Institute of Business Administration

Course: Strategic Analysis of ICT

Course Outline
Class: Consultation:
MBA After the class / Through Email
Course Name: Contact Email :
Strategic Analysis of ICT sasim@iba.edu.pk [email subject: SAICT: - --- - ]
Instructor Name:
Syed Asim Ali

Course Background and Objective

The impact and role of information and communication technology (ICT) within organizations has
developed over the years towards a major strategic issue. ICT enables organization not only to do things
more efficiently, but also to do things in a completely different way or to reshape the complete scope of
the business itself.

This objective of this course is to understand these strategic issues and to be able to translate them into a
strategic information plan. The ability to monitor the performance of units abroad without regard to
distance and time-zones is increasing the value of cooperative partnerships. This is leading to grater
reliance upon outsourcing, benefiting many services industries and once again reducing the advantage of
large firms. In the prevailing situation, clearly some firms will win some will loose, but all will have to
change. And yet, fundamental laws have not been repealed. How can previous economic theory, and
previous experience with rapid technological change, provide insights for the development of strategy in
an increasingly digital age?
The course emphasizes the relationship between the business strategy and the ICT Strategy of an
organization, the management tools that support the information planning process, and the most important
technological developments. It draws upon the most recent experience in the impact of information
technology upon diverse industries, and integrates the experience with relevant theory to develop a theory
of competitive strategy for electronic commerce, and for information-based strategies more generally. It is
not tools and techniques course or a quantitative analysis course; likewise it is not a technology or an
implementation course. It provides a focused and modern complement to strategic planning and analysis.

Body of Knowledge
1-Challenges of Managing in a Network Economy(CISM-LA)
Market structure and industry dynamics, evolving business models, IT impact, prioritizing IT projects,
protecting IT assets and managing risks.

2-Creating Business Advantage with IT(CISM-LA1)

Forces that shape business strategy, value chain analysis, strategic grid analysis, analyzing the impact of
IT on strategic decision making, how IT can increase switching costs, IT and barriers to entry.

3-Crafting Business Models(CISM-LA2)

Business models’ classification, businesses built on a networked infrastructure vs businesses that provide
networked infrastructure, focused distributors, portals, producers etc., evolving business models.

4-Building Networked Businesses(CISM-LA3)

The need for new capabilities, blue print of a networked organization, building value networks,
characteristics of the hierarchy, entrepreneurial and networked organizations.

5-Understanding Internetworking Infrastructure(CISM-LA5)

The basic components of internetworking infrastructure, the technological elements of networks,
processing system and facilities, the future of internetworking infrastructure.

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6-Assuring Reliable and Secure IT Services(CISM-LA6)
Availability, the impact of redundancy on availability, high-availability facilities, securing IT assets
against malicious threats, classification of threats and security management framework, risk management
of availability and security.

7-IS/IT Strategic Analysis: Assessing and Understanding the Current Situation (SPIS-JW4)
Business Re-engineering and IS Strategy, Understanding the Current Situation, Interpreting the Business
Strategy ,Examining the Current IS/IT Environment, Techniques for Interpretation and Analysis,
Information Requirements to Meet the Current Business Objectives, Use of Critical Success Factors and
Balanced Scorecards, Business Process Analysis, Organizational Modelling, Evaluating the Gap between
Current and Required IS/IT Environments

8-IS/IT Strategic Analysis: Determining the Future Potential (SPIS-JW5)

Aligning the IS/IT Investment Strategy to the Business, Value Chain Analysis, The External Value Chain
(Industry Value Chain or Value System), Information Systems and the Value Chain, The Internal Value
Chain, Alternative Value ‘Configuration’ Models, The Use of Value Chain Analysis , ‘Natural’ and
‘Contrived’ Value Chains, Business Re-engineering and the Value Chain

9-Determining the Business Information Systems Strategy (SPIS-JW6)

Strategic Planning Techniques and Their Relationships, Framework in which the Tools and Techniques
Can Be Used Effectively, Identifying How IS/IT Could Impact the Strategy, Establishing the Relative
Priorities for IS/IT Investments, Large Organizations, Multiple SBUs and their Consolidation

10-IT in 2010 (ITSA-MK9)

Does IT matter? IT contribution to effective business strategy, The flat world, IT mission, IT function and
IT management

11-Strategic Experimentation with IT (ITSA-MK10)

Innovation, Types of Innovation, Innovation funnel, stages of innovation, managing innovation
strategically.

12-Information Delivery: IT’s Evolving Role (ITSA-MK12)

Information and IT:Why Now? Areas where information delivers value, Business responsibilities for IT,
The information management life cycle.

13-Managing IT Outsourcing(CISM-LA)
Why outsource IT functions and operations, what IT outsourcing alliances are difficult to manage, what
drives outsourcing, when to outsource, structuring and managing the alliance.

14-Building better IT leaders (ITSA-MK18)

IT leadership, Transformational IT leadership, what makes a good IT leader, IT Leaders profile.

Term Assignments

Each student group will develop a Strategic ICT Plan for an organization of his/her choice, to get a better
understanding of the practical application of the theory presented in the lectures. This is also the
individual assignment that will be graded.

Each student group will have to review a given book and then present a 20-25 minute book review to the
class in the form of a presentation. The books will be related to the subject and will be assigned after
consultation with the course supervisor.

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Texts and other materials

The material for this course consists of set of papers and articles, and the slide handouts. The papers and
articles will be made available in the final course pack. Some practical cases will be used as well.

The books that are recommended for this course are:

 Corporate Information Strategy & Management, Sixth edition,

Lynda M. Applegate, Herbert Austin, Warren McFarlan.

 IT Strategy in Action, 2008,

James D. McKeen & Heather Smith.

 Strategic Planning for Information Systems, Third Edition

John Ward, Joe Peppard.

Instructions and Class Rules

Sequence of topics is tentative. Topics may be added/dropped depending upon time & need.  Guest
speaker sessions to be adjusted in above plan as required  Assignments due on due date at the start of
class & with 50% penalty in following class only.  No re-conduct of quizzes  IBA attendance rules to
be strictly followed  Ringing mobile phones to be confiscated without exception and returned in
following class and never on second violation.  All assignment & quizzes must be retained till semester
end.

Grading Plan
Term Examination = 30%
Final Examination = 40%
Quizzes/Assignments/ Term Report etc. = 30%

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