为信息技术治理而整合战略与战术

IntegrationStrategiesandTacticsforInformationTechnologyGovernance37Copyright©2004,IdeaGroupInc.CopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIdeaGroupInc.isprohibited.ChapterIIIntegrationStrategiesandTacticsforInformationTechnologyGovernanceRyanR.PetersonInformationManagementResearchCenter,InstitutodeEmpresa,SpainABSTRACTAmidstthechallengesandchangesofthe21stcentury,involvinghyper-competitivemarketspaces,electronically-enabledglobalnetworkbusinesses,andcorporategovernancereform,ITGovernancehasbecomeafundamentalbusinessimperative.ITGovernanceisatopmanagementpriority,andrightfullyso,becauseitisthesinglemostimportantdeterminantofITvaluerealization.ITGovernanceisthesystembywhichanorganization’sITportfolioisdirectedandcontrolled.ITGovernancedescribes(a)thedistributionofITdecision-makingrightsandresponsibilitiesamongdifferentstakeholdersintheorganization,and(b)therulesandproceduresformakingandmonitoringdecisionsonstrategicITconcerns.Theobjectiveofthischapteristhreefold.Firstofall,todescribepastdevelopmentsandcurrentchallengescomplexorganizationsarefacingingoverningtheITportfolioofITapplications,ITdevelopment,IToperationsandITplatforms.Baseduponthelessonswe’velearnedfromthepast,oneofthekeyobjectivesistomovebeyond‘descriptives’,anddiscusshoworganizationscandiagnoseanddesignITGovernancearchitecturesforfutureperformanceimprovementandsustainedbusinessgrowth.ThefinalobjectiveofthischapteristoprovideathoroughunderstandingandholisticpictureofeffectiveITGovernancepractices,andpresentaneworganizinglogicforITGovernance.38PetersonCopyright©2004,IdeaGroupInc.CopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIdeaGroupInc.isprohibited.INTRODUCTIONOnemorningin1997,RalphLarsen,CEOofJohnson&Johnson,calledhiscontroller,JoAnnHeisen,tohisofficeforameeting.Ralphhadjustlaunchedacorporate-widecost-cuttingcampaigntohelpfinanceadriveintohighlycompetitiveandcostlynewdrugmarkets.Thatmorning,RalphwantedJohnson&Johnson’sITorganizationtobeabiggerpartofallofthat—andtogetsmarterabouthowthecompanywasusingIT.Johnson&JohnsonwasspendingmillionsannuallyonIT,yetbusinessexecutivesandcustomersweren’tgettingthebusinessinformationtheyneeded,andthebusinessvaluetheywanted.Hospitals,forexample,wereaskingJohnson&Johnsontohelpthemcuttheirstashesofsupplies,butJohnson&Johnsondidn’thavetheWeb-basedtrackingsystemsneededtodeliveronthatrequest.Theelectronicnetworksthatdidexistsufferedfrequentbreakdowns.JoAnnrecalls,“Nobodywastalkingtoeachother.Andwhyshouldthey?Nobodyaskedthebusinessunitstotalkwitheachotherbefore,andnoonehadaskedIThowmuchwewerespendingonthebusiness.”RalphtoldJoAnnhewantedtocutITcostsdramatically,buthealsowantedtooversightreform.ThatmorningJoAnnleftRalph’sofficewithanewjob—asCIO—andamissiontostandardizesystems,cutITcosts,andaligntheITorganizationwithbusinessstrategies,whilesimultaneouslyacknowledgingthedecentralizedcultureofJohnson&Johnson’snumerousbusinessdivisionsacrossdifferentcountries.DoestheJohnson&Johnsonchronicle(Alter,2001;Scheier,2001)seemfamiliartoyou?Thisreal-lifecaseillustratesmanyoftheproblemsandchallengeslargecomplexorganizationshavebeenfacingforoveradecade.It’salmostclichéthatchiefexecutivesacrosstheboardhaveexperiencedmanyfailuresanddisappointmentswithIT-enabledbusinesstransformations.Expectingstrategicvalueinnovation,executiveshavefacedprojectcancellations,businessdisruptions,risingcustomerchurn,decreasingshare-holdervalue,andmanyotherdisappointments,includinglosingtheirjobs.Infact,executivestodayarelessconcernedaboutgetting‘Amazon-ed’thanaboutgetting‘Enron-ed’.Corporateresponsibility,businesssustainabilityandgovernancereformarecurrentlyhighonthestrategicagendainmanycompanies.Thegrowingscrutinyovershareholderinterests,lingeringeconomicgrowthandcorporateperfor-mancehavenowalsopromptedrenewedsoul-searchingandinterestintothegovernanceofinformationandInternet-basedtechnologies.Amidstallthesechangesandchalleng-ingresponsibilities,governingITforsustainingbusinessvaluehasbecomeafundamen-talbusinessimperativeforthrivinginthe‘oldnew’economy.Re:InformationTechnologyGovernanceBoardsandbusinessexecutiveshavecometorecognizethatwhereastraditionallytheycoulddelegate,avoid,orignoreITdecisions,todaytheycannotconductmarketing,R&DorHRwithoutdependingonITatsomepointintime.Metaphorically,a‘Speak-See-HearNoEvil’attitudetowardsITGovernanceisnolongerviableintoday’sbusinesslandscape(Figure1).Withthedawningofthe21stcentury,organizationsareexperiencingaglobaldigitalrevolutionwithprofoundimpactsontheirbusinessmodelsandelectronicbusinessprocesses,whereintheinterdependencybetweenbusinessandITisintenselyrecipro-IntegrationStrategiesandTacticsforInformationTechnologyGovernance39Copyright©2004,IdeaGroupInc.CopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIdeaGroupInc.isprohibited.cal.Thise-businessgenesiscoincideswithabusinesslandscape,inwhichtheintensity,unpredictabilityanddiversityofchangehasacceleratedtocreateaconditionofhyper-competition(D’Aveni,1994),inwhichthereisnostablecompetitiveposition,bu