There are some claims that passwords can no longer meet its purpose of protecting sensitive information. However, users tend to use the same, simple passwords on their systems and note them down. Moreover, such passwords do not meet the minimum threshold required for password strength.
Some users have overstated the demise of the use of passwords. It is still the main security measure for protecting stored data, users’ accounts, PCs, networks, and any other information stored in smart devices.
A random assessment of millions of passwords will indicate that they cannot adequately serve their security functions because users tend to generate passwords from common words found in dictionaries or use sequential characters and symbols.
Although technologies have introduced new security measures such as biometric controls, the use of passwords will persist for several decades. This is a detailed outline of creating a secure password, which users can easily remember.
Creating a secure password
No Personal Data
Do not use personal information to generate a password because any novice hacker can easily discover users’ names and related personal information.
No actual words
Users should avoid the use of actual words that are found in the dictionary. Hackers can use software crackers to identify such passwords.
Apply different character types
Most passwords are case-sensitive. Mixed characters with both lower and upper cases tend to enhance password strengths. Users should be creative and make passwords difficult to guess, e.g., “password” could be “pAsSwOrD”. Further, users could add or replace letters with special characters and figures to their passwords – “pA@#w1dR”.
Adopt a Passphrase
Some hackers can still crack “pAsSwOrD” or “pA@#w1dR” by using software, which is able to detect changes and replacement in common words like ‘password’.
Instead, users can adapt their preferred quotes or lines and change them to passphrases. For instance, a person can take a phrase like “This machine has no brain! Use yours.” and change it to “Tmhnb! Uy.”. It has all the characters and cases. No one can find such a word in any dictionary, but a person can generate and remember it.
Use complex passwords with password management tools
Users want simple passwords for ease of remembrance. However, such simple passwords are easy to crack. One can simply remember passwords like “qwerty” or “12345678” because of their order of appearance on the keyboard. However, it is difficult to remember “P&*36@#100%”.
A person could integrate password management tools for difficult passwords, which may not be simple to remember but with caution. Hackers may be able to crack the password management tool and gain access to all other passwords stored in it. Overall, such tools allow users to create stronger, complex passwords without the need to memorize them.
Protect passwords
Users should not share their passwords with any other person. In case of any suspected breach, users should change their passwords immediately.
Users should change passwords frequently
A person should change his or her password after a fortnight, one month, or two months based on preferences. It is advisable to change default passwords immediately or any standard passwords generated by the system.
Conclusion
The process of creating a secure password may look complex and inconvenient. However, one cannot compare that process to a security breach, crashed networks, or data theft. Following these simple steps could create safe passwords, and protecting them carefully could guarantee users’ security.
Currently, organizations in different economic sectors are implementing different changes in their operation in an effort to enhance their competitiveness. One of the aspects that businesses are increasingly considering relates to integration of Information Technologies such as e-commerce.
The increased demand to achieve efficiency and effectiveness through incorporation of IT has presented an opportunity to companies within the software development industry. One of these companies is Verbanet Technologies which operates in the IT industry in the United Arabs Emirates.
The firm provides multi-dimensional IT solutions to companies in different economic sectors. Some of company’s core activities include web-development, e-commerce and e-marketing, provision of web-security and development of e-commerce portals.
Since its inception in 1999, the company has been very successful with regard to new product development. As a result, the firm has been able to develop and nurture a high level of customer loyalty.
One of the factors that have contributed to the firm’s success arises from the fact that the firm has adopted effective operational strategies such as incorporation of the concept of teamwork. To ensure success in its new product development, members of a particular team are drawn from different departments. The team members are required to work together so as to attain synergy.
Description of the problem
In an effort to ensure that the organization attains its new product development goals, the firm’s management team has integrated a policy which requires a high level of competence amongst the team members. This is due to the fact that the firm appreciates the fact that the effectiveness with which a new product is developed determines its success upon being launched.
To achieve this, members of the R&D team are drawn from different departments. In the process of undertaking our duties, I identified that there was a problem in the team’s operation.
Upon a further analysis, it was clear that the source of the problem was existence of differences amongst team members with regard to expectations of the team. The team had vague expectations with regard to the project being undertaken.
In its operation, Verbanet Technologies is committed at ensuring that the various organizational teams have autonomy in undertaking their duties. The justification for this independence is that it would enhance employee development.
Giving employees an opportunity to implement their ideas in the development of a new product can lead to a high level of employee satisfaction. The resultant effect is that their level of productivity is enhanced.
A further evaluation of the R&D team revealed that the problem was being compounded by lack of effective communication amongst the team members. In the process of developing teams, it is paramount for organizations’ management teams to ensure that they incorporate effective communication practices.
Poor communication culminates in poor project performance and reduced productivity. The R&D team had not incorporated effective communication practices. The team members mainly relied on the internet in their communication process. This greatly reduced physical interaction amongst the team members.
The resultant effect is that the level of trust amongst the team members was very low. Additionally, poor communication also resulted in poor coordination within the team in the execution of its duties which culminated in conflicts. This is due to the fact that the team members were experiencing strong negative emotions which increased their level of stress.
Poor communication was also making it difficult for the team members to complete the project in time. If not dealt with effectively, poor coordination of a new product development project can result in failure of the new product.
Additionally, existence of vague expectations amongst the team members was making it challenging for establishment of synergy amongst the team members. This also made the team members to be diverted from the teams’ goals.
Analysis of the problem and possible options to solve the problem
Effective teamwork is one of the strategies that organizations can incorporate in an effort to attain extraordinary results. However, there are numerous challenges that organizations face in an effort to incorporate effective teamwork.
Some of the challenges that the R&D team in Verbanet Technologies are experiencing relate to differences in expectations amongst the team members and poor communication.
To achieve its NPD goals, it is paramount for the firm’s management team to ensure that it resolves the problem being experienced by its R&D team. To achieve this, there are a number of factors that the firm’s management team should take into account. Some of these factors are outlined below.
Defining expectations
Teams in a particular organization are established with the aim of attaining a particular goal. However, the focus of all the team members on the predetermined goals may be hindered by existence of team members’ expectations a while on the team.
To deal with this problem, it is important for the team leader to ensure that the team members’ clearly understand their expectations. This can be attained by defining the roles and scope of responsibilities with regard to each team member.
Additionally, the top management should ensure that it supplies the team members with the necessary resources to enable them achieve their expectations. The top management should also depict its interest in the team so as to motivate them.
Ensuring good leadership
It is paramount for the firm to ensure that the team leader possesses sufficient skills to aid in the creation and maintenance of a positive working culture amongst the team members. Good leadership within team plays an important role in ensuring that the team members remain motivated. Additionally, effective team leadership ensures that the team members remain focused towards attainment of predetermined goals.
Integrating open communication
Increased use of the internet in its communication process is hampering communication amongst members of the R&D team. This is due to the fact that the internet is hampering interaction amongst the team members.
The success of a particular team in attaining its goals is dependent on the effectiveness with which interpersonal interaction has been developed. One of the strategies that can be integrated is open communication.
Open communication is one of the most important strategies that organizations can use in the development of effective teamwork. By integrating effective communication, an effective team environment is nurtured. This arises from the fact that the team members are able to express their ideas and opinions.
Open communication will also play an important role in mitigating the negative effects of conflicts amongst team members. To resolve conflicts emanating from poor coordination within the team, it is paramount for Verbanet Technologies to ensure that it integrates effective conflict resolution procedures.
Additionally, the team leader should put more effort in nurturing trust amongst the team members. One of the ways through which the firm can achieve this is by organizing occasional face to face meetings amongst the team members. This is important in that it will enable the team members to interact physically hence developing trust for one another.
Resolution of the problem
It is projected that integration of the above options will culminate in achievement of a number of objectives. For example, defining the duties and responsibilities of each team member will ensure that they remain focused. Additionally, it will also contribute towards elimination of uncertainties with regard to their expectations.
On the other hand, integration of open communication will ensure that there is a high rate of interaction amongst the team members. Additionally, organizing face-to-face meetings will ensure that the trust amongst the team members is developed.
The ultimate effect will be creation of cohesion and establishment of synergy amongst the team members. Open communication will also aid in the reduction of disputes that may emanate from poor coordination.
Decision making technique
Considering the fact that the problem affects all members in the team, it is paramount for the organization to ensure that the problems being faced are resolved effectively. To achieve this, the firm should incorporate effective decision making techniques. One of the decision making techniques that should be considered is brainstorming.
Through brainstorming, the R&D team will be able to stimulate imagination and creativity amongst the team members. Brainstorming will also contribute towards identification of other issues that the team may be facing. This arises from the fact that all team members are given an opportunity to make contributions without any hindrance or evaluation.
Through brainstorming, members of the R&D team who may possess a relatively low status within the group or shy are given an opportunity to share their divergent ideas. Incorporation of brainstorming decision making technique will contribute towards generation of diverse ideas on how to resolve the problem facing the team.
Implementation and communication of the solution
Teams undergo a number of phases which include forming, norming and storming before they start performing. However, a number of challenges are experienced in the operation of a team.
To ensure that the problem facing the Verbanet’s R&D team is effectively dealt with, a well defined action plan will be incorporated. The action plan will include a number of steps which include chartering, developing and sustaining. The Gnatt chart below illustrates these steps and the stage at which they will be implemented.
To sustain the team, it will be ensured that the performance of the team is continuously reviewed. This will aid in identification of when the team is experiencing ineffective performance hence making the necessary adjustments. Additionally the team leader will ensure that evaluation of the team’s performance is undertaken without blaming the team members for mistakes that might be committed.
The chartering process will ensure that the team has a strong foundation. This will be attained by ensuring clear definition of the team’s purpose, expectations and roles and responsibilities of the team members.
Additionally, the chartering process will also ensure that effective communication and conflict mitigation strategies are incorporated. Developing the team will entail creation of trust amongst the team members. This will enhance open communication due to increased interaction.
Phoenix is a financial service company that has its headquarters in Arizona but operates in the national market of the United States. The active online operations of this firm mean that it cannot afford regular failures within its IT system. It must have an effective system of measurement that will help it to measure its performance in the market (Anderson and Goodman 59). The system must be easy to use and it must take into consideration the uniqueness of this firm in the market. As a consultant, the researcher will develop a plan that can be used by the management to judge the operation of the teams within the IT department in a discrete way to ensure that the functions are conducted as per the expectations of the management.
System of Measurement at Phoenix’s IT Department
According to Daim and Albar, when developing a system of measurement, it is important to be very specific (43). Measurement systems or plans must focus on a given area within the department instead of looking at the broad operations of the firm. At Phoenix, the department of interest was the IT unit. It is important to note that this is a unique and very sensitive department that needs primary measurement plans.
The first plan can focus on the employee’s output within the department while the other will focus on the output of the structures such as the servers, networks, computers, and any other tool used in the department (Dwivedi 52). In this analysis, the plan will focus on a system of measurement for the employees within this department.
The assessment plan will try to determine how efficient the employees are in using the current system before the management can consider how to upgrade the infrastructure. It is only after using this plan that the Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be able to make informed proposals on what needs to be improved during the planned upgrade. The following model is a summary of the proposed system of measurement that will be used by the IT department to measure the performance of the employees and to identify issues that need to be addressed to improve this performance.
Figure 1: Proposed Performance Measurement Plan.
As shown in the figure above, there will be a systematic measurement of performance that will be done at this firm, and the chief operating officer will be able to monitor it easily at the firm’s headquarters. In the proposed system, there will be three subcategories of the performance assessment that will take place. To understand this system, it will be necessary to start at the lowest end. The firm currently has 17,846 investors being served in 13 branches and also at the firm’s headquarters. These investors are served by 113 staff at the 14 offices (13 branches and at the head office).
Each of the employees will be assigned specific clients to handle based on the geographic location of the client and the location of the offices from which they operate. Every employee has been assigned a dual PC system. In this system, the software will be installed that measures the time employees take in addressing official assignments, how the employees respond to customer needs, and any other issue relevant to their assignments (Misra and Rahman 72). The metrics of their performance may be time (in hours) spent in undertaking official duties per day. The software will also detect how often every employee uses the IT facilities assigned to them.
The information from each of the 113 employees will be collected at the office level and will be monitored by the branch manager who can act upon it if it is necessary. The information about the efficiency and performance of the team will then be reflected immediately at the headquarters in Arizona. The COO can then have a summary of the performance of each of the 113 employees and how optimally they are using the IT equipment.
If it is noted that they are using the equipment optimally but their service does not meet the demands of the investors, then this may be a sign that there is a need to upgrade the entire system and to introduce a system that has a larger capacity (Khosrowpour 27). If the review shows that the current IT equipments are underutilized, then it may be a sign that the firm does not need to upgrade its systems yet. What is necessary is to ensure that the individual employees within the department use the systems effectively (Proctor 31). The back-up system at the headquarters should also be put to test regularly to ensure that it is as efficient as the management expects.
Conclusion
The above model is specifically designed to measure the performance of the employees, specifically how optimally they are using the IT systems and structures to address various tasks within the firm. The system will make it possible to determine if it is the employees who are not making maximum use of the IT system or it is the system itself that is underperforming. This way, the chief operating officer will know the best action to take in addressing the weaknesses within the IT department.
Works Cited
Anderson, James, and Kenneth Goodman. Ethics and Information Technology: A Case-Based Approach to a Health Care System in Transition. New York: Springer, 2002. Print.
Daim, Tugrul, and Fatima Albar. Technology Assessment Forecasting Future Adoption of Emerging Technologies. Berlin: Erich Schmidt, 2011. Print.
Dwivedi, Ashish. Handbook of Research on Information Technology Management and Clinical Data Administration in Healthcare. Hershey: Medical Information Science Reference, 2009. Print.
Khosrowpour, Mehdi. Managing Information Technology Resources in Organizations in the Next Millennium. Hershey: Penn Idea Group Pub, 2009. Print.
Misra, Hosea, and Hakikur Rahman. Managing Enterprise Information Technology Acquisitions: Assessing Organizational Preparedness. Hershey: IGI Global, 2013. Print.
Proctor, Scott. Optimizing and Assessing Information Technology: Improving Business Project Execution. Hoboken: Wiley, 2011. Print.
It is almost impossible to envisage a business that conducts its operations without the use of the information technologies. Businesses and major companies rely on IT in their day-to-day operations, and the Internet has altered business strategies by imparting a virtual shape to them. This essay will focus on three articles with insight into how the information technologies have presented businesses with both advantages and challenges.
Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson wrote the article “Investing in the IT That Makes a Competitive Difference” that appeared in a Harvard Business Review magazine in 2008. The article studies how companies tackle increased competition in the United States. McAfee & Brynjolfsson argue that the companies in the US may be better equipped to handle competition if they choose to invest in IT. The authors also note that the companies favoring modern IT solutions perform better in today’s market.
With the spread of information technologies, the money that the company invests in an employee in terms of IT rose from $3500 in 1994 to $8000 in 2005 (McAfee & Brynjolfsson, 2008). As more and more companies become dependent on the IT, the investments in IT equipment increased threefold between the years of 1995 and 2006. The figures speak for themselves. The authors are right in their statements that the spread of the IT over the years is beating all the records. The growing demand for information technologies may be supported by the report released by the UK Government Office for Science (2014) which states that there are over 14 billion objects connected by the IT as of now, it is estimated that the number will reach 100 billion by 2020 (p.14).
The article “Investing in the IT That Makes a Competitive Difference” although written in 2008 is in line with the UK government report published recently. IT is booming and even the most conservative companies, which are used to the old habits of doing business, are looking for ways to incorporate IT into their daily work practices. The controversial idea voiced in the article related to the distribution of profit margins. The authors made a point that the number of firms decreased, and the market remained the same, implying that fewer companies were in charge of a larger market share. The redistribution of the market when small firms were consumed by large corporate giants is unlikely to be linked to the spread of IT.
Another controversial statement in the article suggests that the companies using the IT will perform better than those performing the work according to old, conservative ways. Having made the statement, the authors sort of generalize all of the companies on the market irrespective of what their main areas of business are. Although the authors are right stating that the companies dealing in marketing, sales, IT, design, and software development saw added benefit with the use of the information technologies, some companies have been influenced by the Internet to a much lesser degree. For instance, major construction companies that are involved in large-scale government projects, road construction companies, manufactures of furniture or non-tech goods did not experience a sweeping revolution in their business practices.
Most of the processes are almost the same as they were years ago. This view is partially supported by Porter, who wrote that the Internet should not be considered as the key element in the business, it is rather a complement helping companies take advantage of the modern technologies to streamline their processes (Porter, 2001). While it is true that companies linked with IT saw their profits increasing, for a wide range of enterprises, the IT is merely a tool helping them to enhance and digitalize their reporting procedures, adding no added financial value.
The second article ‘Strategy and the Internet’ written by Michael Porter in 2001 departs from the ideas and notions shared by McAfee and Brynjolfsson. Porter presents the reader with the opposing ideas relating to using the Internet in daily business operations. With the emergence of the Internet, a majority of respected authors, including McAfee and Brynjolfsson, put forward the idea that the Internet helps companies to perform better on the market. Porter’s views are not aligned with this belief, although he agrees that the Internet may be instrumental in helping the companies streamline their business activities.
He makes a point that businesses might be deluded by the misleading signals of the Internet. Porter (2001) argues that “companies that have deployed Internet technology have been confused by distorted market signals, often of their own creation” (p.64). The ideas expressed in the article written in 2001 are far from the realities of 2016. To start with, Porter argues that online sales figures cannot be relied on as the goods sold online come with unbelievable discounts, thus creating artificially high demand. It is true that when the online sale was only capturing the market, the Internet purchases were viewed as a novelty by buyers. However, nowadays goods sold online have almost the same price as the ones sold over the counter.
If the price gap, suggested by Porter was true today, most of the biggest stores would simply go out of business. Finally, Porter argues that many of the dot.com businesses were able to make a profit based on the premise that the Internet market is easier to capture (Porter, 2001). There is ample reason to believe that it was indeed much simpler to enter the I-market in the early 2000s as there was considerably less competition, clearly, nowadays it would be naïve to assume the same. The Internet market of 2016 presents tough competition, and thousands of sites are closed daily due to a lack of the audience.
The third article “Closing the Gap Between Strategy and Execution” by Donald N. Sull explores the market performance in the context of multiple variables such as geopolitics, competition, consumer choices, innovating technologies, etc. The central idea of Sull’s article is that the traditional view of the strategy does not apply to present-day realities. In today’s volatile market, an elaborate and well-thought strategy may become inapplicable due to the multitude of new factors that additional changes to the situation daily (Sull, 2007).
With this in mind, the companies need to leave room for revision, and sometimes play it by ear, if the market calls for changes to the strategy. The author presents companies such as Diageo Ireland, All America Latina Logistica, and others as examples of the market giants falling back on his ideas. Sull’s views are in line with O’Clock s and Devine’s ideas in an article ‘The Role of Strategy and Culture in the Performance Evaluation of International Strategic Business Units’, the authors argue that an adequate market strategy needs to be multi-fold, and incorporate different factors, including cultural (O’Clock & Devine, 2003).
The views and ideas expressed by the authors are similar in the context of the shifting market, the challenges it presents to businesses, and the ways of tackling them. In fact, the market is so volatile that the ideas voiced a couple of years ago may not apply to current market trends, let alone the views presented in the early 2000s. Interestingly, information technologies were considered a tabula rasa by many authors, including those reviewed in this paper. To this day, IT still remains fertile ground. Cisco (2014), a major American Technology Company voiced its forecasts in the report released in 2014 “The possibilities for service providers are just beginning. Cisco predicts that, by 2018, “there will over $600 billion worth of incremental revenue and value for service providers to earn across cloud, mobile, and video technologies” (p.4).
It should also be noted that the definition of the information technologies 10 years ago is a world apart from the IT as we know today. The new services emerge regularly such as cloud, new types of social media platforms, sharing opportunities, and others. The companies, whether they want it or not, have to adapt to the new digital environment and the Internet of Things concept. According to Cisco, half of the companies in the market today, will cease to exist in 10 years from now as they will be unable to adapt to the emerging digital market (Cisco, 2014). Based on this forecast, and following the authors’ recommendations, the companies need to embrace the IT and innovation to stay competitive in today’s market.
Reference List
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2008). Investing in the IT That Makes a Competitive Difference. Harvard Business Review, 86(7), 98-106.
Cisco. (2014). Transformation through Innovation: A Strategy for Service Provider Success. Web.
O’Clock, P., & Devine, K. (2003). The Role of Strategy and Culture in the Performance Evaluation of International Strategic Business Units. Management Accounting Quarterly, 4(2), 18-26. Web.
Porter, M. E. (2001). Strategy and the Internet. Harvard Business Review, 79(3), 62-78.
Sull, D.N. (2007). Closing the Gap Between Strategy and Execution. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(4), 30-38.
SamTech Middle East is ranked among the most successful companies based in the United Arab Emirates whose activity relates to information technology and IT solutions for business. Nowadays, the company under consideration provides its services to small and large-size companies and government entities in different countries. The successful work of the discussed company won recognition from thousands of clients in Asian and African countries. Being headquartered in Dubai, the company is also known as a popular service provider in the Middle East. SamTech Middle East provides a wide range of products and ready-made solutions for entrepreneurs in different parts of the world whose work involves the necessity to manage numerous types of physical assets.
In terms of the history of the company, SamTech Middle East was established fourteen years ago, and it has managed to earn the trust of numerous clients since that time. Importantly, there is a wide range of awards that the management of the company has received recently due to the quality of services and solutions developed by SamTech Middle East. For instance, the company got the CSR Label (the reward that defines the degree to which companies’ responsibility and corporate sustainability strategies are up-to-date and successful) four years ago. Apart from that, due to the concerted efforts of managers and specialists in different departments, SamTech Middle East has managed to join the ranks of one hundred small and medium-sized enterprises that are the most successful in Dubai. To continue, the hard work of the company’s team, together with the growing popularity of IT solutions provided by SamTech Middle East has helped the latter to be recognized as one of the most successful companies in the Middle East in terms of the average growth rate.
The Use of Information Technology at SamTech Middle East
Information technology is widely used by specialists working for SamTech Middle East in IoT solutions offered to their clients. More than that, it is used in order to support working processes in the company and facilitate the development of new products. In general, the company is among the key business players whose efforts facilitate the adoption of information technology for process management in the Middle East.
SamTech Middle East belongs to the number of key market players responsible for the development of IoT solutions for managers and the representatives of state agencies. The key products offered by SamTech Middle East include Smarttrace, a device that can be installed in vehicles to ensure the safety of transportation, preserve quality in transported cargoes, and improve scheduling processes. Also, the given device can be used to prevent financial losses caused by delays as it allows using navigation satellite systems to keep track of chosen routes and change them in case of emergency. Apart from that, the product under consideration can be used to improve the business performance of companies of different sizes that are responsible for the distribution of goods. Thus, using this product, it is possible to eliminate the cases of theft in the workplace and reduce the number of clients who are dissatisfied with the quality of service. In particular, the device keeps track of the current activities of drivers and other employees, and it helps specialists responsible for the delivery of goods to plan their work in a more effective manner. Apart from that, the given product uses information technology to strengthen the links between specialists who fulfill different roles and make sure that their efforts are properly coordinated. To perform this task, specialists from SamTech Middle East provided the users of Smarttrace with an opportunity to use voice chats to share the most relevant information. The given way of communication is associated with numerous benefits because it helps drivers and delivery agents to use modern technology during the process of transportation.
Smart Job Management is another example of IT management products offered by SamTech Middle East in the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The given product was designed to facilitate the management of workflow in different industries. Due to the use of modern information technology, the product under consideration allows specialists responsible for transportation to keep track of the completion of work tasks and control potential problems more effectively. Apart from that, the benefits that the use of this product involves are related to the degree to which employees are responsible when performing their tasks. The use of information technology provides the users with an opportunity to monitor working processes online, and this solution definitely facilitates the work of managers, helping them to work remotely and be in touch with the constantly changing situation.
In the end, SamTech Middle East can be listed among companies that widely use information technology to fulfill their work and encourage other companies to keep up with the times as well. Nowadays, this successful and fast-growing company offers a great number of IoT solutions that are meant to improve the performance of both private companies and government agencies. The company’s key to success is the effective use of information technology that allows managers to keep track of tasks, improve logistics plans, and save materials resources.
COBIT is the framework for the “corporate governance of information technology” (Gelinas, Dull, & Wheeler 2014, p. 295). This paradigm enables companies to improve their IT operations and overall information management. COBIT provides a big picture due to the use of the holistic approach. The framework is based on five principles. The first principle is meeting stakeholders’ needs, which implies the balance between the organizational goals, the use of resources, and the realization of benefits through IT utilization (COBIT 5: enabling information 2013).
The second principle is “covering the enterprise end-to-end” (COBIT 5: enabling information 2013, p. 16). The framework sees IT-governance enablers (policies, processes, structures, culture, services, and so on) as inclusive and relevant for the entire organization. The third principle is the application of a single integrated framework, which involves the use of comprehensive practices and standards. The fourth principle is associated with the seven enablers, which includes principles and policies, processes, structures, culture, information, services and infrastructures, and skills and competencies (COBIT 5: enabling information 2013).
This principle focuses on the use of a holistic approach and a focus on the seven enablers. Finally, the fifth principle implies a clear separation of principles and activities that refer to governance and management.
It is necessary to note that these principles enable organizations to operate efficiently through the use of effective IT governance strategies. The case in question is illustrative in terms of the importance of the implementation of the principles mentioned above (Austin & Short 2009). It is possible to focus on such principles as covering the enterprise end-to-end, application of an integrated framework, and enabling the holistic approach.
iPremier focuses on profits and meeting organizational goals. IT is seen as a tool to achieve the aim rather than a company’s asset. This attitude is related to the second principle mentioned above, and it is clear that the company did not follow it. The company’s approach translated into inefficient equipment and the lack of resources in the IT department. The company does not have a server where the data concerning customers (such valuable information as financial data) could be stored. This information was vulnerable to attack. It is crucial to make sure that the data are safe and that there is proper equipment to ensure this data security.
It is also necessary to add that the third principle is not followed as well. The company seems to have some guidelines where procedures applicable in certain situations are described (Austin & Short 2009). However, the employees do not know where the guidelines are or what is mentioned there. This neglect of the principle of an integrated framework led to significant confusion and a waste of a lot of time. Employees did not know what exactly to do, and when the IT professional went to the company providing the IT service, she was unable to get to work. There should be specific procedures and protocols that would enable the company to identify the problem and address it properly.
Finally, the company did not comply with the fourth principle as IT governance is not integrated into the entire system. There are only some attempts to bring order to the IT sphere, but the lack of focus on this area has resulted in a lot of confusion. The company’s priorities (growth and profit) were not related to IT governance. The procedures were not described or developed properly, and employees were mainly unprepared for any non-standard situations. It is unclear whether the hacker attack had any negative consequences for the customers as well as the company (its reputation, financial losses). However, the lack of compliance with the principles of COBIT often has negative implications for organizations. It is possible to consider some data breaches that took place within the past 12 months.
One of the most notorious information leaks of recent years is the breach at Mossack Fonseca, the law company located in Panama. The reasons for the information breach have not been reported properly. However, according to the available information, the data leak occurred as a result of an email attack, which was successful as the company did not utilize widely used Transport Layer Security protocols (Gross 2016). This information breach had various implications. Clearly, it had a tremendous negative effect on the company’s reputation. More importantly, it affected the organization’s customers, mostly politicians. Their reputations were damaged considerably. These consequences are the most undesirable as the security of customers is the priority of any company.
Another leak also involved financial information disclosure. The information breach occurred at Qatar National Bank (Murdock 2016). As a result of the data leak, 1.4GB of customers’ financial information was exposed (Murdock 2016). The data included customers’ names and addresses as well as their credit card information. The seriousness of the situation can be acknowledged when looking at the list of the bank’s customers.
These include the Al-Thani royal family, some people related to the state’s security services, and so on. The bank’s official note was that there was an insignificant amount of trustworthy information on customers, but the major portion of the data exposed was available from various social networks. Thus, the bank’s top managers stress that the target of the attack was not the customers’ information per se but the bank’s reputation. Of course, such attacks may discourage people from addressing the financial institution, which they find vulnerable. Existing clients may also want to find other places for their money. At the same time, this breach can also hurt customers whose money can be stolen in addition to their information (as well as strategies used to hack the bank’s security system).
Another data breach involved mobile applications and quite limited information, including customers’ passwords, logins, and addresses (Golden 2016). Reportedly, the CBS mobile website was attacked, and some customers’ data were compromised. The company’s officials stress that financial information was not disclosed. However, the organization’s reputation was still damaged. The customers could see that their information was not secured and that the company could not be trusted.
On balance, it is possible to note that any information leak is a serious issue for any company. In the vast majority of cases, it has a detrimental effect on the company’s reputation. However, in some cases (for example, the Panama law company’s case), many customers may have various issues, which could include significant damage to their reputation. At that, compliance with the principles of information governance can secure companies and their data. It is crucial to make sure that the company employs a holistic approach where information governance is one of the major priorities.
Reference List
Austin, RD & Short, JC 2009, ‘iPremier (A): denial of service attack (graphic novel version)’, Harvard Business School, pp. 1-32.
COBIT 5: enabling information 2013, ISACA, Rolling Meadows, IL.
Gelinas, UJ, Dull, RB & Wheeler, P 2014, Accounting information systems, Cengage Learning, Stamford, CT.
DSM decided to use a business strategy that falls under the category: Technology Transformation. The type of strategy used was technology transformation because there was a need to develop an IT strategy that will align with the company’s vision and mission statement. At the turn of the 20th century, corporate leaders at DSM recognized the company’s need to diversify to ensure its survival. DSM’s vision statement calls for a radical shedding of the organization’s image as a petrochemical company, and through a process of complete divestiture, transforms it into a business enterprise that manufactures life sciences and performance materials products.
DSM’s Vision 2005 calls for a commitment to reach €10 billion in sales. Also, corporate leaders were compelled to reach the said target with a mixed bag of sales, such that eighty percent of the said total revenue must come from specialties markets, while the rest must come from the sale of chemicals like caprolactam and melamine (Applegate, Watson, and Vatz 4). Newly hired CEO, Peter Elverding understood the importance of a critical strategy that calls for the development of a new Information Communication Technology in the context of DSM’s stated goals.
Thus, Elverding hired Jo van den Hanenberg to overhaul the company’s ICT, to support the said corporate strategy. In response, van den Hanenberg pointed out the challenges caused by the decision to diversify, as well as the inevitable outcome of the acquisition of new companies. As a result, van den Hanenberg developed a solution to the IT and business alignment debacle that calls for the standardization and simplification of the company’s IT infrastructure (Applegate, Watson, and Vatz 6).
The said solution’s comprised of three critical concepts:
global standardization of ICT infrastructure and enterprise models;
a service delivery-oriented ICT organization;
an ICT organization that was not only business-oriented but was itself governed by the business (Applegate, Watson, and Vatz 5).
The first component calls for the acceptance of a streamlining protocol, such as the use of a common system to handle the company’s business processes (Jamil and Lopes 25).
The second component requires the creation of a communication technology infrastructure (Antonopolous 249). The final component ensures that every IT-related initiative was justified based on the business model (Wang 133). The end goal is to integrate every single profit center under one platform, while at the same time, allowing efficient communication, information sharing, and collaboration between different departments under the DSM umbrella.
Maturity Alignment
Luftman’s maturity alignment framework is comprised of five levels of growth and improvement. The company must reach certain milestones to see the improvements, and this is measured through the following six elements:
communication;
competency
governance;
partnership;
scope and architecture;
skills.
To experience growth and maturity in integration and alignment of business processes, the company must move up from Level 1: Initial Process to Level 5: Optimized Process (Verweire and Berghe 149).
After examining the information provided in the case study, one can argue that DSM reached Level 3 in terms of the alignment of the IT system with the company’s business model. Although DSM’s corporate leaders had to go through a complicated process of integrating newly acquired corporations. DSM reached this level of IT alignment maturity due to the impact of three factors.
Six Elements
Score
Rationale
Communication
3
The stakeholders involved had a good understanding as to the purpose of the integration and standardization program, and they are willing to come aboard.
Competency
3
DSM experienced a level of cost-effectiveness. However, the company struggles to increase the organization’s level of cost-efficiency because of the redundancy caused by the acquisitions.
Governance
4
DSM’s CIO succeeded in establishing a relevant IT process across the whole organization. In other words, it was the appropriate system that they need to experience effective IT alignment with the company’s business model.
Partnership
3
The new system is seen as a process driver. At the same time, the stakeholders perceive the new IT system as an asset for the organization.
Scope and Architecture
4
DSM’s CIO was able to remove all impediments to integrate the new system across the whole organization.
Skills
3
Not everyone was convinced that the one-jump transition strategy would work. However, a significant number of players saw the importance of the new IT system. It is now seen as an emerging value service provider.
Ave. Score = 3.33
Fig. 1 Measuring DSM’s Level of Maturity in Terms of IT Alignment
First, the company’s CIO decided to implement the one-jump transition strategy. For example, after acquiring Roche Vitamins, this unit was immediately disentangled from its parent company, and without delay integrated into DSM’s branded ICT infrastructure (Applegate, Watson, and Vatz 8). Secondly, the CIO of the newly revamped ICT organization was robust enough to go through the testing phase unscathed, so that there was no major disaster throughout the integration process. Finally, the workers and managers saw positive results.
DSM enjoys an established focus process. Therefore, there is a good understanding between the CIO and other corporate leaders about the need and critical importance of the new protocols. Besides, the company is in the 3rd level of alignment maturity, because the leaders can confidently say that they have experienced a certain degree of cost-effectiveness. However, there is much work to do, because they need to pare down the number of employees doing the same type of work.
The company’s CIO was able to implement a strategy that leads to an established focus process in the context of governing the ICT process. Furthermore, DSM’s CIO managed to develop a partnership between the different departments and the different stakeholders within the company. There was no longer any confusion as to the rationale for decoupling old systems. DSM’s major players are willing to go through the transition process.
As a result, the new CIO was able to establish an integrated system that works well with the company’s business model. About the skills aspect, leaders and workers appreciated how the refurbished ICT enhanced their capabilities to accomplish goals and hit production quotas. The leaders acknowledged this fact after the integration and standardization protocols revealed that multiple product codes were describing the same set of products. They also discovered overlapping processes pulling down DSM’s cost-efficiency metrics.
DSM’s corporate leaders can enhance the alignment process by communicating the success stories described by leaders that came from different business units. After sharing positive information a new culture will be established within the organization. They need to highlight the success of the one-jump transition strategy. They need to communicate correctly the overall impact of the new ICT process. Corporate leaders and workers alike must appreciate the impact of the new system when it comes to the company’s cost-efficiency goals. They need to understand how they can become more productive using an integrated and standardized process compared to the old model that makes it difficult to accomplish collaboration and information sharing within the organization.
Works Cited
Antonopolous, Nick. Handbook of Research on P2P and Grid Systems for Service Oriented Computing. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2010. Print.
Applegate, Lynda, Edward Watson and Mara Vatz. Royal DSM N.V.: Information Technology Enabling Business Transformation. MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print.
Jamil, George and Sergio Lopes. Handbook of Research on Effective Project Management through the Integration of Knowledge and Innovation. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2015. Print.
Luftman, Jerry. Competing in the Information Age: Align in the Sand. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.
Verweire, Kurt and Lutgart Berghe. Integrated Performance Management. CA: Sage, 2004. Print.
Wang, Victor. Handbook of Research on Technologies for Improving the 21st Century. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. Print.
One of the major issues facing organizations, such as the Western Australian Health Department, is the lack of available trained IT and medical personnel. To fill this gap, internationally trained medical personnel have been recruited to fill positions in rural Australia. However, even though these professionals are helping to fill this gap, there are many problems they bring with them, not the least of which is the different cultural background from which they come. In addition to the difficulties caused by the nature and location of the work, these professionals have language difficulties, culturally ingrained differences in interpersonal relationships, and often inadequate training for local conditions. Training is the preferred method for dealing with these difficulties and remote counseling is chosen as the ideal method for dealing with the problems of isolation and lack of peer groups in rural settings.
When filling IT and medical positions in rural Australia with foreign-trained IT professionals and medical personnel, organizations need to be ready to provide intensive English training to help these individuals to learn to communicate with their coworkers and their patients. (Rossi 2008) IT personnel have an easier time since interaction with others is less critical when the need concerns only the networks and computers in the operation. Mistakes due to miscommunication can be corrected with no harm done. However, in medical practice, miscommunication can result in great harm, even death, to patients, so it is of prime importance that the training quickly enables these international recruits to learn to communicate effectively with their patients and peers. (Hawkins 2005) Not only must they learn to speak well and record details correctly, but their ears must be trained to the local accents to overcome the language barrier. (Birrell, R.J., 2004).
Group training for cultural integration has been shown to help alleviate the cultural barriers which make working in rural areas very difficult. Foreign-trained medical personnel, in particular, need to learn things like personal space, body language, and doctor-patient relationships to be effective in their work. (Cole-Kelly K., 1994) They need to be able to establish the correct relationships with their patients and their peers and to control the interaction and minimize the differences. This is especially important when they will be dealing with individuals from other foreign countries and with the aboriginal culture.
Cameron (1998) points out that for foreign-trained IT and medical personnel, the isolation of rural practice may be especially difficult. Retention of this personnel is difficult and is being addresses using remote peer virtual meetings, online social groups and seminars, and provision for IT connections to colleagues in their countries of origin. Online socializing provides opportunities both for interpersonal connections and for additional training where foreign training may not be up to local standards. In this way, both the problems of isolation and the need for language and practical training are addressed.
Due to the nature of the rural practice, there will continue to be problems of personnel recruitment and retention, especially for IT and medical personnel. Training has long been a major part of HRM practice and is especially important in this context. Additional and intensive training and IT solutions are providing ways of alleviating the major problems for rural medical practices. With the additional training via remote connection, language and cultural difficulties are being addressed. In addition, these solutions provide connections to peers internationally and alleviate some of the isolation which troubles these workers. Additional training also addresses differences in skills among the various recruits and fills the gaps between their backgrounds and our locally trained personnel.
References
Rossi, Sandra, 2008, IT skills shortage criticized in Australia, Computerworld Australia (hs).
Birrell RJ. Australian policy on overseas-trained doctors. Med J 2004; 181: 635-639.
Cameron, Ian, 1998, Retaining a medical workforce in rural Australia, Medical Journal of Australia,Web.
Cole-Kelly K., 1994, Cultures engaging cultures: international medical graduates training in the United States. Fam Med 26: 618-624.
Hawken S. 2005, Overseas-trained doctors’ evaluation of a New Zealand course in professional development. N Z Med J 118: U1584.
Whelan GP. Commentary. Coming to America: the integration of international medical graduates into the American medical culture. Acad Med 2006; 81: 176-178.
The use of information technology enables Kudler Fine Foods to solve all of its internal problems as well as improve their customer relations and provide them with the scope to expand their services in the future. The core function of Kudler Fine Foods is to sell food stuff. Traditionally the process of selling has been equated with good communication skills, advertising and offering good variety of foods. Today, there is a need for an enhanced set of skills that includes the old skills, but also reflects current skills related to the effective use of information technology. To be most effective, the acquisition of these new skills will be achieved through a branch-integrated IT approach to support purchase, stock maintenance, employee management and customer management.
Marketing
Kudler Fine Foods is currently poised for expanding its services, improving the efficiency of its operations and increasing the consumer purchase cycle as a means to increasing the loyalty and profitability of its consumers. In all of these three aspects, the use of information technology is very important. Kudler has a new marketing program targeted at select consumers to show them how to prepare specialty foods. The draw of the consumers will be based on time spent in the store and frequency of visits to the store and number of guests they bring to the store. The selection of the consumers is made through the computer.
Kudler also uses technology to track purchase behavior at the individual customer level and give them high value incentives through a partnership with a loyalty points program. From a service perspective, Kudler is benchmarking Nordstrom department stores. This means, it compares its own standards with those of Nordstrom department stores using special software systems. Moreover, information technology has provided the answer to the problem faced by the purchasing department to find ways to reduce costs of ordering foods and minimize the amount of food to be stored, while also having a zero stock out policy. Purchasing has developed a supplier relations program and has solicited the help of marketing to help roll out the program.
Financial Applications
Kudler Fine Foods has used IT to track information such as dollar value and profit margin per transaction, dollar sales and profit levels by day, and dollar sales and profit margins by item. Recently, in order to leverage the information to create a more intimate relationship with their customers, the firm is integrating a system to track customer purchase behavior over time. This program is in the process of being developed. Marketing Budget
The marketing budget is primarily comprised of new initiatives, marketing communications, and marketing research. IT is used in all these three aspects through computerization. Within the next 12 months, Kudler plans to acquire new customers through social network marketing which is a modern application of IT.
Kudler HR system
Kudler uses Quick Books and has outsourced payroll processing to Intuit. Intuit’s database tracks the following information for each employee: personal data, pay rate, tax exemptions, hire date, seniority date, and organizational information. Changes are entered into the system by an accounting clerk. However, it is necessary for employees to fill out time sheets manually each week, which are approved by the store manager. This is a limitation that can be overcome if there is a program that enter their entry and departure timings and that can be validated by the store manager or direct supervisor through printouts. Employee files can be entered into a database and an automated system for tracking vacation can be put in place through smart use of information technology.
The HR manager keeps an Excel spreadsheet with the results of job analyses, salary surveys, and individual compensation decisions. The HR assistant keeps information about complaints, grievances, harassment complaints, etc. in locked files in the HR office at headquarters. It would be better to have a information system in place for entering complaints, grievances etc. along with their status.
Overview of Finance & Accounting Systems
Kudler’s purchased a modular and scaleable RMS and installed in the first and subsequent Kudlers retail stores and Smith Consulting was contracted on a yearly basis to maintain the REMS.
Finance & Accounting Financial Modules
The General Ledger Module keeps track of the accounts, store-wise, department-wise and product-wise transactions, financial reports, budgets and budget reports. There is also provision for maintaining non-financial accounts such as department sales and inventory, department and store headcount. Accounts Payable Module keeps track of Vendor codes and master files, check printing, tax and freight allocations, multiple bank accounts, purchase details, international addresses, and also allows manual entry of cash transactions. Accounts Receivable Module tracks all sales data and generates daily sales report based on POS system. The Bank Reconciliation Module looks after banking transactions.
Security
The REMS has imbedded security features such as passwords, dollar limits, limited access, etc. but there are no formal company policies or audits regarding same.
An analysis of the deployment of IT in Kudler’s Fine Foods shows that it is well supported by IT in most of its functions, especially in the realm of marketing and Finance. However, much more can be done at the level of HR and production.
Information technology (IT) is probably the force the rampant globalisation and economic internationalisation. Whereas the world was already destined to becoming a global village even before the eruption of the World Wide Web (WWW) and other digital networks, the Internet has largely facilitated this sojourn and it continues to do so with the new inventions that rock the world each day such as eBay, social networks, and other technological gizmos.
How has IT influenced how businesses operate in a global environment?
The general answer to this question is that Information technology has revolutionised the operation of businesses in the global environment. Considering that ‘global’ comprises of compounded ‘locals’, perhaps it is prudent to begin this analysis from the miniscule level of local businesses and the effect that information technology has on them.
Local businesses are now creating company websites to advertise the services and products that they have to offer and in so doing, they are increasing the scope of their areas of influence (Bassellier, Reich & Benbasat 2001). As they go online, they introduce the option of purchasing these products and services online and increase their internal capacities by expanding just enough to incorporate delivery services to these new areas of influence and in so doing; they are beating the competition by reaching out for new clientele. Technology is revolutionising local businesses. Additionally, now that foreign firms are fast infiltrating the emerging markets of the world such as China and other developing countries, the local firms in such areas are benefitting since they can easily learn and adapt the technologies being reeled in by these advanced firms. Since they are locally established and so they are familiar with the local market, such technology transfers are sustainable and profitable to these firms as they make the most of their capacities (Hurst 2003).
The next segment of this analysis is on foreign firms doing business both locally and in foreign environments. Such firms are usually large and they have more funds available for investment in Research and Development (R&D) activities. Consequently, they wield a lot of technological power and insight into the latest developments in technology (Wahab, Rose & Osman 2012). Additionally, they are in the loop of new technological advances because back home they are part of the big players, who are in other words the birthing pools of technological innovation. Another advantage of being a foreign firm is that such firms have been in business for a long while during which they have managed to accumulate technological knowledge and skills and they have customised this into their unique organisational structures. Consequently, this aspect is already giving them competitive advantage as it is impossible or in the very least, very difficult for rivals to duplicate their technological expertise. This element gives them an edge over local firms that are seeking to compete for the local market, as whereas technological resources are easily mimicked, technological capabilities are mostly inimitable.
Additionally, it is becoming clear that the value of information technology is not uniform for local and foreign firms because for instance, local firms report a higher growth rate of technological capabilities than foreign firms do and the cause of this scenario is that they can easily borrow and absorb advanced technologies from the foreign rivals in the host countries. This new technology coupled with their market awareness boosts their competitive advantage especially because foreign firms on the other hand are not as quick or open-minded in the obtaining of information about the local market trends and so all they have is advanced technology, which they cannot fully utilise.
Part of the cause of this hesitance by foreign firms is the reluctance to develop their technologies for the benefit of local markets and this aspect in turn prevents them from participating fully and reaping the benefits of being a multinational firm (Pinsonneault & Kraemer 1997). To counter this retarded growth, it would be prudent for local firms to drop their inhibitions, buy into the local market as though it is their new home, and thus invest in it completely by developing their IT just as they would if they were home, but in the manner that is relevant for the particular local firm. It is interesting to note that the foreign firms show potential for long-term benefits and growth in IT if they invest in R & D.
How can businesses create competitive advantage using IT?
As noted in the previous paragraph, the competitive advantage of foreign firms with regards to how long they have been in business as well as in light of Information technology specifically is somewhat guaranteed by the inimitable technological capabilities wielded and controlled by this firm. As compared to budding firms, which are just starting out and so whatever mechanism they are using to achieve competitive advantage is superficial and thus easily mimicked. With older firms, the rival would need to acquire the firm as whole for it to take advantage of the deeply integrated knowledge and skills that by then form part of the organisation’s structure.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that even in the foreign environments where the more seasoned multinational firms go to set base, there are usually the trendsetters that have been in businesses for several decades already and these could form formidable competition. Consequently, it is important to come up with a sure way of maintaining a competitive advantage to keep abreast of one’s rivals and this paper limits this discussion to the use of Information Technology in doing this (Tanriverdi 2005). Therefore, the next discussion shall gravitate on how businesses can use their Information Technology to maintain competitive advantage.
Competitive advantage refers to a specific advantage that a firm has over its competitors or rivals that allows and enables it to generate greater margins or record more profits at the end of the fiscal year. An inseparable companion to competitive advantage is differentiation, which refers to the unique qualities of a particular product or service that makes it more attractive when held in comparison with those of competitors. In a bid to have a competitive advantage, one needs to offer and display differentiation, which in turn attracts consumers’ preference and fosters their loyalty in the long term.
Concerning information technology, the Business Value of Information Technology, (BVIT) hinges on two indispensable variables, namely Resource Structuring and capability Building. Resources in IT denote human, intellectual, and physical resources among others so that all the faucets of an organisation that have any linkage with IT are counted in (Pollard & Hayne 1998). Resource structuring thus denotes the procedures or mechanisms that firms apply to create business value of information technology by being more effective than their rivals are in structuring their IT resources. On the other hand, capacity building refers to how firms create business value of IT by being more effective than their rivals are at deploying IT resources. A novel term in the understanding of the role of IT in business is resource orchestration, which refers to the synchronisation of resource structuring and capacity building, which is the general answer to how firms can use information technology to increase their competitive advantage.
Resource orchestration pushes resource structuring to new heights beyond the simple picking and allocation of resources and into acquisition, accumulation, and deployment of these resources with sufficient regard to factor markets and internal controls (Wahab, Rose & Osman 2012). It also touches on environmental factors such as intellectual property protection considerations during expansion, planning, and integration of IT competencies into strategic planning for competitive advantage.
For some time now, firms have been using either capacity building or resource structuring as the IT-related strategy for ensuring that they keep abreast on their competition. However, this move has proven ineffective especially in the light of the global business environment because these firms are now facing various foreign business environments ranging from stable to dynamic ones and majority landing somewhere along that continuum (Spender 1994). The question thus becomes how to maintain competitive advantage in such environments. Research posits that in case of stable environments, the way to go is resource structuring. This choice is more affordable and time savvy of the two while in dynamic or uncertain environments, the solution lies in capacity building as the nature of the environment justifies the investments in R & D that shall be required, as well as the time that shall be consumed pursuing product and service innovation (Segars, Grover & Teng 1998).
Conclusion
This essay has looked into how information technology has influenced businesses that operate in a global environment and how businesses can create competitive advantage using information technology. The manner of influence is manifested in the expansion into new areas of influence as well as capacity growth to include online commerce ventures. It is also interesting that foreign firms are holding back from fully participating in the local markets of their host countries because they do not want them to benefit from such involvement. However, this move is to their detriment as local firms still copy their advanced technologies and by partial participation, they miss valuable insights concerning business implementation in the local market. The solution to competitive advantage lies in an equitable application of resource structuring and capacity building, which becomes resource orchestration.
Reference List
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