implementering, og IT-ledelsen var opsat på at løse dette problem ”én gang for alle”. Aktionsforskningen gav (især) i begyndelsen positive resultater, og der kunne præsenteres handleanvisninger til forbedret operationalisering af CSF. Imidlertid opstod der problemer længere inde i forløbet. Det blev tydeligt, at selv de bedste CSF ikke kunne løse problemerne. En bredere afsøgning af teorien viste, at organisationskulturen kunne udgøre en forklarende faktor, og der blev identificeret et litteraturgap i form af manglende viden om kulturens indvirkning på ITIL-implementeringen. I den sidste del af aktionsforskningen blev sammenhængen mellem kultur og implementeringsproblemerne derfor undersøgt. Resultaterne viste, at kulturen delvist kunne forklare problemerne, og på den baggrund blev der opstillet handleanvisninger for diagnosticering og ændring af kulturen. ITIL-implementeringen var kun delvist en succes, men under aktionsforskningen blev der alligevel etableret en række holdbare rutiner, der stadig bruges flere år efter. De afviger fra, hvad der opfattes som ITIL best practice, men de har givet en række IT-governancegevinster, og IT-revisionen var tilfredse. Desuden udtrykte såvel ledelse som medarbejdere tilfredshed med resultaterne. På denne baggrund, blev der opstillet handleanvisninger til organisationer, der ønsker IT-governance-gevinster, uden at skulle ændre en konfliktende kultur. Resultaterne bidrager til ITIL CSF-teorien, og til ITIL-frameworket generelt, ved at inddrage teori om organisationskultur for at forbedre ITIL-implementering som et led i bedre ITSM og IT-governance