Information Systems Strategy

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Information Systems Strategy

• By June Lu

Spring 2013
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Strategic Information Systems

• First introduced into the field in early 1980s by
  Dr. Charles Wiseman, published an article in
  Journal of Business Strategy in mid 1980s.
• Definition information systems used as strategic
  weapons to give/enhance the competitive advantage
  of a firm against the competitors (i.e., deliver
  a product or service at a lower cost, that is
  differentiated, focusing on a particular market
  segment, or is innovative...)
• Examples any ISs used for a strategic purpose
  (financial, operational, decision support, etc.)

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Information Systems Strategy

• The degree to which a firm has a shared
  perspective to seek innovation through IS (Chen,
  MISQ, 2010)
• The organizational perspective separated from the
  business strategy to address the scope of the
  entire organization (i.e., IS investment,
  deployment, and management) to improve firm
  performance.
• IS Strategy as the Use of IS to Support Business
  Strategy

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Relationship to Business Strategy

• Three conceptions of IS strategy
• In support of a business strategy
• The master plan of the IS function
• The shared view of the IS role within the
  organization
• An independent strategy within a firm
• Both support and lead a business strategy

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Functions of IS strategy

• Enable creation of a digital firm
• Digitize internal operations at any stage of the
  value chain (for operation excellence)
• Reconfigure the value chain in a firm
• Reconfigure the product and the service provided
• Facilitate innovations in a firm

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Implementation Examples

• Cisco Case ERP Implementation (operation
  excellence)
• Li Fung the Internet Issues (e-commerce,
  global supply chain management system)
• Zara IT for Fast Fashion (operational system
  automation and data standardization)
• The iPremier Company Denial of Service Attack
  (Intrusion detection system, firewall, management
  policies and procedures to enhance system and
  data security)
• Providian Trust Tradition and Technology
  (transition of operational reporting system but
  failed)
• Can you give an example of implementing IS
  strategy at your workplace?

7
How to measure the effectiveness of an IS
strategy?