Managing Technology Essays - Management, Marketing,

Managing Technology We define information technology (IT) to include not only computer technology (hardware and software) for processing and storing information, but also communications technology for transmitting information. Advances in computer and communications technologies have enabled firms to pursue IT investments. This will help them to gain maximum advantage from their knowledge assets-to leverage the knowledge of individual employees to the benefit of other employees and the organization as a whole. Businesses have strived to achieve a competitive advantage in the past by competing in one of two ways: 1. By Cost- by being a low-cost producer of a good and service 2. By Differentiation of a product or service- by competing on customer perceptions of product quality and customer support services. Information technology is an integral part of many companies day to day operations. By the 1990's, applications of IT were widespread and sophisticated enough to enable firms to compete in other innovative ways. Whereas in the past firms had to choose between a low-cost and a differentiation strategy, today IT enables firms in some industries to compete on both low cost and product differentiation simultaneously. Further, some firms are attempting to compete not only on both low cost and high quality, but also on the ability to make highly varied customized products. Referred to as mass customization, IT is used to rapidly link processes and work groups in order to produce customized products that are exactly what a customer wants. Evans Consoles, a Calgary based manufacturing firm, is a prime example of how, and where information technology is implemented and utilized in terms of strategic advantage and strategic plans. Founded in 1980, Evans is recognized worldwide for its expertise in the design and manufacture of technical furniture, desks and computer consoles for specialized environments such as data and control centers, trading floors, command centers, computer floors and other technology-intensive work centers. Over the years, Evans has built an international reputation for reliable project management, innovative product design and superior quality through more than 2,000 high-profile installation's. Such high profile installations include customers as NASA, FedEx, EDS, AT&T, IBM, Dow Chemical, Shell, United Airlines, FAA, and Deutsche Telekom. (See photo exhibits for examples of products and installs) Evans overall corporate strategy is to provide high quality customized products at a competitive price to customers all around the world. As a part of this, IT has been implemented in order to facilitate the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. With Evans corporate divisions and processing plants being dispersed over 4 locations around Calgary, IT has become a necessity. Information technology can be aligned with Evans' corporate strategic plans from the first to the final step/process. To begin with, the majority of Evans existing or new clients are on a global scale and communication is vital since the products being built are on a custom basis. Evans need to stay in constant contact in order to build a rapport and ensure that what they are building is satisfactory for the customers needs. This is where the use of e-mail and video conferencing comes into play. Evans has the ability to communicate globally with little effort or cost. This can also help increase global sales and help Evans become the global leader. Being able to reduce travel costs saves Evans and its customer a great deal of time and money, and in turn enables them to produce the desired product within less time. When the projects are ordered, either FAX or e-mail depending on the size of the project receives them. This saves both the client and Evans money and time for shipping of blueprints. Plus, if there are any discrepancies or misunderstanding, it is a simple and painless procedure to rectify the situation because of the fast means in communicating and sending documents electronically. Communication is a large part of Evans IT strategic advantage. Most customers demands are on a time basis and Evans needs to fulfill these wishes to their best fashion. In doing so, Evans as a company needs to be able to communicate at high speeds so no process is held up. This would be the purpose of the Evans office automation. There are five steps involved with automation; the first is making sure that everything is coordinated.