Category: IBM

Project Management Plan for IBM – UniPay

Operations management is “the management of systems or processes that create goods and/or provide services” (Stevenson, 2017, p. 4). It is the administration of business practices to create the highest level of efficiency possible within an organization. Quite simply, it is the process or set of processes used by an organization, to convert materials and labor into goods and services with the goal of maximizing profit. As one author stated in a 2015 Harvard Business Review article “operations is and has always been what gives an organization the power to act: to create value for its customers; to capture value for its shareholders; and to share value with its ecosystem” (Iansiti, 2015). As with any process, comes change – the ever-revolving door of adjusting to needs of society. The most significant changes to shape operations management is the evolution of technology and the speed in which it has advanced. IBM is perhaps the best known ‘computer company’ in the world, with its infamous ‘Big Blue’ moniker and logo. IBM is an integral part of the industrial revolution and partly responsible for the forces that caused the shifts in operations for the organization and global community.

Significant Forces

Within the age of inescapable advanced innovations, operations permit an expanding assortment of organizations, ever more coordinates, associated, and disseminated, ever more centered on software and information. Usually particularly critical for IBM as they are a worldwide computer innovation and IT counseling firm. IBM’s character has been shaped over about 100 years, a long time of doing commerce within the field of information-handling. Nearly all the company’s items were planned and created to record, handle, communicate, store and recover data. Drives in innovation is at the root of how operations administration has advanced, and IBM has been at the cutting edge of worldwide innovative development. The mantra of ‘be the change you need to see’ initiated the development and formed IBM into the organization it is present-day.

Looking more closely at how the trade in which IBM works made a difference in molding the way the organization itself works, the measured framework of generation utilizing “interchangeable parts” created at the turn of the final century was coordinates into IBM’s generation system. In creating the primary IBM individual computer in 1981, acting lab chief Don Estridge chose early on that to be fruitful and to meet deadlines, the bunch gathered to form this transformed item must adhere to the arrangement of utilizing tried merchant innovation, a standardized, -one-model item, open design, and an outside sales channel for fast customer showcase immersion. Fast-forward, IBM created a no-hands assembly line with a spearheading completely computerized computer plant (Saporito & Madden, 1986). This calculated move permitted IBM to be the primary to create tablet computers totally by robots. This unused ‘flexible automation’ mechanized the generation of printers, other pc’s, machines.

Key Obstacles

Amid the 1980s and early 1990s, IBM was tossed into chaos by back-to-back insurgencies. The PC transformation set computers straightforwardly within the hands of millions of individuals. Both insurgencies changed the way clients seen, applied and accepted innovation, generally shaking how IBM conducted business. This shift took a toll on organizational administration driving streamlining to become the central focus. And IBM considered separating its business units into partitioned free businesses. Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. became IBM’s chairman and CEO in 1993 and set up a ‘customer-oriented’ sensibility and strategic-tank. In spite of the increasing pressure to fragment IBM into autonomous companies, Gerstner took steps to stabilize the company by revamping the item line, lessening the workforce and noteworthy taken a toll decreases through gigantic cutbacks and offering resources (DiCarlo, 2002). He accepted that separating the company up would have annihilated the company’s ‘one of a kind’ advantage which was giving coordinated arrangements for its clients. Once more, clients were centered on coordinated commerce arrangements – a key IBM quality that combined the company’s ability in arrangements, administrations, items and innovations. Towards the end of 1995, Gerstner unveiled IBM’s newly minted vision that organized computing would drive the next stage of technology development and would be the company’s overarching technique. Before the start of the new millennium, IBM stood on the limit of the unused century having reestablished itself as a driving data innovation trailblazer.

Any organization within the trade of advertising inventive items and arrangements are destined to confront regulation, compliance and policy problems in their processes to discover opportunities in which their market-leadership drives opportunities for global expansion. Policy and regulation have such a huge effect on a business’ operations and development prospects, and it would be advantageous of IBM to remain proactive instead of reactive, so they can spot potential dangers or openings early within the advancement of UniPay in South Korea. Numerous of the foremost globally successful organizations have created key arrangements with policy makers and regulators with the purpose of making connections where government, controllers and industry can work together to attain superior results. Creating a methodology for engaging with individuals who are in control of regulations and creating policy, admittedly can be overwhelming without the know-how or the capability of a devoted in-house work. IBM has their preverbal ‘ears to the street’ when it comes to monitoring trends in the global market, while maintaining full awareness of any potential implications to their partnership with Samsung. At minimum, IBM must have a handle to methodically and proactively screen advancements in government, parliament, controllers and the ranges of the open division that are significant to the mobile payment division. Wherever there’s a component of disturbance, IBM must already know or easily recognize, who the controllers are, their respective powers, and how they tend to utilize them. This will permit IBM to construct a full picture of their policy stakeholders over legislative issues, controllers, industry and position them for less adverse reaction to changes that threaten their business or partnership with Samsung. Committing to the additional effort affords the company the unique position of identifying risks and proactive mitigation for critical business decision and those who influence policy. This cuts down on the time spent investing in issues and/or people that have little or no influence on the overall goals.

Changes

IBM is changing its product and service offerings by detouring from being a hardware powerhouse, to providing more software and consultancy services. IBM also responsible for acquiring, maintaining, and managing the foremost business-critical and private information for the world’s largest organizations, which requires it to have a robust and clean process to ensure the integrity of its hardware, code as it drives innovation and business arrangements. This was mostly due to the divestment of its PC and low-end server commerce within the 2000s, combined with the securing more than 30 companies, primarily in business software solutions and technology service, for more than three years. Moreover, “the way in which software is sold has changed, and over the past 10 years, IBM has moved from 47% recurring as-a-service revenue to 61% as-a-service revenue as of 2017” (Duberstein, 2018). Additionally, “22% of revenue, or $17 billion of IBM’s business, now occurs within the IBM cloud, up from just $4 billion a few years ago. The mix of strategic essentials has grown strongly, from just 27% of revenue in 2014 to 46% of revenue” (Duberstein). At this point in time, roughly 50% of the employees at IBM were hired within the last five years, leading then CFO James Kavanaugh to conclude that a reduction in redundant corporate layers was necessary. This action led to the overhaul of organizational processes and reorganization which increased the delivery speed of the company’s service offerings. Because it has for nearly 30 years, IBM has led the tech industry in patents granted last year, with over 50% of the patents in these developing areas. Hence, all these developments arrive at the same conclusion for its entire client base.

Business Operations

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has an operations management (OM) strategy that addresses optimization needs in hardware and software development, distribution and maintenance operations in the 10 strategic decision areas. Operations managers are concerned with the 10 decisions that strategically impact the success of the business. IBM implements policies and reforms through these 10 strategic decision areas to maximize the effectiveness of implementation while ensuring the continuity of operations (Ferguson, 2017).

1. Design of goods and services. This strategic decision area of operations management focuses on how to maintain consistently high quality within target cost limits for the company’s information technology products.
2. Quality management. This strategic decision area of operations management has the objective of satisfying customers’ demands and expectations regarding IBM’s information technology products.
3. Process and capacity design. IBM fulfills this objective through a continuous improvement model that integrates new operational standards and requirements in response to changes in the information technology market.
4. Location strategy. This strategic decision area of operations management aims for optimal locations in considering suppliers, customers, employees, and other components of the business, thereby impacting the place or distribution element in IBM’s marketing mix or 4Ps.
5. Layout design and strategy. High efficiency and productivity in the flow of information and resources are the objectives in this strategic decision area of operations management. IBM satisfies these objectives through a combination of automation and the use of standards and best practices in the information technology industry.
6. Job design and HR. The strategic decision in this area of operations management focuses on maintaining an effective workforce for the information technology business. IBM’s organizational structure influences operational approaches used for this area.
7. Supply chain management. Operations managers aim to keep high supply chain efficiencies and capacities in this strategic decision area. In this regard, IBM’s approach to operations management involves using information technologies to automate supply chain processes for high efficiency that supports the business strength of high economies of scale. On the other hand, the company satisfies capacity goals through programs that support suppliers’ productivity growth.
8. Inventory management. In this area of operations management, the strategic decision deals with maintaining adequate inventory while considering internal and external factors. The company has redundancy allowances and buffer inventory to address such operational issues and to account for fluctuations in market demand.
9. Scheduling. Appropriate schedules for processes and resources are IBM’s objective in this strategic decision area of operations management. The company’s scheduling approach is based on the type of operations, operational productivity requirements, and location of operations, among other variables.
10. Maintenance. This strategic decision area of operations management has the objective of maintaining adequate resources and processes to support the information technology business. IBM maintains high productivity levels in its technology laboratories through regular checks and upgrades of relevant equipment.

Key Trends

Trade regulations and digital disruption are changing the ways companies invest domestically and abroad. Whether by imposing tariffs or quotas on imports and exports of certain goods, or providing subsidies for local businesses to produce and support local companies versus doing business with an international competitor, governments trade policy can affect how you do business by either making it easier or difficult to trade with international partners (Standford, n.d.).

Digital disruption is defined as “the set of ground-breaking changes that affect companies both as a result of the emergence of new digital technologies on the market and when they introduce them into various areas of their operations, such as production, organization or relations with their customers” (Dominguez, 2019). Digital disruption deals with the effects of the processes of change that we are experiencing as result of the entry of technologies in companies and the market. As digital technologies are part of everyday operations of every organizations, it is rare to find a company that does not rely on technology for critical business functionalities. As technology advances, so does the dependency on technology increases. An increasing number of people today are spending more of their free time spending money online or taking part in a social media outlet. This trend shifts the emphasis of a business towards digital sources of revenue through various digital channels.

Impact

The impact of trade regulations on IBM to develop UniPay in South Korea involves the supply chain of both IBM and Samsung. The local governments and political climate of both countries affect how the respective companies can enter into a partnership, especially given the proximity of South Korea’s neighbor to the north – North Korea. Both companies rely on a network of 1,000’s of partners who supply integral parts to their flagship products and services. Some local regulations in the Southern Asian region places a quota on the number of imported products used to develop technologies. Military tension with North Korea negatively impacts foreign companies considering doing business in the region. IBM would have to take into consideration how much of the in-house expertise to use and resources necessary to use local intellectual capital and infrastructure.

IBM could survey common components of computerized commerce and compare them against their internal business practices. Advanced businesses center on the competitive focal points that innovation affords them, whether that’s lessening overhead or giving modern value to their clients. IBM could combine their current innovations with Samsung to cut costs, accumulate information and provide a progressed client involvement. The usage and administration of computerized administrations can require organizational rebuilding, particularly as unused parts are made. IBM should investigate unused trade models that put client encounter at the center of computerized methodology. Consumers are more likely to increase spending for an amazing client involvement, making it a key differentiator within the advanced economy. Trade models that adjust with this accentuation on client fulfillment will eventually focus on computerized administrations.

References

1. DiCarlo, L. (2002, November 11). How Lou Gerstner Got IBM To Dance. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/2002/11/11/cx_ld_1112gerstner.html#7e1d107e4257
2. Dominguez, A. (2019, January 25). 5 key aspects of digital disruption. Retrieved from Pandora FMS: https://pandorafms.com/blog/digital-disruption-2/
3. Duberstein, B. (2018, March 19). How IBM’s Business Is Changing. Retrieved from The Motley Fool: https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/19/how-ibms-business-is-changing.aspx
4. Ferguson, E. (2017, June 16). IBM’s Operations Management Areas: 10 Decisions, Productivity. Retrieved from Panmore Institute: http://panmore.com/ibm-operations-management-areas-10-decisions-productivity
5. Iansiti, M. (2015, June 30). The History and Future of Operations. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2015/06/the-history-and-future-of-operations
6. Saporito, B., & Madden, S. (1986, September 15). IBM’S NO-HANDS ASSEMBLY LINE. Retrieved from Fortune: https://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1986/09/15/68041/index.htm
7. Standford, C. (n.d.). How Markets and Trade Relations Affect Business. Retrieved from Fleximize: https://fleximize.com/articles/001264/how-markets-and-trade-relations-affect-business
8. Stevenson, W. J. (2017). Operations Management, Thirteenth Edition. McGraw-Hill Education.

IBM’s Huge Contribution to Society

IBM – International Business Machine Corporation was founded over 100 years ago in 1911. They are massive contributors in the I.T and anything related to computation. IBM revenue was $39.2 billion in 2018 which was generated by the fields they are in which include I.T services, hardware, rental, and financing, etc. They are one of the largest employers in the computing space at a massive 366600 employees in over 175 countries. Their mission has been to develop as well as invent information technologies in the field of computing.

IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software. Also, they provide consulting services that help with areas such as mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM computers were used in the Apollo mission during 1969 – 1971 which put the first humans on the moon. Additionally, the idea of the butterfly switch was thought by and employee, these switches are used in the majority of laptop keyboards as it provides tactile feedback while being small. Furthermore, they have invented and developed some of the most crucial in the 20th century that we still use to this day.

IBM has had a massive impact on society as they hold such a massive list of inventions. One such invention is the Relational database, today every company or entity has a database that’s used to store customer or some sort of data. This has made everything more efficient from buying an item online to keeping medical records, as before paper was used slowing down the process of retrieving information. Additionally, barcodes are used everywhere which gives a unique id to a product they are responsible for making the keeping track of stock a simple task, making the customer experience purchasing an item quicker. Furthermore, they made the first personal computer available in 1981. This has had unperceivable consequences from allowing information to be available freely to everyone to speeding up tasks that involve complicated mathematics.

IBM researchers are currently working on making food security and safety better as the population of the earth will surpass 8 billion which means feeding more people. Therefore, an increase in water usage and land. So, they are looking into making the supply chain more efficient and reduce waste as climate change is already stressing resources available to us. They are also researching in the field of quantum computers which is currently in its early days but the benefits of utilising a quantum computer to perform complex simulations with galaxies to increasing security. This is because all most if not all security uses encryption which is basically a math problem, but numbers are very long making them very difficult to crack as traditionally computers take a long time (thousands of years). However, with quantum, they can use an infinite range of values between 0 and 1 making it possible to crack encryption with minutes.

Analysis of IBM As Technology Company Responsible for Protecting the Health, Safety, and Wellbeing

P1 – You are to establish project aims and objectives for the above scenario.

Abstract

The aim is your overall intention for the project. It is the reason why you are doing the research and signals where you hope to be by the end.

The aim is to research IBM are technology companies responsible for protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of users of their products and services.

The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries. The company began in 1911, founded in Endicott, New York, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and was renamed ‘International Business Machines in 1924. IBM is incorporated in New York.

IBM produces and sells computer hardware, middleware, and software, and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology.

The objectives are the specific steps you will take to get there. The objectives are the specific steps you will take to achieve your aim. These are usually formatted as a numbered list to make it easy to see the main steps of the project.

Objectives:

1. To protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of users of IBM company.
2. To build a health, safety, and well-being of product to user.
3. To improving the health, safety, and wellbeing of users of IBM services.

P2 – Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk, and resources.

Scope:

Project scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks, deadlines, and ultimately costs. In other words, it is what needs to be achieved and the work that must be done to deliver a project.

Project scope is part of the project plan and involves identifying and documenting a list of specific project objectives, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines. Project scope documentation (called the scope statement, terms of reference or job description) describes the scope of the project, identifies the responsibilities of each team member, and sets out procedures for how to verify and approve completed work.

It defines its boundaries and called as requirements. It can refer product scope or project scope:

• Product scope as the functions and features that characterize a product or a service.
• Project scope is the work that must be done in order to deliver a product according to the product’s scope.

Cost:

Project costs are the total funds required to complete a project or work, including direct and indirect costs. Project costs are any expenses listed or estimated to be incurred to complete the project or monetary obligations that have been incurred or estimated to be incurred, as listed in the project baseline.

Quality:

Project quality management is an area of ​​knowledge related to project quality in project management. It involves project management of the final product of the project and the project itself. The goal of project quality management is to use specific processes and activities to identify, evaluate, control, and achieve product quality.

Manufacturers in many industries are under pressure due to poor production quality. As manufacturers struggle with costly scrap and rework, the costs associated with poor quality are rising. In addition, reputational impact is more disruptive than ever, and the cost of recalling failed products is increasing.

Unfortunately, traditional quality control and inspection techniques are expensive, time-consuming, error-prone, and sometimes even dangerous. However, this may change as Industry 4.0 establishes its own new specifications. McKinsey believes that with Industry 4.0, manufacturers can see a 10-20% increase in quality costs.

IBM is committed to achieving the highest quality standards. Quality is the foundation of our value proposition, brand image, and the cornerstone of IBM’s long-lasting relationship, which is vital to the success of our customers.

Customers’ perspectives on IBM and its products and services are a lens for assessing market quality. Our goal is to bring value to customers every time they interact with IBM, either directly or through our business partners in all the geographic markets we serve. IBM listens to customer feedback and uses these insights to improve the customer experience and quality. Customers choose IBM and recommend it to their business partners, and colleagues and friends’ decisions will be part of IBM’s measurement of success.

The head of IBM is responsible for understanding how customers interact with IBM, defining metrics and improvement goals, and actions that drive quality goals. Hopefully, all IBM employees can model nine IBM practices to define everything we do on behalf of the company.

Communication:

Communication is the key to project management. To successfully execute the project, effective communication with all stakeholders is essential. Many projects fail due to lack of communication or inefficiency. Communication is best defined as the exchange of information and the expression of ideas, thoughts, and feelings through words and other methods. In project management, this means the exchange of knowledge, skills, and experience.

IBM® Personal Communications is host communication and terminal emulation package for Microsoft® Windows ™. Now with a complete 64-bit architecture, it has virtual terminal (VT) emulation and system network architecture (SNA) application support and provides a platform to access data and applications on different host systems. It is a component of the IBM Host Access Client Package (HACP) and the IBM Host Integration Solution.

• Full 64-bit architecture eases management tasks

The 64-bit enhancements make it easier to manage environment from the Host Access Client Package server to save configurations and rapidly download updates. And the Managed HOD environment replaces the browser on the local machine and removes the need to download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

• Platform-independent solution

Includes Standalone Host On-Demand (HOD) client application, a Java® based standalone version of IBM Host on-Demand emulator—making it a platform-independent application solution for host access. It handles a wide variety of protocols, including ISDN, High-Performance Routing (HPR), SNA, TN3270(e), TN5250, and IP. Provides SNA interfaces for logical unit applications (LUA), advanced program-to-program communications (APPC), and common programming interface for communications (CPI-C) on Windows.

• Time-saving utilities

Boosts troubleshooting efficiency with debug tools such as Trace utility. Provides multilingual support, including double-byte character set (DBCS) languages, euro sign support, and extensive keyboard and code-page support. The product includes the option to print from display or printer sessions and provides a print preview option of collected screens should you wish to proceed with printing or abort and collect different screens.

• Enhanced security

Connects to security-enabled servers with support for load-balancing Service Location Protocol (SLP). Includes Bypass Sign-on Using Password Substitution, Kerberos Services Ticket Auto-Sign on, and Certificate Express Logon. Allows the Client-Server negotiation over GSKIT secure channel using certificates. Offers a secure FTP client.

P3: You are to produce a work breakdown structure, a Gantt chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a delivery-oriented, hierarchical decomposition that is performed by a project team to accomplish project goals and create the work required for delivery. WBS is the basis for effective project planning, execution, control, monitoring, and reporting. All work included in the WBS will be identified, estimated, scheduled, and budgeted.

The work breakdown structure (WBS) was developed to build consensus on the scope of the project. It is a hierarchical description of the work that must be done to complete a project deliverable. Each descending layer in the work breakdown structure represents an increasingly detailed description of the project deliverables.

A Gantt chart is a bar chart used to illustrate the progress of a project, named after its inventor, Henry Gantt, who designed it from 1910 to 1915. The modern Gantt chart also shows the dependencies between the activity and the current progress status.

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that visually represents a project plan over a period of time. Modern Gantt charts usually show you the status of each task in the project and who is responsible.

Task

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7

1. P1 Devise project aims and objectives for a chosen scenario.
2. P2 Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources.
3. P3 Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt Chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion.
4. P4 Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives.
5. P5 Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques.
6. P6 Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions.
7. P7 Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and own learning and performance.

Final submission of the project

P4 – Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives.

A survey is defined as a research methodology used to collect data from a predefined set of respondents to obtain information and insights on a variety of topics of interest. Surveys have multiple purposes and can be conducted in a variety of ways depending on the method chosen and the goals to be achieved.

Data is usually obtained through the use of standardized procedures, the purpose of which is to ensure that each respondent is able to answer questions in a level playing field to avoid prejudice that may affect research or research results. A survey involves asking people for information through a questionnaire that can be distributed in paper form, although with the advent of new technologies, the use of social media, email, QR codes or URLs to distribute information is more common.

As a field of applied statistics for human research surveys, survey methods have studied the techniques of collecting a single unit sample from the population and the collection of survey data, such as the construction of questionnaires and methods to improve the number and accuracy of survey responses.

Question:

1. What is your name
2. Do u know IBM
3. How do u know IBM
4. Have u used IBM before or currently using? (SQL, hard disk, IBM software)
5. Do u think IBM still famous in Malaysia?
6. How satisfied were u with IBM service experience?
7. How could IBM improve the services
8. Do u think IBM is easy to use?
9. Do u think IBM responsible in users’ health, safety and well-being?
10. Based to previous question, state your reason if you choose NO.
11. Will you support IBM if they offers services that responsible for users’ health, safety and wellbeing (eg: data security, time limitation or virus scanner)?
12. Do you agree that IBM offers better services than other companies?
13. Do you think IBM really provide a convenience service for the users?
14. Based on the previous question, provide your reason for choosing NO.
15. Will you recommend IBM services to your family or friends?
16. Please give the reason for choosing NO in previous question.

P5 – Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques.

1. Question 1 ask the user name.
2. Question 2 ask the user about the IBM.
3. Question 3 ask the user how do know IBM.
4. Question 4 ask the user have used IBM before or currently using.
5. Question 5 ask about the IBM still famous in Malaysia.
6. Question 6 ask about the user satisfaction level to the IBM service experience.
7. Question 7 ask about how could IBM improve the services.
8. Question 8 ask about IBM is easy to use.
9. Question 9 ask about the IBM responsible in users’ health, safety and well-being.
10. Question 10 ask about the reason for question 9.
11. Question 11 ask about the user will support the IBM if they offers services that responsible for users’ health, safety and wellbeing.
12. Question 12 ask about the user agree that IBM offer better services than other companies.
13. Question 13 ask the IBM really provide a convenience service for the users.
14. Question 14 ask the reason for choosing NO on question 13.
15. Question 15 ask about the user will recommend IBM services to family or friends.
16. Question 16 ask the reason for question 15.

P6 – Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions.

Based on scenario, I create a survey about the managing a successful computing project. I used the product is IBM company. The first question I require user insert their name. The second question was I ask user “Do u know IBM”. The result is 80% answer yes, 10% No, 10% answer maybe. The third question was “how do u know IBM”, the result is 70% that knew from social media, 20 % is advertisement, 10% is knew from family and relative. The question 4 is “have u used IBM before or currently using? (SQL, hard disk, IBM software), the result is 70% have using and 30% are not using. The question 5 is “do u think IBM still famous in Malaysia”, the result is 66.7% users think still famous in Malaysia, 11.1 % users are think not famous in Malaysia and 22.2 % not sure.

Question 6 “how satisfied were u with IBM service experience?” the result is 10% user give the 5 satisfied level, 50% give 4 satisfied level and 40% give 3 satisfied level. The question 7 I was required the user give the comment for the IBM services, the result is users hope they can offers more services, to have more innovative products, to improve at the security of the user’s data, more service centers, more option, give more details to the public, can improve the life of human and upgrade info. The question 8 I was ask “do u think IBM is easy to use?” the result is 55.6% answer yes, 11.1% answer no, 33.3% answer maybe. The question 9 I ask about “do u think IBM responsible in users’ health, safety and well-being”, the result is 70% answer maybe, 30% answer yes. The question 9 “will you support IBM if they offers services that responsible for users’ health, safety and wellbeing (eg: data security, time limitation or virus scanner), the result is 70% answer yes, 10% answer no and 20% answer maybe.

The question 11 “do you agree that IBM offers better services than other companies”, the result is only one user gives 5 star, 3 users give 4 star, and 6 users give 3 star. The question 13 “do you think IBM really provide a convenience service for the users”, the result is 50% users think maybe, the 50% think yes. The question 15 “will you recommend IBM services to your family or friends”, the result is 60% answer maybe, the 40% user answer 40%.

P7- Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and own learning and performance.

To conclude that, I research the aim and objective of the IBM company. It help us can know about the aim and objective of the IBM company. After that, I research the scope, cost, quality and communication of the IBM. I know that the scope of this company is create a product scope as the functions and features that characterize a product or a service.

The Gantt chart is recorded the routine during research the data of this project. The Gantt chart is simply record to let other people can read and understand. After that, I use the Google forms to do the survey about the IBM to my friends and family. I create some question to ask them to get the responses of the IBM. I refer the objectives to create the question to collect the data.

Next, I collected the results from my family and friends and analysis the results. From the result I know that IBM still have people use it and they also give some comments hope can to improve the services. From this survey, it can helps us to know it better the service of IBM.

I follow the tasks given to complete, I learn about how to complete and manage a project. We can through Internet, books, reference, social media and so on to collect the data. We also can collect the data from our friends and family or carry out survey. From this project I can learn more about the product and service of IBM.

Conclusion

From this project, I learned how to write a report that is target a company which is IBM to collect the aim, objective, create a survey to collect the data. After conducting the survey, we get to understand more about the IBM Company such as scope, cost, aim, objectives, and so on.

Through this project, I gained a lot of experience and prepared myself for possible challenges in the future.

Reference:

1. Smartsheet. 2020. Demystifying The 5 Phases Of Project Management. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].
2. The Digital Project Manager. 2020. Why Is Project Management Important? – The Digital Project Manager. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].
3. McConnell, E., Linman, D., McConnell, E. and McConnell, E., 2020. Project Cost Management – Definition, Process, And Software. [online] Mymanagementguide.com. Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].
4. Inloox.com. 2020. The Importance Of Time Management (Aspects Of Project Management Part 1) – Inloox. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].
5. En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Gantt Chart. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].
6. QuestionPro. 2020. What Is A Survey – Definition, Methods, Characteristics And Examples | Questionpro. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 March 2020].

Development and Evolution of the IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution: Analytical Essay

Abstract

The rapid growth and demand to promptly provision, scale and delete resources from a self-service cloud portal or an Application Programming Interface (API), has drastically changed how IBM and our industry have brought agility to information technology resources. In this paper, we will discuss the development and evolution of the IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution and provide our analysis and history of cloud deployment and automation readiness.

I. Introduction

Cloud automation, with a high degree of agility, is critical for businesses to succeed with the new, advanced cloud based workloads that depend on rapid deployment of IT resources. Several years ago, researchers and developers at IBM began to create their private clouds to support their growing business needs for IT resources in minutes, versus project months. Researchers needed to deliver a differentiated experience quickly. This also meant connecting and using all relevant data, no matter where it lived. This changed the way we look at integration. This was achieved by developing a solution which combines and brings together technology, people and ideas to reap the most from their IT environment.

Today, IBM Cloud and automation are part of all new Research projects and solutions. New technologies, development, and operational models driven by the industry are continiously integrated into the IBM cloud at a rapid pace. IBM Research drives many of these emerging technologies and integration while also benefiting from the increased efficiencies including rapid scale, high availability, increased security posture and all at a fraction of the cost compared to several years ago. IBM Cloud encompasses a comprehensive set of components and capabilities including public, private,

and hybrid deployment offerings. IBM Bluemix, a component of the IBM Cloud, brings together platform and infrastructure services that offer a rich assortment of infrastructure, cognitive, software and services. A recent survey indicates that 93% of organizations are using some form of cloud service [1]. The perception of public cloud services continues to improve and is at a point now that those who trust these public cloud services outnumber those who distrust them, by a margin of 2 to 1 [1]. The IBM Research Information Technology (IT) enviroment utilizes both public and private service capabilities of the IBM Cloud offering.

II. History

IBM Research came to the realization, in 2007, that an investment in a general cloud solution for our Research projects was essential to our business. In 2008, the first version of the IBM Research Compute Cloud was introduced to the community. A decade later, we can see the impact cloud has had on the information technology industry including IBM Research. There are various types of cloud deployment. Private cloud is a deployment of cloud, where an organization or a third party owns and maintains the dedicated infrastructure and platforms specifically for use by the organization [2]. This type of model is usually behind a corporate firewall and can be either local, on premise, or dedicated, off premise at the cloud provider’s data centers. In contrast, a public cloud is a deployment model providing cloud resources to any individual consumer or business from a pool of shared resources. Shared resources build on economies of scale to drive cost down. Public cloud providers typically provide some level of security and resource isolation while sharing network, storage, compute, and application components. The sharing of these resources at the various levels drives the cost down compared to the dedicated resources that are required for private clouds. Hybrid cloud is a combination of the private and public cloud deployment models described above. There are various reasons why organizations, including IBM Research, utilize the hybrid model: efficiency, optimization, agility, cost, security, compliance and speed are several key factors.

The initial versions of the IBM Research Cloud offerings were all based on internal IBM private clouds. Although they provided greater efficiencies than historical approaches (i.e. traditional, dedicated, physical servers), IBM Research realized it needed to further optimize its information technology utilization, including their expense and capital investments. In 2013, IBM Research ran a study to understand how it could leverage public cloud and its expected impact. The Research study considered aspects such as; features, cost, and security in the analysis. In 2014, IBM Research introduced a new, hybrid cloud-based offering, which was created based on the analysis and conclusions of the study. This hybrid cloud offering has continued to evolve ever since and the environment is now referred to as the “IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution”. The IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution provides the ease of use and ability for individual IBM researchers to utilize IBM Cloud resources via an internal self-service portal for various configurations and solutions. The intuitive interface allows researchers to simply manage and use the cloud resources they need for their projects. The service also allows them to seamlessly access their cloud resources from the internal IBM network. A more recent advancement takes a major step forward by providing Platform as a Service (PaaS) integration (IBM Bluemix), in addition to the existing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) integration [2]. These integrations provides the IBM Research organization with increased features and agility, all while optimizing cost, security and compliance at various levels.

Fig. 1. 1 Illustrates the high-level components of resources available to researchers as part of the IBM Cloud Integration. It includes internal IBM Research resources, IBM Bluemix infrastructure and application resources, as well as, the Bluemix catalog of services. The environment has a number of IBM-defined security zones that indicate differing security requirements. The IBM internal network is illustrated by the light blue color. The external networks are illustrated by the yellow colors.

Researchers are guided to choose the environment or environments that best meets the need, which is often determined by the type of workload, data classification, export controls, and access models in partnership engagement scenarios. The automated process to provision resources through the self-service portal includes the installation of the security tools required to capture the data used for ongoing security monitoring and analysis. The IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution extends the geographically diverse, IBM Research internal network, by utlizing the distributed, worldwide presence and capabilities of the IBM Cloud and Bluemix infrastructures. This approach essentially makes the cloud resources local within the internal network, as it provides localized access to improve latency at the various worldwide Research locations. Furthermore, such geographically disbursed resources can also be used to address in country-specific regulatory requirements for specific projects. This network topology is the foundation that all the other capabilities are built on and a key differentiator for the IBM Cloud offering.

Fig. 2. 2 Illustrates a point in time snapshot of the resources currently allocated in the public IBM Cloud that are an integrated part of the IBM Research hybrid cloud which was introduced in late 2013. The figure is based on data captured in January 2016. These public cloud resources were provisioned by researchers via the custom self-service portal that was developed by IBM Research Integrated Solutions to facilitate ease of use and to deal with the various Operational Support Systems and Business Support Systems needs of the offering. There are about 1,400 active devices daily. The figure also illustrates that over 10,000 devices were provisioned and decommissioned over the span of about 2.5 years.

III. Cloud capabilities

The IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution contains full automation of IT security tooling and is built on APIs. Each component has a set of APIs that are used for the existing automation and are available for new solutions. This provides the ability to change the environment as needed. For example, if the network intelligence tools detect abnormal traffic flow from an Internet Protocol (IP) address in the Bluemix infrastructure side to the IBM internal network that may be having an impact on service quality or even detecting a denial of service, these tools can utilize the APIs to block that traffic or even shutdown the device generating the network traffic. The APIs can be used to isolate the security threat, minimizing the impact to the overall environment. IBM, like most organizations, has specific requirements on how and when to address security vulnerabilities (i.e. patching prioritization). When a device has a vulnerability that can be mitigated by a patch and the potential vulnerability has not been addressed by a due date, the security tools can shutdown the device, isolate it, or remediate the vulnerability by automatically patching the device.

The recent introduction of the IBM Bluemix Container service [3] built on Kubernetes [4] has provided new development and operational models. The use of portable, self-contained images for applications solutions, provides increased agility in deployment and operations. In addition to an extensive collection of APIs and logs, the platform provides a rich set of declarative metadata that can be used together to continuously drive efficiencies. These include autoscaling to address demand and cost, automatic vulnerability detection, and remediation without impacting availability. IBM has been a guiding force behind the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), a community dedicated to innovation around a set of leading-edge technologies to enable the next generation of cloud-native development [5]. Kubernetes is CNCF’s flagship orchestration engine. Amazon Web Services (AWS) just recently announced that it has joined the community due in part to the potential disruption Kubernetes may have on the AWS proprietary container-based services [6,7]. IBM’s Container service is built on top of the IBM Bluemix Infrastructure network capabilities. It simplifies the adoption by automating cluster provisioning and the ability to grow and shrink the cluster. The cluster nodes are managed by IBM Cloud and the network is controlled by the IBM Research integration team. The IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution has implemented multi-tenant clusters for increased resource and cost optimization. This allows the research DevOps [8] teams to focus on the application and not on the underlying infrastructure. Additional tools are being developed that analyze resource utilization to identify idle resources that are candidates for decommissioning, which will further optimize (reduce) cost and avoid additional security risks.

IV. Securing the cloud

Security surrounding cloud environments still remains a major concern for today’s organizations [1]. With the ever-increasing number and severity of breaches, it is certainly no surprise that security and compliance are of paramount concern for companies migrating to cloud environments. The IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution provides many data points and APIs, at various points of the overall environment, that are used by the security management tools and processes to address risk, compliance, and resiliency. Each data source that is part of the infrastructure – including the Operational Support Systems [12], Business Support Systems [12], network filtering, categorization/classification of systems and data for provisioned devices, individual provisioned device patch status, and vulnerability information, and provisioned device logs – are used by the IT security-related intelligence tools to assess and respond to the overall environment. The assessments are done both in real-time and over time to

understand trends in the environment and identify anomalies. The tools can utilize the hybrid cloud APIs and change the environment based on the assessment as previously described in several scenarios. These changes to the environment can then be iteratively considered in new environment assessments to understand the impact the changes leading to refinements and optimization of actions. The IBM Bluemix Cloud offering provides a built-in security service called Vulnerability Advisor [9], which is able to discover vulnerabilities in Docker [10] images hosted in the IBM Bluemix Container service. The set of capabilities offered by the container service, Kubernetes, and the Vulnerability Advisor service allows DevOps teams, to build automated operational pipelines that can patch the vulnerabilities immediately when detected, without any impact to the availability of the deployed applications. This is a key differentiator for IBM and a key capability that IBM Research DevOps teams will take advantage of as they continue to move their innovative applications and projects from traditional hosting environments to this new, hybrid platform. The need for such an approach is particularly evident in a recent study where 24% of the latest Docker images were discovered to have vulnerabilities [11]. In summary, the IBM Research Cloud Integration Solution demonstrates how to best exploit the services of the IBM Cloud (including Bluemix), based on both business and technical requirements. These requirements include cost, opportunity, security, and regulatory compliance, as determined by the IBM business standards, as well as, IBM customer requirements. We have seen the ongoing demand for new services, platforms, and the growing requirements for agile innovation and delivery in our own environment, and we responded accordingly. We believe that similar businesses and organizations may benefit from the same approach, based on our technical and industry analysis. The rapid growth and adoption of cloud in the marketplace has sparked great innovation and delivery for the information technology industry. IBM Research continues to improve and expand the ease of access and use of virtually unlimited IT resources, with the necessary automation and services to provide the necessary optimization in areas such as; integration, scalability, vulnerability management, environment integrity, and resource management.

References

1. Building Trust in a Cloudy Sky, The state of cloud adoption and security, https://www.mcafee.com/us/solutions/lp/cloud-securityreport.html
2. Thoughts on Cloud, http://www.thoughtsoncloud.com/2014/02/cloudcomputing-basics/
3. IBM Bluemix Container Service, https://www.ibm.com/cloudcomputing/bluemix/containers
4. Kubernetes, https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/what-iskubernetes/
5. Cloud Native Computing Foundation, https://www.cncf.io
6. Amazon Web Services, https://aws.amazon.com/ [7] CNCF Welcomes Amazon, and so does IBM, https://www.ibm.com/blogs/cloud-computing/2017/08/cncf-welcomesamazon-ibm/
7. DevOps, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DevOps
8. IBM Vulnerability Advisor, https://www.ibm.com/blogs/bluemix/2017/01/vulnerability-advisor-appsecurity/
9. Docker, https://www.docker.com/what-docker [11] Docker Image Vulnerability Research, https://www.federacy.com/docker_image_vulnerabilities
10. http://www.ossline.com/2010/12/definition-oss-bss.html

Analytical Essay on IBM: Porter’s Five Forces

Porter’s Five Forces –

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) applies procedures to address a wide variety of issues in the information development industry condition, for instance, the external segments showed up in this Five Forces assessment of the business. Five powers examination are proposed to show the outside components that add to a company’s achievement. The forces delineated in the assessment are; danger of new contestants, dealing intensity of purchasers, risk of substitutes, aggressive competition, and dealing intensity of providers. An examination made for IBM will be useful for the organization to ensure their long-stretch accomplishment. IBM is known as a particularly powerful innovation and IT guiding organization.

Threat of New Entrants: The danger of new members against IBM is low. All together for other members to get forceful against IBM, they will be required to contribute a great deal of capital. The IBM brand name has been trusted since 1924. All together for another member to feasibly fight, it would need to develop a brand name that customers could trust by and large quickly. Another obstacle that new hopefuls would need to crush is that of pattern-setting development. IBM has been set up organization for around 100 years with various inventive and pattern-setting developments. The new hopeful would need to from the start beat the current pattern-setting advancements that IBM starting at now has.

Bargaining Power of Buyers: The wheeling and dealing force of buyers is moderate. Buyers of IBM things as often as possible require specific organizations. This makes it progressively hard for buyers to change to new creators who can’t continually fulfill their specific needs. At the moment that a buyer decided to purchase things expected for dispersed figuring or other the same IT organizations, there are different various associations who produce something very like pursue. In order to stay before contenders, IBM should keep up their improvements.

Threat of Substitutes: The danger of substitutes is high. There are various associations that can make practically identical programming by fundamentally obtaining their own one-of-a-kind IT agents to make things organized expressly for them. IBM uses a huge R&D bunch that is devoted to improving new things that customers need. This will help IBM hold customers from potential substitutes by outfitting customers with authorized advancements that they can use for their associations.

Competitive Rivalry: The engaged challenge is high for IBM. The market is flooded with tantamount advancement associations who give a comparable substance or work off comparable stages. IBM will be required to imaginative strategies to ensure their future achievement in the advertise. To be sure, even with the progression of new things or organizations, fighting associations duplicate the accomplishment of the things and organizations to offer essentially equivalent to things. This makes for solidified test with IBM and its opponents.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The managing force of suppliers is low. There is a high number of supplier substitutes that drive the cost down for IBM. IBM contributes upwards of $2 billion consistently in its suppliers, which in this manner creates progression and fresh contemplations that the suppliers can contribute. All things considered, IBM needs to keep up their creative procedure in order to stay before their rivals. The association will in like manner need to make and convey new advancement types of progress for their customers to limit them from changing to new members and contenders.

VRIO – The VRIO Analysis of IBM will look at all of its internal resources separately to assess whether these give bolstered high ground. The IBM VRIO Analysis furthermore makes reference to at each stage whether these benefits could be improved to give a more imperative high ground. All in all, the advantages dismembered are compressed in regards to whether they offer proceeded with advantage, has an unused high ground, brief advantage, forceful fairness or centered downside.

Significant: The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that the cash-related resources of IBM are particularly significant as these aids with placing into external open entryways that rise. These moreover help IBM in doing combating outside perils. As demonstrated by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its close by sustenance things are a huge resource as these are significantly isolated. This makes the evident motivating force for these by customers high. These are furthermore regarded more than the test by customers in view of the partition in these things. The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that IBMs laborers are a noteworthy resource for the firm. A basic section of the workforce is significantly arranged, and this prompts continuously helpful yield for the affiliation. The delegates are moreover undaunted, and upkeep levels for the affiliation are high. The aggregate of this believers into progressively significant motivation for the end clients of IBMs things. As shown by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its licenses are a significant resource as these empower the firm to sell its things without centered hindrance. This results in increasingly vital salary for IBM. These licenses in like manner give IBM allowing pay when it licenses these licenses out to various makers. The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that IBMs assignment mastermind is a significant resource. This causes it in associating with a constantly expanding number of customers. This ensures more noticeable livelihoods for IBM. It moreover ensures that headway practices convert into bargains as things are viably open. As shown by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its cost structure is certainly not a significant resource. This is in light of the fact that the systems for creation lead to more critical costs than that of contention, which impacts the general advantages of the firm. Along these lines, its cost structure is an engaged obstacle that ought to be worn down.

Uncommon: The money-related assets of IBM are seen as uncommon as indicated by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. Solid money-related assets are just controlled by a couple of organizations in the business. The nearby nourishment items are seen as not uncommon as distinguished by IBM VRIO Analysis. These are effectively given in the market by different contenders. This implies contenders can utilize these assets in the same route as IBM and hinder upper hand. This implies the nearby nourishment items bring about aggressive equality for IBM. As this asset is important, IBM can even now utilize this asset.

The representatives of IBM are an uncommon asset as recognized by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These representatives are profoundly prepared and gifted, which isn’t the situation with workers in different firms. The better pay and workplace guarantee that these representatives don’t leave for different firms. The licenses of IBM are an uncommon asset as recognized by the IBM VRIO Analysis. These licenses are not effectively accessible and are not controlled by contenders. This permits IBM to utilize them without obstruction from the challenge. The dispersion system of IBM is an uncommon asset as distinguished by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. This is on the grounds that contenders would require a great deal of venture and opportunity to arrive up with a preferred circulation organize over that of IBM. These are likewise controlled by not very many firms in the Industry.

Imitable: The cash-related resources of IBM are over the top to duplicate as recognized by the IBM VRIO Analysis. These advantages have been acquired by the association through postponed benefits consistently. New members and contenders would require similar advantages for a noteworthy stretch of time to assemble these proportions of money-related resources.

The local sustenance things are not all that over the top to duplicate as recognized by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These can be secured by contenders too if they put an immense entirety in creative work. These in like manner don’t require years-long understanding. In this way, the close-by sustenance things by IBM outfit it with a fleeting high ground that contenders can too get as time goes on. The delegates of IBM are moreover not costly to reflect as perceived by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This is because various firms can in like manner set up their delegates to improve their capacities. These associations can moreover contract delegates from IBM by offering better compensation packs, working environment, benefits, advancement openings, etc. This makes the agents of IBM an advantage that gives a fleeting advantage. Competition can obtain these later on.

The licenses of IBM are difficult to imitate as perceived by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. This is on the grounds that it isn’t legitimately allowed to copy an authorized thing. Near resources for be made and getting a patent for them is moreover a costly system. The allotment arrangement of IBM is furthermore extreme to impersonate by competition as perceived by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This has been made during the time a little bit at a time by IBM. Contenders would need to contribute a gigantic entirety if they are to reflect an equivalent scattering system.

Association: The budgetary resources of IBM are sifted through to get an impetus as perceived by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These advantages are used purposely to place assets into the right spots; using openings and combating threats. Therefore, these benefits exhibit to be a wellspring of proceeded with advantage for IBM. The Patents of IBM are not effective as perceived by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This infers the affiliation isn’t using these licenses to their greatest limit. An unused high ground exists that can be changed into a practical high ground if IBM

Analytical Essay on IBM: Doorman’s Five Forces

Doorman’s Five Forces –

Universal Business Machines Corporation (IBM) applies techniques to address a wide assortment of issues in the data advancement industry condition, for example, the outer fragments appeared in this Five Forces evaluation of the business. Five forces assessment are proposed to show the outside segments that add to an organization’s accomplishment. The powers outlined in the evaluation are; threat of new competitors, managing force of buyers, danger of substitutes, forceful challenge, and managing power of suppliers. An assessment made for IBM will be valuable for the association to guarantee their extended length achievement. IBM is known as an especially incredible advancement and IT directing association.

Risk of New Entrants:

The threat of new individuals against IBM is low. All together for another part to get compelling against IBM, they will be required to contribute a lot of capital. The IBM brand name has been trusted since 1924. All together for another part to possibly battle, it would need to build up a brand name that clients could trust all things considered rapidly. Another impediment that new hopefuls would need to pound is that of example setting improvement. IBM has been set up association for around 100 years with different creative and design setting advancements. The new confident would need to from the beginning beat the present example setting progressions that IBM beginning at now has.

Haggling Power of Buyers:

The haggling power of purchasers is moderate. Purchasers of IBM things as frequently as conceivable require explicit associations. This makes it continuously difficult for purchasers to change to new makers who can’t persistently satisfy their particular needs. Right now that a purchaser chose to buy things expected for scattered figuring or other a similar IT associations, there are diverse different affiliations who produce something extremely like seek after. So as to remain before contenders, IBM should keep up their enhancements.

Risk of Substitutes:

The threat of substitutes is high. There are different affiliations that can make for all intents and purposes indistinguishable programming by in a general sense acquiring their very own unique IT specialists to make things composed explicitly for them. IBM utilizes a tremendous R&D bundle that is committed to improving new things that clients need. This will help IBM hold clients from potential substitutes by equipping clients with approved headway that they can use for their affiliations.

Aggressive Rivalry:

The connected with challenge is high for IBM. The market is overflowed with commensurate progression affiliations who give an equivalent substance, or work off similar stages. IBM will be required to innovative methodologies to guarantee their future accomplishment in the promote. Undoubtedly, even with the movement of new things or associations, battling affiliations copy the achievement of the things and associations to offer basically comparable to things. This makes for hardened test with IBM and its adversaries.

Dealing Power of Suppliers:

The overseeing power of providers is low. There is a high number of provider substitutes that drive the expense down for IBM. IBM contributes upwards of $2 billion reliably in its providers, which as such makes movement and new thoughts that the providers can contribute. Everything considered IBM needs to keep up their inventive technique so as to remain before their adversaries. The affiliation will in like way need to make and pass on new headway kinds of progress for their clients to restrain them from changing to new individuals and contenders.

VRIO – The VRIO Analysis of IBM will take a gander at all of its inner assets independently to evaluate whether these give supported high ground. The IBM VRIO Analysis besides makes reference to at each phase whether these advantages could be improved to give an increasingly basic high ground. All things considered, the focal points eviscerated are packed concerning whether they offer continued with advantage, has an unused high ground, brief bit of leeway, strong decency or focused drawback.

Critical:

The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that the money related assets of IBM are especially huge as these guides with putting into outer open doors that ascent. These also help IBM in doing fighting outside risks. As showed by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its near to sustenance things are a gigantic asset as these are essentially secluded. This makes the clear rousing power for these by clients high. These are moreover respected more than the test by clients in perspective on the parcel in these things. The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that IBMs workers are an important asset for the firm. An essential area of the workforce is altogether orchestrated, and this prompts consistently accommodating yield for the association. The representatives are in addition resolute, and upkeep levels for the alliance are high. The total of this adherents into continuously huge inspiration for the end customers of IBMs things. As appeared by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its licenses are a noteworthy asset as these engage the firm to sell its things without focused block. This outcomes in progressively crucial compensation for IBM. These licenses in like way give IBM permitting pay when it licenses these licenses out to different creators. The IBM VRIO Analysis shows that IBMs task plan is a critical asset. This causes it in partner with a continually extending number of clients. This guarantees progressively perceptible vocations for IBM. It in addition guarantees that progress rehearses convert into deals as things are feasibly open. As appeared by the VRIO Analysis of IBM, its cost structure is surely not a huge asset. This is considering the way that the frameworks for creation lead to more basic expenses than that of dispute, which impacts the general points of interest of the firm. Thusly, its cost structure is a drawn in impediment that should be worn out.

Remarkable:

The cash related resources of IBM are viewed as extraordinary as showed by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. Strong cash related resources are simply constrained by several associations in the business. The close by sustenance things are viewed as normal as recognized by IBM VRIO Analysis. These are adequately given in the market by various contenders. This infers contenders can use these benefits in a similar course as IBM and impede advantage. This infers the close by sustenance things realize forceful equity for IBM. As this benefit is significant, IBM can even now use this advantage.

The delegates of IBM are an extraordinary resource as perceived by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These agents are significantly arranged and talented, which isn’t the circumstance with laborers in various firms. The better pay and work environment ensure that these delegates don’t leave for various firms. The licenses of IBM are an extraordinary resource as perceived by the IBM VRIO Analysis. These licenses are not viably available and are not constrained by contenders. This grants IBM to use them without check from the test. The scattering arrangement of IBM is an exceptional resource as recognized by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. This is in light of the fact that contenders would require a lot of adventure and chance to land up with a favored course sort out over that of IBM. These are moreover constrained by not a lot of firms in the Industry.

Imitable:

The money related assets of IBM are over the top to copy as perceived by the IBM VRIO Analysis. These favorable circumstances have been procured by the relationship through delayed advantages reliably. New individuals and contenders would require comparative points of interest for a critical stretch of time to collect these extents of cash related assets.

The nearby sustenance things are not too ridiculous to copy as perceived by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These can be verified by contenders as well on the off chance that they put a gigantic sum in inventive work. These in like way don’t require years long understanding. Along these lines, the near to sustenance things by IBM outfit it with a passing high ground that contenders can too get over the long haul. The representatives of IBM are in addition not expensive to reflect as apparent by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This is on the grounds that different firms can in like way set up their agents to improve their abilities. These affiliations can in addition contract delegates from IBM by offering better remuneration packs, working condition, benefits, progression openings, and so forth. This makes the operators of IBM a bit of leeway that gives a temporary preferred position. Rivalry can get these later on.

The licenses of IBM are hard to mirror as apparent by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. This is in light of the fact that it isn’t authentically permitted to duplicate an approved thing. Close to assets for be made and getting a patent for them is additionally an exorbitant framework. The distribution plan of IBM is moreover extraordinary to mimic by rivalry as saw by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This has been made during the time a tad at once by IBM. Contenders would need to contribute a massive total on the off chance that they are to mirror a proportional dissipating framework.

Affiliation:

The budgetary assets of IBM are filtered through to get a driving force as apparent by the VRIO Analysis of IBM. These points of interest are utilized intentionally to put resources into the correct spots; utilizing openings and fighting dangers. Thusly, these advantages display to be a wellspring of continued with advantage for IBM. The Patents of IBM are not compelling as seen by the IBM VRIO Analysis. This construes the connection isn’t utilizing these licenses to their most noteworthy utmost.

My Experience of Visiting a Sales Centre in the Technological Powerhouse of IBM: Reflective Essay

Introduction

The means by which companies sell their solutions to clients is constantly changing due to advancements in technology and means by which clients search for products and services. In this academic essay, I will detail my experience of visiting a sales centre in the technological powerhouse of IBM, and how they are embracing the digital age in connecting and selling to their customers.

1. Reasons you chose this Company

The world we live in today is becoming more connected than ever before. As a result, people are expecting to be able to purchase quicker and faster. This has paved the way for digital sales to take over. IBM operates under a B2B landscape, which has been transformed through digital innovation. (Rowley & et al, 2019).

Today, 67% of the buyer’s journey is now experienced digitally. (Tremblay, 2017).

Electronic data interchange (EDI), among other technologies, has propelled the B2B landscape beyond traditional boundaries. (Gervert & et al, n.d.).

As a result from this digital wave, field sales have slowed down dramatically. Field sales drive up costs and trade is limited to people within the same geological area. Digital sales allow for large amounts of volume and money to be moved quicker than field sales ever could. Studies have confirmed this. Martin reported 46% of participants agreed there is an ongoing shift from field sales to digital sales. (Martin, 2013).

Photo taken from inside IBM’s campus. It is the largest Digital Sales Centre Worldwide.

I have a genuine interest in technology and the latest trends in the business world. For this reason, I wanted to have a valuable experience in this environment. IBM is one of the world’s leading technological companies. They are leading the field in artificial intelligence, something that interests me also.

As my cousin works there, I was referred to a manager in which I had contacted to set up the shadow day. The definition of a referral is the ‘act of telling someone about the positive features of a person or a business, or the person who is being referred’. (Your Dictionary, 2018)

2. Background on the company

1. History

IBM – International Business Machines, is a multinational consulting company and technology. IBM is now one of the world’s leading technology organizations with its origins in the United States. (Success story, n.d.).

The company was set up in 1911, formally known as CTR (Computer Tabulating Recording Company). It got its initial name form the merging of three separate companies; Tabulating Machine company, Computing Scale company, and International Time Recording company. In 1924, Thomas J. Watson changed the name of CTR and formally founded IBM (Bellis, 2019)

From the start, IBM has defined itself not through the sale of products ranging from commercial scales to punch-card tabulators, but through its research and development. (Bellis, 2019)

2. [IBM Today

IBM is the 8th most valuable company in the world, with a net worth of $170.90 Billion. In 2018, they generated $79.14 billion in revenue alone. (IBM, 2018). The company has an outstanding global presence, operating in over 170 countries. (Bnamericas, 2019)

They currently have 350600 employees, nicknamed ‘IBMers’. (Statista, 2018). In Ireland, they employ more than 3,000 people across a wide range of businesses and locations. (Top 1000, 2019)

In 2018, they won multiple awards, including winner for artificial intelligence for business with over 20000 engagements across 20 industries. They also were number in terms of hybrid cloud. 47 from the Fortune 50 rely on IBM’s cloud services, which generated $19 billion for the company. (IBM, 2018).

3. Differentiator

Since 1924, IBM has prided itself on being the one of the most reliable and trustworthy technological companies in the world. There business has always revolved around their mission statement of leading ‘in the creation, development, and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices, and microelectronics. (Lombardo, 2018).

4. IBM – “Think of us a Volvo”

When I asked what made IBM different on my shadow day, I was asked to compare the company to Volvo. The company is not all bells and whistles. It is not the flashiest item you will ever by nor will it provide you the same excitement as a Ferrari. However, the Volvo is respected globally. The brand is trustworthy and has a deep history with its customers. They are experienced and have a rich history of being a market leader in their respected field. IBM is the Volvo of the technological world.

3. What is their Sales process

‘The Sales process is a series of ordered and value-added steps towards a predetermined goal which is a sale’. (Eriksson, 2013).

A good sales process focuses not on just generating and closing deals, but ensuring that the client experience is as good as it can be, increasing the chances of future sales. This is extremely important, with Cespedes stated that less than 10% of companies effectively execute their strategic process. (Cespedes 2014).

IBM pays attention to all stages of the sales process, from prospecting, closing a deal, and nurturing client relationships for future sales. There salesforce is divided into three roles:

1. Business Development Representatives (BDRs) – Prospecting
2. Digital Sellers and Brand Specialists – Closing Deals
3. Client Success Managers (CSM) and Client Executives – Nurturing client relationships.

On my shadow day, I was introduced to synergy of these three roles and how they complement each other, with the ultimate goal of increasing sales.

1. Business Development Representatives (BDRs) – Prospecting

The first step in IBM’s sales process begins with their BDRs. Their role in the process is to develop and qualify leads and pass them to the digital sellers and brand specialists in stage two. In sales, this is referred to as prospecting. Rippe and Campbell define prospecting as ‘the salesperson searches for and identifies potential buyers who have the need, willingness, ability, and authority to buy the salesperson’s offering’. (Rippe and Campbell, 2017).

BDRs focus mainly on inbound leads but also assist with outbound sales campaigns. They are connected to online chats and can answer any queries visitors to their website may have. BDRs also get notified when visitors view certain IBM solutions or white papers on the IBM site. The BDRs reach out and qualify that there is an interest from a lead on a certain solution. Once this is confirmed, they conduct a warm handover to a Brand Specialist who progresses the sale. These two approaches are examined in detail below.

The first method used by BDRs is by where a lead downloads a ’white paper’ from IBM’s website. This is an information sheet detailing a specific product or service provided by IBM. A lead is required to fill in personal details in order to download a ‘white paper’. This download sends an alert to IBM’s database, which in turn gets passed on to the most suitable BDR for that specific lead. This is referred to as an ‘alert’ by the BDRs. On my shadow day, it was explained to me that IBM receives thousands of these ‘alerts’ daily. This creates opportunities and qualified leads which are then passed onto the Brand Specialists/ Digital Sellers in stage two of the sales process.

The second method by which BDR develop leads is through IBM’s online chat forum. These forums allow the lead to gather information on a particular product or service from a BDR. As these conversations are short and informal, a relaxed atmosphere is created, allowing for an organic relationship to build. Similar to the ‘white paper’ download, the leads are provided information about their quiry and are encouraged to investigate further.

However, each one of these leads must be qualified into a prospect before they are passed onto the second stage of IBM’s sales process. This is where I was introduced to ‘BANT’.

‘BANT is a sales qualification framework used to identify and pursue the most qualified prospects based on their Budget, Authority, Need, and Time Frame.’ (Kooij, P4, 2017) (Leadliasion, 2019) The four key areas of BANT explained

This qualification technique was conceived by IBM and is used throughout the business world today. (Kooij, 2017). According to IBM, the lead is considered ‘validated’ if they meet three out of the four BANT requirements. (IBM, 2019).

Depending on the circumstances, the salesman or salesperson can decide how strict they follow this technique.

Once a BDR has qualified a lead into a prospect, the they will pass this prospect onto the Digital sellers/ Brand specialists in the second stage of the sales process.

2. Digital Sellers and Brand Specialists – Closing Deals

Once the qualified lead has been ‘BANT Qualified’, it is then the responsibility of the Brand Specialist to progress the deal. The Brand Specialist familiarizes himself with the client, client industry, history with IBM and what was discussed with the BDR. You can see an example of the preparation a Brand Specialist uses in appendix 1.

The Brand Specialist role is to provide the prospect with an estimate, draw up a specific contract, and, ultimately, close a deal. On my shadow day, I learned how important building credibility with clients is. This is achieved by researching the prospect’s background, industry and having a thorough understanding of IBM’s solutions. The approach taken by the Brand Specialist is influenced by the size and history of the prospect provided by the BDR.

For small to medium-sized companies, the seller will go straight to the decision-makers. These are roles like the chief finance officer (CFO) and chief marketing office (CMO). It is highly common that decision-makers have ‘gate keepers’ preventing unsolicited communication from sellers. A ‘gate keeper’ is ‘a person who controls access to something or someone. (Your Dictionary, n.d.). Sellers use certain tricks when calling clients to get past gatekeepers, such as implying urgency, using technical language to overwhelm and convince.

For larger clients, the approach is different. The salesperson begins by investigating the history that IBM holds with that prospect. They ask fellow colleagues for information about the prospect and how they have handled them in the past. Background checks on the company are also carried out. This provides the salesperson with valuable information in which they can use to develop a relationship with the prospect. From this, the salesperson can assess which areas of the prospects business need the work of IBM.

In some cases, the prospect can act as a mean of communication to the upper levels of that company. Therefore, it is vital that Brand Specialists develop a relationship with these prospects. On my shadow day, it was explained that Brand Specialists would add the prospect on LinkedIn and begin communicating about the information provided by the BDR. Over time, the relationship would build and trust is born. As a result of this, Brand Specialists can then move up the levels within the business, contact and building relationships over a period of time. During each of these relationships, IBM close deals, generating business ties and revenue.

However, no matter how large or small the prospect is, the method used by salespeople to close the deal is the prospect’s Compelling Reason to Act’ (CRA). This is where the salesperson ‘creates a value proposition that motivates their client to take action now. (Alvilhiera, 2017).

Clarifying this early on is extremely important for IBM. If the prospect has no reason to act now, they won’t. This is the reason B2B sales-people lose well-qualified leads. (Apollo, 2019).

Following the closure of the deal, the process is handed over to the final part of the sales process: client success managers (CSMs) and client executives (CEs) – nurturing client relationships.

3. Client Success Managers and Client Executives – Nurturing client relationships

The third stage of IBM’s selling process is the follow-up. The role of the follow-up is ‘ensure customer satisfaction and continuity of business relations’. (Eriksson, J., P4, 2013). Consumers who are dissatisfied with a service will tell many of their acquaintances. (Susskind, 2002).

Kotler and Armstrong describe the importance of this for a business, as it reduces buyer concern which may have (risen) from the sales. The salesperson’s interest with the buyer is further cemented during the follow-up also. (Kotler and Armstrong, 2013).

IBM divide their follow-up into two areas: Client Success Managers (CSMs) and Client Executives (CEs).

For small to medium-sized clients, IBM issue CSM’s to follow up. These are one-person teams which have multiple clients in which they are responsible for. Their role is to act as a point of contact for the client while continuously trying to improve the relationship.

As the relationship builds and progresses, CSM’s are also encouraged to offer their clients upgrades on products and services. This allows IBM to generate further revenue streams, while also building relationships with their customers.

The other follow used by IBM is for their larger clients. These are the key accounts for IBM, otherwise known as ‘Key Account Management’.

‘KAM is about identifying the most vital customers (key accounts) and work towards them with more attention and close collaboration compared to the other customers possessed by a company. It is implemented in order to create strong relationships with key customers in a long-term perspective’. (Andersson and Johansson, P9, 2015).

Here, CEs are issued to one individual client. Due to the importance of these key accounts, CEs can have a team between one hundred to one thousand for the ongoing follow-up. These executives are assigned to IBM’s largest clients, with examples including Vodafone and Lloyds Bank. (Ahmed, 2018). As these companies generate huge amounts of revenue, it is crucial IBM has an extensive team behind these follow-up. Similar to the CSMs, CEs try develop and strengthen the relationships with their clients.

4. Future plans for the company

The future of IBM is exciting. IBM president and CEO Ginni Rometty explained the next phases for the company will focus on their cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI). Romney outlined how that AI has driven the cloud and that we are ‘all standing at the beginning of (a new) chapter of this digital reinvention’. (Tech Central, P6, 2019). Romney has expressed how IBM will develop AI in three ways; core AI, trusted AI and scalable AI. (Tech Central, 2019). These will allow IBM to scale up AI platforms and be leaders for the future.

Focusing on their cloud services, in October 2018, IBM acquired Red Hat, a US company focused on open-source software and technology, in a deal worth $34 billion. (Sherman and Kolodny, 2018). Open source was the biggest theme for technology companies in 2018. With Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst joining IBM’s senior management team and reporting to CEO Ginni Rometty, the open-source, enterprise software maker will become a unit of IBM’s Hybrid Cloud division. (Kennedy, 2018). This acquisition ties directly into IBM’s vision for their four key strategic imperatives: cloud, social, mobile and analytics. (Sherman and Kolodny, 2018).

IBM and Red Hat said the deal would allow companies to do even more cloud work, keeping their apps and data portable and secure, regardless of which cloud or hybrid technology they adopt. (Kennedy, 2018)

5. Key Takeaways

1. Shadow Day

My three key takeaways from the shadow day experience were:

1. I gained an experience of what working in market-leading company was like. Everyone made me feel welcome and like I belonged there. I was introduced to one of the leading managers, Jeffrey Moran, at the beginning of my day. Jeffrey took time out of his busy schedule to personally give me a tour of the different buildings within IBM. Although I am only a college student, he still showed an immense amount of respect toward me. Jacques Heffernan sat down and held two-hour interview in which I gained information about the business practices and his personal background. The atmosphere surrounding the campus was all towards one goal: being the best. From this, it gave me a direction in which I can work my career path too.
2. I acquired new skills that I can use in my professional career. Prior to the shadow day, I had to send emails and contact different levels of the company in order to grant me access to the campus for the day. On the day itself , I noticed there was a high level of professionalism which I have never experienced before. Everyone I was introduced to shook hands with me, while also maintaining eye contact, among other things. This added to my overall experience of IBM. I can take these details along with me and acquire them for my future professional career.
3. The performance of the company is second to none. Their attention to detail was transparent in every aspect of the company. Everyone on the campus has a vital role in working towards their targets. This ranges from the cleaners all the way to the CEO. They all want to meet their targets while maintaining a sense of pride. Everyone is shown equal respect and given the same opportunities, regardless of their background. This morale richness is something I can strive towards.

2. Module

My two key takeaways from the sales module were:

1. The sales module has inspired me to set goals and targets for both my personal and professional life. Kieran always explained that we are all a ‘driver of one’. We should all strive to be the best we can be, even if it means choosing the road less travelled. We are all in charge of our own paths in life. This is one of many valuable lessons I gained from the module. I also enhanced many skills that varied from working in a group to thinking under pressure on my own. In particular, the video that was required for our group assignment provided me with leadership skills. I took responsibility for any of the queries myself or my team members had as I was the point of contact with the lecturer. Although this created pressure, I handled myself in a collective manner and felt as though I strived as the leader of the group. I can call on this experience in future projects.
2. The lectures that I attended were both insightful and involving. The lecturer, Kieran, has a sense of pride about the topic. Kieran was able to call upon many anecdotes from his experiences surrounding sales in both his professional and personal career. I truly enjoyed listening to these experiences as they made the module enjoyable, unlike some of my other modules. From this, it has given me extra motivation to find a career that I am as passionate about as Kieran is about sales.

6. Summary of experience

Overall, my experience of IBM was extremely valuable. The world we live in today has so much to thank IBM for. The digital world is accelerating at a pace few thought possible years ago. IBM is at the forefront of this.

I was able to put the skills and theories learned from the classroom into practice. Organizing the day itself provided me with a sense of accomplishment. It allowed me to showcase my professionalism to managers in an area I have great admiration and respect for.

I gained an invaluable experience of what it is like to work in a market-leading company. The atmosphere of the IBM is somewhere I want to be. The personal tour I received at the beginning of the day from Jeffrey and the two hour interview from Jacques were personal highlights. The scale of the operation is outstanding which showed throughout the shadow day. The employees are hard-working and extremely focused towards their individual and collective goals. Everyone is an example that hard work does pay off.

My shadow day experience was insightful, educational and has provided me a sense of direction in which I can drive my professional career towards.

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Appendix

1. Appendix 1 [https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eWQUvEGQS_kodpmDGabe7_FdvHYAmkz2A4Mst57tRWGTkV5HkqeoOUUpSsqGTObVbdqGDZ3LV3otv_C6PZprGoeyOV4j47W-jkxFlIXwzvyikHrvQzsg3E62XrzB1e3ZVj2tTvBo]
2. Appendix 2 Visitors pass I was given for my time on the IBM campus. This gave me access to numerous areas of the different buildings.