At the Leading Edge Forum, we believe that business and IT are increasingly co-evolving, each developing and changing under the influence of the other, in ways that are largely inseparable. Our research shows that business executives recognize this new reality, and they are looking to their IT peers to help them evaluate and seize the opportunities created by information technology, manage the related threats, and bring more value to their organizations.
The key to addressing theses challenges and possibilities is to create an effective strategic dialogue between business and IT executives. Yet even where the IT function plays a proactive role within the business change agenda, we often find a disconnect between the business and IT strategy processes. Similarly, enterprise architecture, which should encompass the current and future business operating model structures, is too often confined to traditional IT domains such as applications, databases and their underlying technology platforms.
In this Management Update, David Moschella will draw upon several recent LEF research projects to explain how a true Business/IT Strategy can be developed for your industry. Then, based upon his recent research work, Alex Mayall will discuss how enterprise architecture can help articulate the impact of strategic decisions on the business operating model and its supporting technology capabilities. These research presentations will be supported by case studies from some of the leading practitioners in the field
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
08:30 - 09:00
Registration and Refreshments
09:00 - 09:10
Welcome and Introduction
Vice President and Managing Director - Executive Programme, Leading Edge Forum
09:10 - 10:00
Business/IT Strategy in a Darkening Economic Climate
Global Research Director – Executive Programme, Leading Edge Forum
As IT continues to permeate just about every corner of the modern enterprise, it should not be surprising that business and IT strategies must converge. Yet too often the business and industry-specific aspects of an IT strategy wind up subordinate to more generic systems and applications concerns. Recent LEF research argues that this approach is becoming increasingly problematic, and that industry specific variations need to be more aggressively accounted for. In this session, David will present the LEF process for developing an IT strategy for your industry, using our recently developed lead sector analysis framework.
10:00 - 10:50
Enterprise Architecture in the Real World
Research Associate – Executive Programme, Leading Edge Forum
Enterprise architecture should aim to provide the essential understanding of the business operating model: how the business and IT capabilities of an enterprise are configured, interrelated and deployed in order to support what the organization is trying to achieve. Today, enterprise architecture has become more critical to business success as developments in technology are enabling organizations to be more adaptive and ‘service based’.
By articulating and communicating the structural impacts of strategic business decisions, the enterprise architect can help business executives evaluate the potential benefits and risks of M&A activities, of the outsourcing of business and IT services, and of business change programmes.
10:50 - 11:20
11:20 - 11:55
Case Study 1: Shift Happens!
Director, CTO Regional Architecture Europe, Global Solutions & UIO, Unilever
The world we live in today displays a number of trends turning traditional conventions upside-down. Some of these fall under the category Web 2.0 and related exotic stuff, some are major underlying societal and demographic patterns, while others are just simply economical and financial tectonics.
This is the story of the real world. This is the story of why yesterday’s architect is dead tomorrow.
This is the story of Darwin.
11:55 - 12:30
Case Study 2: From (Enterprise) Architecture to (Global) Implementation
Vice President – IT Infrastructure, Innovation Architecture & Security, Philips
Principal Architect – IT Infrastructure, Philips
Fortune 500 Enterprises were the first to implement global networks in the early days of globalization when the Internet was just a dream. How are Enterprises now dealing with the new dream of 'working in the cloud'?
In the last four years, Philips has worked on its 'Internet Centric' infrastructure vision, based on the insight that the classic vertically integrated Corporation was quickly evolving into a large network of collaborating partners, contractors, suppliers and customers. During the last 18 months, Philips IT has been carefully reorganizing for successful implementation of that vision. Herman and Tom will discuss what it takes to grow from a 'Closed Enterprise' to an 'Open Enterprise' to 'Collaborating in the Cloud'.
12:30 - 13:00
Panel Discussion – All Speakers
In this session, Alex Mayall will chair a general discussion with all speakers exploring the issues raised during the morning, as well as offering some fresh perspectives on the general Business/IT Strategy challenge.
13:00 - 14:00
Concluding Remarks and Lunch