attached homework assignment
IT4683/IT6683 Management of IT IT6423 IT Systems Acquisition and Integration Exercise 1- Introductions, IT and Business Value Creation and IT Sourcing Strategies Developed by Richard Halstead-Nussloch Version 12Aug18 Your name: Policies: · Submissions made through a means other than the D2L Assignment Folder will be ignored and earn a 0. · Submissions without your name stated above earn a 0. · Submissions with the original questions and/or formatting removed from the file earn a 0. · Submissions without adequate references or acknowledgements will earn a discounted grade, potentially a 0. · Submissions that I can not open or require a password will earn a 0. · Second chances might be requested at any time through D2L email, and are awarded at the sole discretion of the instructor. Submissions should use and cite at least one reference and explicitly state who is being acknowledged. Put them in the end of this exercise document in the appropriate sections. This exercise covers two areas of the first course learning objective and the course’s second learning objective as well, namely: 1. Define and discuss major concepts, tools, techniques, and methods important to managing organizations and acquiring and integration of their information technology, including: 1. Adding value through IT 2. IT sourcing strategies 2. Recommend a particular IT sourcing strategy for a given situation. Q1) (20 Points) Review and analyze Strategy terms and concepts in relationship to IT. The Wikipedia page on “Strategy” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy) is the main article in the Wikipedia Series on “Strategy.” Go to these pages in the Strategy Series and complete the development of a list of the top ten words or concepts the IT professional should know along with their definitions about strategy and IT. Add seven terms/concepts to those there already. You might need to link around inside and outside of the Strategy Series net to complete. 1. Strategy- “A high-level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty” [1] 2. IT Strategy- 3. Business Value- 4. Etc. Q2) (20 Points) IT is critical to success in most Business Models today. The Wikipedia page on “Business Model” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_model) describes that part of business strategy describing the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers and captures value. This article describes the advent of a “liquid business model” where IT provides a platform that contributes value to the success of many modern business models. (If you have difficulty thinking of a modern business model that is “liquid” or “platform”, use online education at KSU.) Using EDUCAUSE’s “Top 10 Technologies” from each of the previous years covered in the Readings Readme for LM1, choose an IT technology from each of the years below and briefly describe the characteristics requested. Year EDUCAUSE Technology Example Value (to KSU Online Education) You might change this reference business model Implications, Applications, Connections, etc. Comments, e.g., risk, advantages, disadvantages, restrictions 2014 Virtual desktops or virtual PC apps (number 9 that year) [4] Anywhere access (removes same place restrictions) Virtual libraries and laboratories. Allows provisioning more services for distance learning. + Reduces need to travel/commute - Makes license and copyright management more complex VPN: Better risk management and tracking 2015 2016 2017 2018 EDUCAUSE Top 10 Technologies 2018: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2018/1/higher-educations-top-10-strategic-technologies-and-trends-for-2018 Note, 2018 is the year EDUCAUSE integrated all “Top-10” Reports, see: https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/research/top-10-it-issues-technologies-and-trends Note, above page has tabs to the reports 2017: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2017/3/higher-educations-top-10-strategic-technologies-for-2017-report 2016: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2016/1/report-higher-educations-top-10-strategic-technologies-for-2016 2015: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2015/1/higher-educations-top-10-strategic-technologies-for-2015 2014: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2014/2/higher-educations-topten-strategic-technologies-in-2014 Q3) (20 Points) The “Value Chain” is well understood in business; the role of IT in the Value Chain is not. The Wikipedia article on the Value Chain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_chain) describes a well-accepted framework to understand how organizations implement business strategy to create value; this framework was first articulated in the mid-1980’s by Michael Porter and has grown to help us understand business and commerce in a well-accepted model. Porter’s original model referred to physical objects and the Wikipedia article explains that with the advent of computerization within businesses, the virtual and combined physical-virtual Value Chain models have become predominate; within the virtual and combined value chains, IT plays a critical role in delivering valuable products and services to the market. IT professionals have spent much time and energy over the past couple of decades working on achieving understanding and acknowledgement of the role of IT provides in creating value in any organization today; universities are no exception and EDUCAUSE has led the way to remedy this communication difficulty recently (https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/3/communicating-the-business-value-of-enterprise-it). Develop a set of Powerpoint slides with your a) description of this problem (lack of recognition of the value of IT); b) your ideas about the 2 to 5 main root causes of the problem; c) your ideas about solution paths, e.g., the EDUCAUSE communication approach. Upload the Powerpoint file to the A1 Assignment folder and also post these slides to the discussion for IT Business Value along with some notes to cover in presenting them. As you think about these matters, try to find connections among all that you have read here and in related courses/studies. Q4) (30 Points) Address the question: What are the different strategies and approaches to sourcing an IT system and which one(s) should be used when? Do some web research on contemporary sourcing strategies, write an annotated and descriptive list of at least four sourcing strategies; include both Make and Buy in that list. Include pros and cons of each strategy for IT systems acquisition and integration. Provide your list here. Make- Definition/Description- Building the IT system or application within the organization … Pros- 1) Large amount of control; 2) Security and confidentiality … Cons- 1) Difficult to spread risk; 2) Might miss some significant options … Buyer’s Cost Model- 1) Project costs (internal); 2) Assumes all risks … Seller’s Revenue Model- 1) ROI calculations; ROA calculations … Situations of primary use- When sensitive company information must be kept confidential … Comments- … Buy- Definition/Description- Procuring the IT system or application from outside the organization … Pros- 1) … Cons- 1) … Buyer’s Cost Model- 1) Project costs (internal and external); 2) Can distribute risks … Seller’s Revenue Model- 1) Price; 2) Costs; 3Risks … Situations of primary use- … Comments … <3rd source=""> Definition/Description- … Pros- 1) … Cons- 1) … Buyer’s Cost Model- … Seller’s Revenue Model- … Situations of primary use- … Comments … <4th source=""> Definition/Description- … Pros- 1) … Cons- 1) … Buyer’s Cost Model- … Seller’s Revenue Model- … Situations of primary use- … Comments … Hint: One additional sourcing strategy is the Cloud, e.g., these links from 12 August 2018: http://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/all/ AWS Case Studies IBM Portal and Whitepapers on Cloud Computing https://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/your-cloud/index.html Q5) (10 Points) A) Make entries here and duplicate them or copy them on the LM1 discussions about the business value of IT and what you found in the investigation of sourcing strategies. B) In one paragraph, answer the question: “When acquiring and integrating IT systems, senior IT professionals must pay attention to the business value of IT because…” Provide your answer here and also in an entry on your personal Blog for this course. C) In one paragraph, answer the question: “When deciding about how to source IT systems, senior IT professionals must pay attention to the business value of IT because…” Provide your answer here and also in an entry on your personal Blog for this course. Sources and works used in completing this exercise: (Please add your references. You must list at least one and use the method-ACM, APA or MLA-chosen at the beginning of the term.) 1. Wikipedia article on “Strategy.” (retrieved on 7 August 2018) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Strategy 2. Wikipedia article on the Value Chain (retrieved on 12 August 2018) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_chain 3. Wikipedia page on “Business Model” (retrieved on 12 August 2018) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_model) 4. 2014 EDUCAUSE Top 10 Technologies (retrieved on 12 August 2018) https://library.educause.edu/resources/2014/2/higher-educations-topten-strategic-technologies-in-2014 Please complete the following: ___ I did not use any method of citation (maximum B on the assignment). ___ I used the ACM approach and have cited my references as I went in the text and also listed them at the end. ___ I used the APA approach and have cited my references as I went in the text and also listed them at the end. ___ I used the MLA approach and have cited my references as I went in the text and also listed them at the end. Acknowledgements of people (and other exercise submissions) used in completing this exercise: