Collier International Property Consultants, Inc.: Managing a Virtual Organization

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR (Process/System/Responsibility)
• Process identifies the organizations core global
  business processes.
• System identifies the systems needed to support
  the handful of global business processes
• Responsibilities, determines what type of team
  will be responsible for each of the global
  application systems development and maintenance.

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Is a methodology for rethinking and often
  redesigning those processes deemed global and
  redesigning the teams that will develop, rollout,
  and support the systems for global processes.
• The outcome PSRs final stage is a redesign of IS
  teams responsibility at multiple corporate sites
• Many organizations have decentralized systems,
  therefore implementing PSR requires strong
  support at the executive levels inside and
  outside the organization

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• THE PSR methodology
• The objective of the IS function is to bring
  about an integrated network that is better
  aligned with the corporations global
  competitiveness.
• Common global architecture and telecommunication
  backbone,
• Uniform global systems with flexible modules
  tailored to address local requirements
• CGA development with responsibility for worldwide
  systems,
• And a culture of shared management
• Shared application building and
• Shared innovation

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Step 1 Identify and define core global business
  processes
• Find a global process and ask how is the IS/IT
  supporting the identified global process
• Is the process Core?
• Is the process global
• The final result of the first stage is a short
  list of a handful of core global business
  processes along with their respective description

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Step 1 Identify and define core global business
processes

• Some Rule of Thumb
• Think cross-functionally and stay away from
  traditional, vertical functional areas.
• Identify the local processes that cant be global
• Most companies only have a handful of global core
  processes (2-3)

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Step 2 Identify and define systems needed to
  support the core global business processes
• 1 defining a set of functional requirements for
  each of the core global business processes
  uncovered in stage 1
• This should be done without regard to the current
  system since the existing were often built as
  narrow, functional systems.
• Compile a comprehensive inventory of current IS/IT

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Stage 2 results
• Those that fall completely within one of the
  global business processes
• Those that span processes and may require
  re-allocation
• Those that are not global and require local or
  regional support
• The gap areas global business processes and the
  sub-processes that are not currently supported by
  any existing IS

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Stage 2 results
• 1. Uncover some redundant worldwide systems
• 2. Best-in-breed or best-in-firm systems
• That are possible good enough in certain region
  to roll out worldwide
• Keep the list of global applications short and
  doable.
• Not too small and not too big.
• Costly in many ways

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• PSR
• Stage 3
• The essence of this stage is to define and design
  the global IS application team.
• The global IS team will be responsible for
  building and maintaining the global systems.
• Decision on development locations

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• Types of Global IS Application Teams
• Global teams are more effective at cutting across
  the bureaucratic lines
• Inventory of IS HR globally
• Assessment of individual and
• Hard skills
• Softer skills
• Assessment of teams

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• Teams types
• Classic project type
• Individuals are assigned from and work in the
  site. The team is disband upon project completion
• Parallel teams
• Each team is chosen from one of the company sites
  to develop a subsystem. One subsystem is
  developed in each country and then integrated
  with other subsystems
• SWAT teams (Special weapons And Tactics)
• A commando team of specialists, who are recruited
  from development sites worldwide for their
  expertise and put into a location to complete a
  critical project

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• Teams types
• Virtual SWAT team
• A dispersed team of specialists, who are
  recruited from development sites worldwide for
  their expertise. The individuals remains in their
  respective locations and collaborate
  electronically, but may travel at various
  milestones or phases. The team is disbanded upon
  project completion
• CGA
• The CGA team is chosen from one of the company
  sites to develop and be responsible for a global
  business system. CGA has ownership of the global
  application and has responsibility for the
  application at worldwide level
• Transnational CGA
• Chosen from two or more company sites to develop
  and be responsible for a global business system.
  The center is made up of subteams at each of the
  sites

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• Teams types
• Virtual CGA
• A dispersed team of specialists, recruited from
  development sites worldwide for their expertise.
  The individuals remains in their respective
  locations and collaborate electronically, but may
  travel at various milestones or phases. VCGA has
  ownership of the global application and has
  responsibility for that application worldwide

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A Methodology For Defining Global Information
Systems Designing Global IS Teams

• Global IT Team matrix

Temporary Team Permanent Team
Classic project team Center for global application (CGA)
Parallel teams Transnational center for global applications (TCGA)
Virtual SWAT Virtual center for global application development (VCGA)
Co-located
Dispersed sites
Dispersed individuals
SWAT
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Global IT Team

• Global roll-out team
• CGA local units forms a temporary project team
  to tailor, test, install, and lunch the
  application.
• Global Infrastructure team
• Roll-out global standards and platforms from
  email to Lotus Notes, to IP WANs.

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Selecting Global IS Team

• Selecting GIS Team requires analyzing many
  trade-offs and consideration of special issues
  peculiar to the organization.
• Acceptance of long-term system ownership
• Selecting individuals versus teams
• Potential to create a cohesive team
• Preserving an organizational balance
• Managerial experience and interest in new team
  forms
• Time-to-completion
• Legacy architecture

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Center for Global Application Development (CGA)

• GIS teams that supports global systems can
  operate in a CGA structure
• CGA
• Means long-term ownership of global systems
  across multiple releases, rather than one of more
  transient ream types.
• It has responsibility for continuous improvements
  to the system at worldwide locations.
• It also means that budget is allocated for global
  rather than for one-site projects.

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Center for Global Application Development (CGA)

• CGA success Factors
• Center of excellence and be seen as such by the
  organization
• Must have and report to a senior executive
  sponsor
• Its composition needs to be organizationally
  diverse.
• Multinational, multi-operational, multiple types
  of experiences
• Ownership of global application and components
  must shift from local IS shop to the CGA .

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CGA Best practice

• Best Practices
• Build center for global applications around core
  global business systems that does not go away
  when a project is complete.
• This gives the team stability, responsibility,
  resources, coherence and pride
• Approach the design of CGA methodically
• Invest in the human side of the CGA
• Training, travel for face to face work, in team
  celebrations, and in team symbols, etc.

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• For your group project
• IL trade office
• Example of Project Reports
• http//www.american.edu/academic.depts/ksb/mogit/
  country.html