Hat der Euro eine Zukunft?

Der Euro als Währung hat Vor- und Nachteile. Dieses Diskussionspapier stellt beide aus Sicht der deutschen Wirtschaft gegenüber; es will nicht nur Diskussionen anregen, sondern ist selbst das Ergebnis einer Diskussion. Neben zwei Bestandsaufnahmen stellt es auch mögliche Szenarien für die Zukunft vor

A methodical procedure for designing consumer oriented on-demand IT service propositions

IT providers are increasingly facing the challenge to adapt their previously resource oriented service portfolios in order to offer their customers services which explicitly support business processes. Such customer centric service propositions, however, seem to contradict the demand for standardized and automated operational IT processes more than traditional IT service offers, as they are even more subject to customer individual reengineering efforts due to permanently changing business requirements. In order to reconcile increased efficiency in operational processes and effectiveness in consumer oriented service propositions, we propose (1) to predefine all service propositions in consideration of both consumer oriented commitments and operational processes, and (2) to allow for standardized customization by offering a selection of complementary service propositions that extend commitments regarding customer oriented functionality and performance. Such service propositions are aligned with a company's entities such as workplaces. Thereby the customer organization is enabled to trace, control and adjust commitments, value and expenses of IT services per entity in its business. We introduce a procedural model for designing and on-demand requesting this kind of service propositions, and we illustrate the model's application and impact by examples taken from two large projects with an associated IT provide

Success Factors in IT-Projects to Provide Customer Value Propositions

Rising external competition and cost-pressures compel internal service providers to re-define their customer- service approach. Providing value propositions to the intra-firm end-users instead of provisioning technical resources becomes a necessity to facilitate transparency in costs and customer satisfaction. With that, the complexity of IT projects, particularly international ones, rises and changes in regards to impacts of inter-social and human factors. This paper uses a cross-case study method based on five cases to identify critical success factors for achieving IT-project success and the provision of the needed value propositions. Our analysis found that seven major factors are essential for the project success when coupled with a clear customer-oriented value proposition: one of the most important ones is to understand the customer’s business and with it to identify the end-user’s requirements. Furthermore, a close project collaboration, process alignment and trustful, clear communication as well the right choice of personnel emerge as important factors. Inter-social factors like support of the top-management and the early identification of stakeholders are equally crucial. Top management support acts as enabler for all these success factors. With the insight into requirements and impacts of each success factor, this cross-case study poses as operational guidance to achieve value propositions in IT-projects

Reuse-Mechanisms for Mass Customizing IT-Service Agreements

Divergent requirements of customers limit the potential of information technology (IT) service providers to achieve economies of scale through the standardization of service agreements. Continuous change requests in ongoing IT-service relationships complicate matters even more. Mass customization strategies have successfully addressed similar challenges in industrial sectors by reusing, i.e. composing and adapting standardized modules. Transforming this strategy to IT-service management, we present an approach of reuse-based IT-service customization in order to increase both effectiveness and efficiency at the stages of initial service specification, customization of offerings, and continuous adjustment of ongoing service agreements. This is proposed to be achieved by adopting well-established reusemechanisms of reference information modeling. Their strict application in service agreement specification aims for enabling industrialized on-demand service contracting and provisioning. The approach has been developed and prototypically applied in close cooperation with IT-organizations

How to Provide the Desirable Business Outcome in International IT Projects: A Cross-Case Analysis

Rising complexity of international IT projects has compelled service providers to re-define their customer-service approach. This paper uses a case study method to identify critical success factors for customer interaction as IT service providers run projects to deliver services to intrafirm end-users. Our analysis found that process-level, social and psychological factors were decisive in promoting successful provider-customer relationships. Three major factors - knowledge of the customer’s business and it’s need of IT-support, a close project collaboration and trustful, clear, understandable communication - are the cornerstone of successful IT service practices when coupled with a clear customer-oriented value proposition. Therefore, we identified the “bridgehead”-concept as an effective method to close a lack of understanding between business and IT. Our results suggest that both the provider and customer benefit from a close and iterative calibration of needs and services, with a high level of transparency, to ensure process efficiency and customer satisfaction