Willie Bates
Module 2 Case
ITM524: Foundations of Information Technology Management
Dr. Mina Richards
Introduction
We live in an environment which changes often. In the business world, what is in demand today for an organization may not be a requirement for tomorrow. Smart managers know that organizations that succeed do so because they adjust to keep up with the changes that are taking place (Harmon, 2007). Change in business comes in many forms and affects companies in every industry. Business today is one of the dominant institutions in society. Businesses are established with the sole purpose to provide a product or service to a customer with the intent to make a profit. Once established, every company wants to improve the way it does business to produce things more efficiently and to make a greater profit. Every manager understands that achieving these goals are part of his or her job. For the business they must create a strategic vision for long term sustainability. By adopting sustainable practices, companies can gain a competitive edge, increase their market share, and boost shareholder value. This paper will identify as points of discussion the value chain and competitive forces in Porter’s model based on ‘The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations article and cases; and the affects did Information Technology have on the sustainability on those five organizations.
Case Background
1. Identify the value chain and competitive forces in Porter’s model. Based on “The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations” article and cases.
2. What effect did IT have on the value chain and competitive forces of those organizations?
3. What are some of the changes to the value chain and competitive forces when an organization responds to sustainability?
Value Chain Analysis
Early as 1979, Michael Eugene Porter introduced the concept of the value chain analysis.