Business Technology Management - Essay Example

Running Head: I.T System Management: Business Technology Management Title: I.T System Management: Business Technology Management Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Introduction Business Technology Management is a managing science targeting to bring together business and technology business approach with intention of digging out the full potential significance of business technology result. Over years, there has been the belief that, improvement of technology within an organisation automatically improved the general results of the organisation in the market. However, with better knowledge and experience in the field, it was later justified that, in order to improve the productivity level of the organisation significantly, the new technology incorporated within the organisation has to be implemented and managed wisely, to enable the organisation trap all the necessary benefits from the market (Khosrow-Pour, 2006 p641). This has been the key concern of major e-Business organisation in the world. They tend to advance in technology management that they have other that increasing the technology level at their work station. Organisations have tried to come with management strategies and technology strategies that are in alignments thus facilitating the accuracy of their results from their equipments. Other than that, e-Business organisations also synchronises strategies between project team, upper level management an technologies that they implement at their organisation in the effort to enhance the business goals of the organisation. For excellent business technology management to be implemented in any organisation, the personnel have to acquire proper knowledge management in IT system. Thus, we can say that knowledge management is the range of exercises used in an organization to recognize, generate, represent, allocate and allow implementation of insight and understanding of all strategies present within the organisation. These insights and understanding encompass knowledge, either personified in a person or fixed in organizational practice (Boon, & Plessis, 2004, pp73-86). Knowledge management in IT has become one of the requirements for any e-Business organization together with its growing customer centric focus. In order for any organization to operate in an e-Business environment, it has to poses good command of knowledge on its market, technology, clients, method and process, competitors, regulatory environment, and the goods and services that they do offer to their consumers (Khosrow-Pour,2006 p641). This is attributed to the idea that organizations can, with the introduction of e-Business perform its duties electronically, seamlessly across the world through internet and via intranets resulting to explosion of richness and reach of information, technology and knowledge (Boon, & Plessis, 2004, pp73-86). The system is now necessary to make sure that value is extracted from knowledge internal and external to the organization. Thus knowledge management goes hand in hand with business technology management as its efforts mainly focus on organizational goals such as improved performances, innovation, continuous improvement of the organization, competitive advantage and sharing of lessons learned among members of the organisation and other organisations as well. Business technology management is then the key knowledge needed to implement any new technology in the organisation effectively. For effective business technology management to be planned in an e-Business organisation, the management has to familiarise themselves with the business anticipations which will facilitate them to come up with better solutions. The foundation of effective e-Business BTM is appreciating the organisation’s technology other than the new e-Business technology in the market (Khosrow-Pour, 2006 p641). This will enable the management committee of the organisation to wisely utilise the technology available other than implementing new technology into their system resulting to more failure. E-Business is a way to assist improvements in an organization’s processes, together with allowing the organization to expand market penetration and geographical markets (Oppong, Yen, & Merhout, 2005 pp413-435). To that reason, the processes integrated into the e-Business infrastructure has to be well vast and ready to be integrated into the organization system. Thus we can say that, to implement new technology into any e-Business minus understanding the organization’s business goals or process is likely to lead to e-Business failure. In this particular paper, we will focus on ways in which Oracle Corporation being the third best software revenue in the world of the e-Business has addressed business technology management concepts of alignment, synchronisation and convergence. This will be attained through discussing ways in which Oracle Corporation has handled the general business technology management principles with the introduction and ongoing management of its knowledge management in IT enabling to attain their organisational goals as well as competitive advantage in the market. For better analysis of Business technology management concepts at Oracle Corporation organisation, the paper will have to utilise the basic Business Technology Management principles, system, strategies and theories of knowledge management in relation to the organisation. Today, Oracle Corporation has been the third organisation in software revenue ranked after Microsoft and IBM. The organisation was founded by Larry Ellison in 1977 after he realised that no organisation had specialised in expanding and marketing venture software products in the market (Robert & Fadi 1993 pp1-12). At that time, the organisation was referred to Software Development Laboratories; in 1979 the management changed the name to Relational Software Inc and later to Oracle Systems in 1982. This was to align the organisation more strongly with their flagship commodities; oracle database. With bright innovation driving their success in the market, the organisation was able to implement the use of C-programming language which gave them positive results in implementing their products in e-business market (Robert & Fadi 1993 pp1-12). They were the first organisation who carried out their business operations through internet thus giving them high chances to expand in great manner. Alignment Concept within Oracle Corporation Basing on business technology management point of view, alignment is when the available technology within the organisation supports and enables the organisation strategies to achieve their goals. The technology has to function in harmony with the business opinion concerning emerging threats, competition and opportunities in the market together with its implication to the each (Thamhain, 2005 pp176-253). At Oracle corporation company, the concept have been embraced in such a manner that they have been able in put their technology into harmony with their business strategies. In so doing, the organisation has been able to use C-programming language in implementing their products in the market. They have been able to utilize the software greatly to ensure that all their clients reach them as well as they reach to their clients at appropriate manner, offering them with quality goods. In doing this, Oracle has been in position to achieve their goal in ensuring that their clients benefit fully in the product and service that they offer to them. Being the leading organisation in commercializing technology in the world, Oracle has been able to implement possible technology in the market to facilitate easy business operation within the organisation. Oracle has been able to apply the social software mode of knowledge management strategy into their activities (Benbya 2008 pp57-123). A good example is their ability to ship Oracle application server of 10grid through the help of java EE which has given them the ability to set up web technology applications (Robert & Fadi 1993 pp1-12). This technology has been aligned with their business strategy to attend to all e-Business organisations enabling them to reach to their clients sufficiently. Their ability to come up with web technology application has provided their clients with perfect service ratting them at top position in the world. Therefore, we can say that, the technology has enabled the organisation to attain trust and confident from their client which is one of their goals in the market. Other than their application of Java EE, the organisation also released software Oracle Fusion Middleware that has enabled them to connect with all their clients in the market (Robert & Fadi 1993 pp1-12). Through introduction of this technology into their information technology system, they not only increased their level of technology but also enhanced their business strategy in attaining their goals in the organisation. With this we can then say that, the organisation aligned technology with business strategies perfectly to ensure that they achieve their business goal in the long run. The ability for Oracle Corporation to align their technology and business strategies has enabled them to attain competitive advantage in e-Business market. They have been able to manage their available technology wisely to extend of attaining business technology management maturity. This has been attained through implementation of BTM maturity model into their various strategies within the organisation. They have been able to come up with ways to evaluate their level of performance to their customers thus determining how they rate their services and goods available in the market. To attain these, the management goes through all the five levels needed in business technology management (Khosrowpour, 2000 p161). To start with, the organisation has been able to identify the existence of connection between their business strategies and the available technology. This has motivated the management in coming up with better strategies that support clients’ satisfaction. At level two of maturity level, Oracle Corporation has been able to recognise the information from client on their web. This has been achieved through setting their web in connection to their clients’ thus being in position to view what their clients have to say about their service to them. This assists the management to coming up with major decision within the organisation. For instance, with clients’ comment regarding none-satisfaction concerning a given product, the organisation might decide to improve the quality together with the packaging of the product thus maintaining their clients. Basing on the third level, Oracle Corporation has been able to satisfy the functions of business technology management, in that; they focus more on the quality of service that they offer their clients as well as the level of productivity at their organisation. This has been in regard to their form of departmental organisational structure, which enables the organisation to monitor all their activities within the organisation and the way they impact their clients at their respective destinations (Robert & Fadi 1993 pp1-12). To this, we can then say that, their form of organisational structure has also played a major role in ensuring that they align their technology with their business goals and strategies. In attaining all these, the organisation has also made it possible to attain some of knowledge management systems in the market. Oracle Corporation has been in position to innovate document based knowledge management system that has enabled them to create, manage and share information with other organisations in the market. In so doing, they have got the opportunity to educate their clients on how to use their software. Apart from document based system, oracle has also attained the use of ontology based form of knowledge management system (Benbya 2008 pp57-123). Synchronisation of Business Technology Management at Oracle Corporation Other than ensuring that the business strategy and technology are in aligns, the organisation also have to carry out synchronisation of technology with the business. This implies that, the available technology within the organisation has to be in position to predict and shape the future of the business (Khosrow-Pour, 2006 p641). This enables the business capabilities to be ready in time of need. To achieve excellent synchronising of technology and business in any organisation, the management has to incorporate the basic business technology management dimensions. Therefore, the paper will focus on ways in which Oracle Corporation has applied these dimension to synchronise their technology and business appropriately. These comprise of; process, organisation, technology and information. Process utilised within the organisation plays a major role in determining the future of the organisation. Having departmental organisational structure at the organisation, the company has been able to carry out their major processes in offering their clients with excellent services and goods in market. The ability that every service and goods produced by the organisation have to go through the entire departments within the organisation for evaluation, it enables them to come up with perfect deals for their clients, offering them with perfect service at any given time. This is justified when their software are present at almost all e-Business organisation in the market. This gives the organisation hope and trust that, they have faithful clients in the market who will depend upon them even in future. The other dimensions are information and technology; through excellent implementation and management of the technology available at the organisation, the management has been able to attain perfect information form the market that enables them in stipulating their policy and strategies to use in attaining their goals. Concept of Convergence This is the ability of technology and other business strategies to operate simultaneously. At Oracle Corporation, this particular concept of business technology management has been applied in almost all their responsibilities to their clients. The application of cross project learning as one of knowledge management strategy at he organisation, enables them to focus on technology that they innovate as well as the way in which it will benefit the clients in the market. Together with the concept, organisation also needs business technology management capabilities to act competently to achieve their goal in the market. These capabilities comprises of governance and organisation which ensures that business technology decisions made are of value and can be understood by every user (Khosrowpour, 2008 pp178-215). This has been embraced at Oracle Corporation as clients together with employees finds it easy to understand any information posted at the organisational web. This not only benefits the clients but also the organisation in receiving the correct information needed to improve their effectiveness in the market. There is the managing technology investment which assists the organisation to understand the capability of the information technology on their disposal. Oracle Corporation, this can be applicable through provision of short term courses to employees educating them on the efficiency and effectiveness of the technology available to them. This will provide them with more knowledge on the technology that they have thus enabling them to manage and utilise it more sufficiently. Conclusion In conclusion, we can then say that application of business technology management concepts and that of knowledge management in any organization plays a major role in determining the success of the organization as well as its future. It has been to the excellent implementation of business technology management at Oracle Corporation that has enabled them to attain perfect result from the market as well as attain competitive advantage in the market. Through effective implementation of knowledge management system, the organization has been able to share information throughout the organizational structure. With their ability to innovate new technology and ensuring that what they have innovated solves their clients problem, has provided them with better opportunity to lead the market in software revenue. References: Benbya, H. Knowledge Management Systems Implementation Oxford Chandos Publishing 2008 pp57-123 Boon, A. & Plessis, M. Knowledge Management in e-Business & Customer Relationship Management International Journal of Information Management Vol 24 Issue1 2004 pp73-86 Khosrowpour, M. Challenges of Information management in the 21st Centusy USA Idea Group Inc 2000 p161 Khosrow-Pour, M. Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management Idea Group Inc 2006 p140-641 Khosrowpour,. The New Age of Innovation McGraw Hill Professional 2008 pp176-215 Oppong, A., Yen, D. & Merhout, W. New Strategy for Harnessing Knowledge Management in e-Commerce Vol. 27 Issue 3 2005 pp 413-435 Robert, B. & Fadi, M. Oracle systems Corporation University of Virginia Darden Business Publishing 1993 pp1-12 Thamhain, H. Management of Technology University of California John Wiley 2005 pp 176-253 Read More