Aligning IT and Business Strategy, Free Essay Sample

Many firms today find it difficult to enhance and sustain an effective relationship between IT functions and corporate strategies. I believe Cheryl can assist managers to understand the role of IT in corporate strategies. This is explained by the four guiding questions in this discussion post.

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How can Cheryl Smith help managers at WestJet better understand the role of information technology in corporate strategy?

Cheryl can help the managers at WestJet to understand the role of IT in corporate strategy through exemplifying the need for IT strategic blueprint plan. The plan would assist managers to understand the opportunities, establishes the potential constraints, evaluate current performance, ascertain the required resources, and recognize the capacity and HR requirements. We are in an information age where we cannot ignore the implications of strategic information systems planning. To achieve a continued competitive advantage, companies today have to invest effectively in technology (Drnevich & Croson, 2013). As such, general managers should also establish a pragmatic relationship with the technical support in the organization. Smith would help managers understand causes of market shares discrepancies, 7% in the year 2000 to the increase of 38% in the year of 2009 (Munro, & Khan, 2013). Smith can also employ comparative analysis through a benchmark with other firms like Air Canada which had a decline in share in the same period which also gives room for identification of areas that require improvements.

How might WestJet's experience influence the way your organization aligns its IT and business strategies?

WestJet's experience has provided me with relevant insights on how important an IT strategy is to a firm, and how it can facilitate service improvements and achievement of objectives (Munro, & Khan, 2013). Our organization would utilize this experience in records management, policies formulation, proper utilization of information resources, manage clients' feedbacks. It would also help know the don'ts in the process of aligning IT and business strategy.

Based on an Internet or Walden Library search, describe the best tools and techniques organizations can use to align IT strategy with business strategy. What alternatives do organizations have to ensure their IT and business strategies are in alignment?

To attain a successful alignment of IT and business strategy, all the approaches of IT plan needs to be in line with the goals, objectives and mission of a firm (Kurti, Barolli, & Sevrani, 2013). The tools and techniques that should be applied can be dependent on particular organizations but ideally they should reflect on: identification of the major drivers of a business (business is assessed to know the IT needs), establishment of an IT vision (comprises identifying the IT capacity which can be achieved over time with set strategy and proper infrastructure), evaluation of present alignment (comprises how the present capabilities compare with proposed alignment), identification of gaps to be filled with a new strategy , prioritization of IT requirements, execution opportunities available (help eliminate waste of time on irrelevant implementations), transition elements as well as pertinent adjustment of IT blueprint (Kearns, & Sabherwal, 2006). An alternative that could be established is a client-based growth strategy and implementing the developmental approaches.

What risks does the organization take if it does not invest in the resources necessary for maintaining alignment between IT and business strategy?

One risk is difficulty in adapting to the dynamics of market conditions. Technology advances and there is need to keep in course with these changes which also have an influence on market and operations of organizations. There would be extensive pressure on ROI against short-term costs due to present economy.

References

Drnevich, P. L., & Croson, D. C. (2013). IT and business level strategy: Toward an integrated theoretical perspective. MIS Quarterly, 37(2). 483-509.Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Kearns, G. S., & Sabherwal, R. (2006). Strategic alignment between business and information technology: A knowledge-based view of behaviors, outcome, and consequences. Journal of Management Information Systems, 23(3), 129.

Kurti, I., Barolli, E., & Sevrani, K. (2013). Critical success factors for business -- It alignment: A review of current research. Romanian Economic & Business Review, 8(3), 79.

Munro, M., & Khan, S. (2013). WestJet Airlines: Information technology governance and corporate strategy (Ivey Publishing Case Study No. 9B13E020). Retrieved from https://services.hbsp.harvard.edu/services/proxy/content/55725565/55725613/926075c41e37275a1702ed411967c072