Assignment

This assignment is comprised of two parts: Part 1 requires you to write a statement of what you perceive the role of IT management in organizations. Part 2 requires you to address the IT management challenges that e-business brings.

In addressing both Parts, be sure to back up your arguments with facts and concepts you have learned in this course. We are not interested in uninformed opinions. At the end of each piece, the reader should be able to say: "The student knows their stuff!"
Each Part must cover the subject (probably about five pages long), and should be written professionally using a 12 point font.

Part 1. The role of the IT manager in organizations

IT management arose in the 1990s when it became clear that that software developers and hardware engineers had neither the insights nor interest in guiding organizations on the effective use of information technology to help them improve their business operations. Both software developers and hardware engineers focus on the technical aspects of computers and do not spend much time reflecting on the management implications of technology. The IT manager, in contrast, is primarily concerned with how information technology should be integrated into business operations.

Assume you have taken over responsibility to play the lead IT management role in Magnum Enterprises. Your boss, Rachel Heigl, is Magnum's CIO. The IT management group is comprised of six people who you will be supervising.

Ms. Heigl is an enlightened manager, and she believes that if you are to carry out your responsibilities effectively, you need to work with her in defining your IT management role. As a first step, she invites you to write a short statement where you describe what you see to be your role as head of the IT management effort at Magnum.

Describe how you see your role in integrating software, hardware, and business management capabilities. What challenges do you anticipate encountering as head of the IT management effort at Magnum? By serving as the centerpiece of software, hardware, and management capabilities, how the efforts of you and your team make Magnum a better organization?

Part 2. Handling the e-business challenge at Magnum Enterprises

Six months after you take over the lead IT management role at Magnum, the CIO, Ms. Rachel Heigl, is pleased with your work. She has just attended a meeting of Magnum's executive committee (the committee comprised of the most senior managers of Magnum), where the CEO and Vice President of marketing have indicated that Magnum's mediocre e-business capabilities must be strengthened. As CIO, Ms. Heigl is given primary responsibility in improving Magnum's e-business performance. She in turn puts you in charge of a small task force comprised of representatives from the operations, marketing, finance, and legal departments.

1. Why is it important to take into account the views of operations, marketing, finance, and legal when working on strengthening e-business capabilities? Be specific - no vague generalities, please.

2. Based on what you have learned in your readings, what are key technical challenges you will encounter in re-engineering the e-business function at Magnum? How can these be addressed (provide brief suggestions).

3. What are the key management challenges you will face?