- Enterprise IT vs. Product IT – Factors Influencing Cooperation and Integration
3 Dec 07 | Single Topic Reports
In this report, for the sake of brevity, we will call the top three areas in the figure ‘product IT’ – IT that is embedded in or essential to what the business offers to its customers. The ability of the traditional IT department (‘Enterprise IT’) to participate in these new developments varies considerably from one firm to another. In many companies, particularly those selling high-tech products, ‘product IT’ is in the hands of engineering or product development groups (‘Product IT’), and Enterprise IT often has difficulty participating at all. But in firms selling services, particularly financial services, the cooperation between Enterprise IT and Product IT is often close and fruitful.
- Customer Service Strategies and the Role of IT
31 Jul 09 | Single Topic Reports
IT services are a key route to adding business value and resilience in a recession. Essentially, our research shows firms are becoming more specialised or more integrated so as to create better experiences for their customers. They are moving rapidly into new, innovative services and organisation models are becoming more complex as firms seek to address a multitude of new markets at various stages of development.
Enterprise IT is well positioned to play a major role in services because services generally require a closer cooperation between the business unit and IT than is often the case in products. But to seize this growing role, IT must become much more aware of the business design issues that make all the difference in determining the profitability or ‘stickiness’ of a customer service offering.
This report can help you and your colleagues understand the value that IT can offer in creating attractive business services to better serve your customers and provides key case studies of how certain organisations are already succeeding in this area. The report will appeal not only to CIOs but also any business leader interested in product marketing, innovation and business strategy.
Further information
If you would like to understand this topic further and its implications for your organisation, contact your Account Representative.
- Enterprise Architecture in the Real World
20 Nov 08 | Presentation
Enterprise architecture should aim to provide the essential understanding of the business operating model: how the business and IT capabilities of an enterprise are configured, interrelated and deployed in order to support what the organization is trying to achieve. Today, enterprise architecture has become more critical to business success as developments in technology are enabling organizations to be more adaptive and ‘service based’.
See event: Developing a Strategic Business/IT Architecture (20 November 2008)
- Business/IT Strategy in a Darkening Economic Climate
20 Nov 08 | Presentation
As IT continues to permeate just about every corner of the modern enterprise, it should not be surprising that business and IT strategies must converge. Yet too often the business and industry-specific aspects of an IT strategy wind up subordinate to more generic systems and applications concerns. Recent LEF research argues that this approach is becoming increasingly problematic, and that industry specific variations need to be more aggressively accounted for. In this session, David presented the LEF process for developing an IT strategy for your industry, using our recently developed lead sector analysis framework.
See event: Developing a Strategic Business/IT Architecture (20 November 2008)
- Enterprise Architecture in the Real World
18 Nov 08 | Presentation
Enterprise architecture should aim to provide the essential understanding of the business operating model: how the business and IT capabilities of an enterprise are configured, interrelated and deployed in order to support what the organization is trying to achieve. Today, enterprise architecture has become more critical to business success as developments in technology are enabling organizations to be more adaptive and ‘service based’.
See event: Developing a Business/IT Strategy and Architecture (18 November 2008)
- Business/IT Strategy in a Darkening Economic Climate
18 Nov 08 | Presentation
As IT continues to permeate just about every corner of the modern enterprise, it should not be surprising that business and IT strategies must converge. Yet too often the business and industry-specific aspects of an IT strategy wind up subordinate to more generic systems and applications concerns. Recent LEF research argues that this approach is becoming increasingly problematic, and that industry specific variations need to be more aggressively accounted for. In this session, David will present the LEF process for developing an IT strategy for your industry, using our recently developed lead sector analysis framework.
See event: Developing a Business/IT Strategy and Architecture (18 November 2008)
- Enterprise vs Product IT – Escaping the Shared Services Trap
19 May 08 | Presentation
In today’s increasingly competitive global economy, IT is permeating the business, creeping into virtually all functions and activities. To maintain their edge, firms are increasingly embedding intelligence in their products and services, seeking to add value beyond the pure physical product. They are using business intelligence and simulation techniques to create and price new products and services. They are also offering their people and their customers ever greater capabilities as they strive to avoid commoditization.
In this presentation, we will discuss why the global business impact of IT is diverging, as industry sectors adapt to, and deploy, IT in increasingly different ways.
See event: Thriving in a Multi-Polar World – Strategies for the Globalization of IT (19 May 2008)
- Enterprise vs Product IT - The Influence of Industry and the Business Model on IT Positioning and Strategy
26 Mar 08 | Podcast
CIOs often discuss approaches to IT strategy and to reaching alignment with the business without explicit reference to the actual situation of the business or its industry. But a recent research project by the Leading Edge Forum shows that IT’s positioning and ability to engage with business leaders is strongly influenced by the company’s industry and organization. Generally speaking, Enterprise IT is better positioned in a services company (that is, hotels, financial services) than it is in a product company (high tech, chemicals). It is better positioned in a company that is focused on one business than it is in a diverse group. Enterprise IT has particular problems in high tech groups where the product divisions have their own ‘product IT’ groups developing IT embedded in the products. IT is best positioned in industries with strong needs for operational integration, such as airlines or automobiles.
In this web conference, Kirt Mead, who led the Enterprise vs Product IT project, will discuss these results in more detail, illustrating key points with example firms that were interviewed. He will identify some rough guidelines for how Enterprise IT should best proceed in each industry and organizational situation.
See event: Enterprise vs Product IT - The Influence of Industry and the Business Model on IT Positioning and Strategy (26 March 2008)
- Enterprise vs Product IT - The Influence of Industry and the Business Model on IT Positioning and Strategy
26 Mar 08 | Presentation
CIOs often discuss approaches to IT strategy and to reaching alignment with the business without explicit reference to the actual situation of the business or its industry. But a recent research project by the Leading Edge Forum shows that IT’s positioning and ability to engage with business leaders is strongly influenced by the company’s industry and organization. Generally speaking, Enterprise IT is better positioned in a services company (that is, hotels, financial services) than it is in a product company (high tech, chemicals). It is better positioned in a company that is focused on one business than it is in a diverse group. Enterprise IT has particular problems in high tech groups where the product divisions have their own ‘product IT’ groups developing IT embedded in the products. IT is best positioned in industries with strong needs for operational integration, such as airlines or automobiles.
In this web conference, Kirt Mead, who led the Enterprise vs Product IT project, will discuss these results in more detail, illustrating key points with example firms that were interviewed. He will identify some rough guidelines for how Enterprise IT should best proceed in each industry and organizational situation.
See event: Enterprise vs Product IT - The Influence of Industry and the Business Model on IT Positioning and Strategy (26 March 2008)
- Drivers of Business IT – Product IT Cooperation
15 Nov 07 | Presentation
Recent LEF research demonstrates that the ability of Business IT to play a significant role in IT embedded in products and services depends on many factors, including the industry, the firm’s organization, and the organization of IT. The leadership of the CIO is also an important factor. In this session, Kirt discussed several examples of success and failure and draw lessons for CIOs.
See event: Business IT vs Product IT – Cooperation or Competition? (15 November 2007)