ISM 158 Business Information Strategy
Lecture 2
IT Strategy
Introductions
• Kevin Ross• [email protected]• Office hours: Tuesday 3:30pm – 5pm
– (or by appointment)
• E2 room 559
Overview and update
• Website now has schedule of presentations and readings
• Any questions from last week?– Quizzes– Projects– Presentations– Cases/Reading
ISM 158: Lecture 2
“This class considers the role of information in business strategy. In particular, we focus on decisions regarding information technology and information systems to give a business competitive advantage over other companies”
• Today we focus on identifying strategies and the role of IT in strategy
The Embedding of IT
• IT now embedded in:– Definition and execution of strategy– Organization and leadership of businesses– Definitions of unique value propositions
• Every business definition is morphing before our eyes– Markets– Industries– Strategies– Firm designs
• Information is now a major economic good
What is a Business Model?
• Defines how enterprise relates to environment– Strategy aligns organization with
environment– Resources in and out– How value is created for stakeholders– Sets goals and ways to achieve them
Fig 1.1 Components of a Business Model
Intra-Industry RivalryStrategic Business Unit
BargainingPower of Buyers
Bargaining Power
of Suppliers
Substitute Products
and Services
PotentialNew Entrants
Porter Competitive Model
• What is driving competition in the current or
future industry?
• What are current or future competitors likely
to do and how can a company respond?
• How can a company best posture itself to
achieve and sustain a competitive advantage?
Competitive Model Focus
Competitive Model Forces
Intra-industry Rivals: Strategic Business Unit (SBU) and major rivals.
Buyers: Categories of major customers.
Suppliers: Categories of major suppliers that play a significant role in enabling the SBU to conduct its business.
New Entrants: Companies that are new as competitors in a geographic market or existing companies that through a major shift in business strategy will now directly compete with the SBU.
Substitutes: An alternative to doing business with the SBU.
Intra-Industry Rivalry SBU: UCSC Rivals: UC campuses, CSU, Private universities, Community Colleges
BargainingPower of Buyers
Bargaining Power
of Suppliers
Substitute Products
and Services
PotentialNew Entrants
• Faculty• Staff• Equipment and Service Suppliers• Alumni• Foundations• Governments• IT Vendors
• Internet Distance Learning• Books and Videotapes• Computer-Based Training• Company Education Programs
• Students• Parents• Businesses• Employers• Legislators
• Foreign Universities• Shift in Strategy by Universities or Companies
Porter Competitive Model Education Industry – Universities U.S. Market
Role of Technology through Role of Technology through Porter perspective: Can we…Porter perspective: Can we…
1. Build barriers to prevent a company from entering an industry?
2. Build in costs that would make it difficult for a
customer to switch to another supplier?3. Change the basis for competition within the
industry?4. Change the balance of power in the relationship
that a company has with customers or suppliers?5. Provide the basis for new products and services,
new markets or other new business opportunities
Porter Competitive Strategies
Differentiation StrategiesDifferentiation Strategies
Innovation StrategiesInnovation Strategies
Growth StrategiesGrowth Strategies
Alliance StrategiesAlliance Strategies
Cost Leadership StrategiesCost Leadership Strategies Primary
Strategies
Supporting
Strategies
Strategic VisionService Concept
• What are important elements of the service to be provided, stated in terms of results produced for customers?
• How are these elements supposed to be perceived by the target market segment, by the market in general, by employees, by others?
• How do customers perceive the service concept?• What efforts does this suggest in terms of the manner in
which the service is designed, delivered, marketed?
Strategic VisionOperating Strategy
• What are important elements of the strategy: operations, financing, marketing, organization, human resources, control?
• On which will the most effort be concentrated?• Where will investments be made?• How will quality and cost be controlled:
measures, incentives, rewards?• What results will be expected versus
competition in terms of, quality of service, cost profile, productivity, morale/loyalty of servers?
Strategic VisionService Delivery System
• What are important features of the service delivery system including: role of people, technology, equipment, layout, procedures?
• What capacity does it provide, normally, at peak levels?• To what extent does it, help insure quality standards,
differentiate the service from competition, provide barriers to entry by competitors?
• Seeking Out Low-cost Customers• Standardizing a Custom Service • Reducing the Personal Element in Service
Delivery (promote self-service)• Reducing Network Costs (hub and spoke)• Taking Service Operations Off-line
Competitive Strategies (Overall Cost Leadership)
• Making the Intangible Tangible (memorable)• Customizing the Standard Product• Reducing Perceived Risk• Giving Attention to Personnel Training• Controlling Quality
Note: Differentiation in service means being unique in brand image, technology use, features, or reputation for customer service.
Competitive Service Strategies (Differentiation)
Strategic Focus Competitive Use of Information
On-line
(Real time)
Off-line
(Analysis)
External
(Customer)
Creation of barriers to entry:
Reservation system
Frequent user club
Switching costs
Data base asset:
Selling information
Development of services
Micro-marketing
Internal
(Operations)
Revenue generation:
Yield management
Point of sale Expert systems
Productivity enhancement:
Inventory status
Data envelopment
analysis (DEA)
Competitive Role of Information in Services
• Anti-competitive (Barrier to entry)
• Fairness (Yield management)
• Invasion of Privacy (Micro-marketing)
• Data Security (Medical records)
• Reliability (Credit report)
Limits in the Use of Information
Strategy Audit of Company
• Market/Channel position– Who are customers?– How to reach them
• Product position– What products/services to offer– Features, price
• Value chain/value network position– Role with respect to suppliers, producers, distributors, partners
• Boundary Position– What won’t you do?
Fig 1.2 Analyzing Competitive Forces and Strategic Positioning
Understand Customers
Understand Competitors
Understand Market and Product
Fig 1.3 Product/Market Positioning in the US Retail Financial Services Industry, 1990
Understand Partners
Understand Societal Context
Strategic Shifts
• Strategy changes over time• Flow of information makes this possible
– Enhancement (improve existing)– Expansion (launch new)– Extension (new business or business
model)– Exit (drop
product/category/market/channel)
Fig 1.4 Options for Evolving Strategy
Fig 1.5 Categories of Strategic Risk
Fig 1.6 McFarlan’s Strategic Grid
Fig 1.7 Strategic Alignment Model
Ideally, all four quadrants align to create value
Opportunities
• Can IT change basis for competition?• Can IT change balance of power among
buyers and supplyers?• Can IT build or reduce barriers to entry?• Can IT increase or decrease switching
costs?• Can IT add value to existing products
and services or create new ones?
Risks
• Can emerging technologies disrupt current business models?
• Are we too early or too late to exploit IT opportunity?
• Does IT lower entry barriers?• Does IT trigger regulatory action?
Fig 1.8 Analyzing Disruptive Technologies
Fig 1.9 Analyzing Cash Flow Curve
Questions
Presentation: Ingrid Gain
Tips for Reading Cases
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