Transformation of IT systems – socially acceptable, efficient, successful

Abstract. Companies today encounter rapid, radical and near-constant changes while customer expectations towards quality and service are increasing. It has become imperative for IT to respond and adapt to those changes. The traditional role as a simple technology provider does not fulfill the need. IT departments feel huge pressure to adapt towards a lean, responsive and service oriented organization and to accept a new role of an enabler, working side-by-side with the business as a partner. A pre-condition for this step is to control the system and process landscape. A transformation of the existing IT is getting a critical success factor. The aim of this article is to explain fundamental reasons for investing in IT transformations, taking the telecommunications industry (Telco) as an example. It discloses wrong transformation strategies leading to costly failures and describes the possibility how to conciliate economic efficiency and the implementation of a social acceptable system transformation