IT Management in the Digital Age: A Roadmap for the IT Department of the Future

Description

This book examines the massive changes currently taking place in the business world and commonly known under the label “digitalization.” In addition, it describes the significant impacts of technological innovations on processes, products, services and business models. The digital transformation resulting from these developments leads to disruption for many enterprises and industries. While for many years, IT departments mainly concentrated on fulfilling the requirements of business departments effectively and efficiently by means of high-quality IT services and operations, today’s IT departments are increasingly expected to actively co-design and co-create the enterprise. This book describes how information technology enables innovation for businesses, and how IT departments can proactively and in a timely manner collaborate with the business departments of their corporation to leverage these innovations. It also delineates the implications of digitalization for the structures, processes and people in today’s IT departments. IT leaders and managers who are responsible for corporate IT, as well as practice-oriented researchers, will find valuable inspirations and guidance in this book, the central mission of which is to encourage and enable a more proactive role for IT in the digital transformation processes. "This book demonstrates the impact of digital transformation on IT organizations and their management. It also presents potential risks for technology availability, security and data protection. The authors develop a vision of what IT management should look like in ten years if it is to continue playing an important role in the company. The book seeks to motivate IT executives and managers with IT responsibility to actively adapt their thinking and their IT organizations before they are forced to react to external pressure. Definitely worth reading!" Sven Kreimendahl, Director Business Technology Services, Campana & Schott Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi The Digital Revolution: How Technological Trends Change the Business World (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 1-13 The Development of Corporate IT: From the Beginnings to the IT Department of the Future (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 15-25 No Business Without IT: IT Is the Central and Indispensable Driver of Entrepreneurial Value Creation (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 27-40 Development and Operation Are Not Decisive: IT Management Follows the “Innovate-Design-Transform” Paradigm (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 41-48 Shadow IT as a Lived Practice: IT Innovations Are Developed in Interdisciplinary Teams Within the Business Departments (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 49-55 Innovations Through Networks: Turning Strategic Suppliers into Innovation Partners (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 57-64 Focusing on the User: Development Processes are Agile, End-User-Centered, and Merged with the Operation (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 65-73 Infrastructure as Commodity: IT Infrastructure Services Are Traded on Free Markets and Purchased as Required (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 75-84 Digitalization as a Risk: Security and Business Continuity Management Are Central Cross-Divisional Functions of the Company (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 85-92 Transformable IT Landscapes: IT Architectures Are Standardized, Modular, Flexible, Ubiquitous, Elastic, Cost-Effective, and Secure (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 93-99 The End of the IT Department: IT Experts Become Part of the Business Departments and Are Coordinated by a Dedicated Executive Responsibility (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 101-107 Demography, Digital Natives, and Individual Entrepreneurship: Employees Become a Strategic Competitive Factor (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 109-118 Summary and Conclusion (Nils Urbach, Frederik Ahlemann)....Pages 119-120 Back Matter ....Pages 119-122